(AllHipHop News) Singers, songwriters and performing artists alike are collaborating with Internet media mogul Alki David to file a massive copyright infringement lawsuit, claiming CBS subsidiaries CNET and CBS Interactive possibly earned billions by distributing illegal file trading software.
The complaint is being spearheaded by Alki David and the Justice for Artists Coalition (www.justart.net, to fight for the justice of artists across the world.
David claims that CNET and CBS Interactive fostered and popularized the piracy of copyrighted works.
“CBS Interactive has made billions by inducing the public to break the law, by providing them the file-sharing software and step-by-step guides, on exactly how to do it,” Alki David said in a press release. “No one has held Defendant accountable for this. Until now.”
David accuses CBS Interactive and CNET of maintaining an ongoing criminal enterprise by distributing peer-to-peer file-sharing software and DRM removal software.
The lawsuit claims the illegal software came with many detailed reviews and tips on how to use the applications to copy known protected intellectual properties.
Artists victimized include Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Madonna and Britney Spears, PM Dawn, Slick Rick, Ron Brows, Sugar Hill Music, Luther Campbell aka Luke Skywalker, Pretty Ricky, Dough E Fresh, H-Town and many others.
“We have only scratched the surface. Many more rights-holders are coming forward representing tens of thousands of more intellectual properties but the verification process for identifying ownership is long and detailed, so we will keep on adding as we go,” said Alki David.