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Web Song Swap Cos. Not Liable for Piracy


Two companies behind services for sharing music and movies over the Internet are not to blame for any illegal copying conducted by the services’ users, a federal judge ruled Friday. The 34-page ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson was a major blow to recording companies and movie studios, which have been aggressively filing lawsuits and pushing new laws to stem the illegal copying and distribution of their copyright works. The decision, if it survives appeal, essentially absolves Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc. of liability. Grokster distributes file-sharing software by that name, and StreamCast distributes Morpheus. “It’s a… Read more »

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Hacker Smacks Down Madonna


Just days after trying to turn the tables on illicit song-swappers by flooding the Net with bogus tracks from her American Life, Madonna was on the receiving end of some computerized comeuppance this weekend. An unknown assailant hacked into Madonna’s official site, www.madonna.com, on Saturday and posted the real MP3s of every song from American Life, which is due in stores Tuesday. Last week, the Material One and label Warner Bros. Records tried to thwart would-be pirates by issuing dummy song files to sites like KaZaA and Morpheus. The files appeared to be leaked tracks from American Life, but when… Read more »

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Limp Bizkit Picks Snot Alumnus for Guitar Slot


After a nationwide talent search failed to yield a replacement for guitarist Wes Borland, Limp Bizkit has chosen former Snot axeman Mike Smith as his successor. Smith made his Bizkit debut last Sunday, when the group played live as part of Wrestlemania XIX in Seattle. “We really like jamming with Mike,” Bizkit frontman Fred Durst said on the band’s official Web site (http://www.limpbizkit.com). “He’s dope. This you will find out soon enough.” The band is still working on material that will appear on its upcoming Flip/Interscope album, due June 17. Durst has repeatedly offered different titles for the set, including… Read more »

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Good Charlotte Goes Dr. Rhythm, Ends Search For Drummer


After nearly three years, Good Charlotte has ended their search for a permanent drummer. After the departure of their original drummer, Aaron Escolopio (now playing in Wakefield), Good Charlotte have fielded two touring drummers (Dusty Brill and Chris Wilson), and a host of guest drummers from bands such as The Vandals, Vroom, Mest, and Autopilot Off. The search is finally over, and Good Charlotte has decided to take a DR-3 Dr. Rhythm drum machine with them on the 2003 Civic Tour with New Found Glory. “It’s a great little machine,” said Good Charlotte’s guitarist and songwriter, Benji Madden. “I’ve been… Read more »

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Eminem to Host '8 Mile' DVD Release Party


A party in honor of the DVD release of “8 Mile” wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from Eminem – and rap battling. On Thursday, Slim Shady himself will host the “8 Mile DVD Launch Party” at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit. Hip-hop artists D12 and Xzibit, who appear in the film, are slated to perform. The DVD of the hip-hop drama starring Eminem will be released Tuesday. Leading up to the event, radio stations around the nation have been holding freestyle rap battle contests. The winners from each market are being flown to Detroit to attend the party and… Read more »

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Turner Sells 5M AOL Time Warner Shares


Outgoing AOL Time Warner Inc. Vice Chairman Ted Turner sold more than 5 million additional shares of the company’s common stock on Monday, according to a regulatory filing. Turner sold 5 million shares directly and 32,000 shares through Turner Partners LP for $10.05 to $10.61 a share, said the Form 4 released Thursday by the Securities and Exchange Commission. After the transactions, Turner directly owned 107.2 million common shares and indirectly owned 10.6 million common shares, including 7.8 million common shares through Turner Partners LP, in which he is a general partner. AOL Time Warner, of New York, announced Jan.… Read more »

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Ex-Heartbreakers Bassist Epstein Dies


Howie Epstein, a former bass player for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, died of what authorities suspect was a drug overdose. He was 47. Investigators were told Epstein had been using heroin, said Maj. Ron Madrid of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department. Epstein was driven to St. Vincent Hospital by his girlfriend, who described him as “under distress.” He died Sunday. Epstein had been a respected musician and producer for more than 20 years. In addition to his work with Petty, he played on some of Bob Dylan’s albums in the 1980s and produced a Grammy-award winning album for… Read more »

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'Great White' to Testify About Club Fire


Members of the rock group Great White have been subpoenaed by prosecutors and said Tuesday they will appear before a grand jury investigating whether criminal charges should be filed in the nightclub inferno that killed 97 people. The grand jury was scheduled to convene Wednesday, and the band members were expected to testify the same day, according to law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Two band members flew back to Rhode Island late Tuesday. “We’re just devastated by the loss. It’s a devastating situation,” bass player David Filice said after arriving in Warwick.… Read more »

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Durst Dresses For A Gray Mood, Avril Gets Hideous


You can tell Fred Durst’s been kind of down lately by the way he’s all agitated when responding to the have-you-and-Britney-been-dating questions and, more importantly, the fact that he’s not sporting his usual jaunty red baseball cap. At the 45th annual Grammy Awards in New York he wore a brown cap, an olive T-shirt over a gray long-sleeve top, and a sour though resolved expression when he admitted that he and Britney were seeing each other for a while, before she “played him out.” Durst was pretty much alone in his dressed-down look at the event, however. The men, everyone… Read more »

Original

N.J. Club Claims Band Used Pyrotechnics Without Warning


Great White, the heavy metal band whose pyrotechnic display set off a blaze that killed at least 95 people in Rhode Island, used similar special effects without authorization just last week, a New Jersey nightclub owner said on Friday. As authorities seek clues in what may become a criminal investigation of Thursday night’s inferno, attention is already focused on the shower of sparks that the band used to kick off their fatal gig at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Great White played on Feb. 14 at the Stone Pony, a club in Asbury Park, New Jersey made… Read more »

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