Free download challenges law

The debate over the use of intellectual property in pop music escalates today when a coalition of more than 200 websites is scheduled to make “The Grey Album” -- in which Los Angeles-based producer Danger Mouse paired samples of the Beatles’ “White Album” with vocals from rapper Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” -- available for free downloading.

Danger Mouse, whose real name is Brian Burton, used the Beatles’ work without authorization, and the album’s limited circulation was ended earlier this month by a cease-and-desist letter from EMI Music, which controls the group’s recordings.

“The goal of the action is to make it so more people hear about this album and get to listen to it,” said Holmes Wilson of downhillbattle.org, a music activist organization that’s coordinating today’s activity, which has been dubbed “Grey Tuesday.” “I think the piece of music really makes the argument for us. You can’t listen to it and say it’s just a rip-off. It’s innovative, it’s fun to listen to and doesn’t detract from the value of ‘The Black Album’ or ‘The White Album.’ And it doesn’t compete economically with either of those two things. It’s exhibit A why we desperately need to reform the way copyright law deals with music.”

An EMI representative said Monday that the company intends “to take action against those who are publicly participating in ‘Grey Tuesday,’ before and potentially after.”