Major Record Labels Sue 3 More Webcasters

Major record companies filed lawsuits against three more online music companies, accusing them of violating copyrights by offering personalized Web radio services. The lawsuits against Viacom’s MTVi Group, MusicMatch Inc. and Xact Radio are the latest shots in an escalating legal battle over how much record companies should collect in royalties from Webcasters.

Filed in federal court in New York, the suits came a week after the Webcasters had asked a federal judge in San Francisco to rule that their personalized services did not violate the labels’ copyrights. Four of the record companies filed a similar lawsuit May 24 against Launch Media Inc. of Santa Monica.