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Bertelsmann cannot be sued in Germany?

26 July 2003 13:09 by Jari Ketola | 2 comments

German court decided on Friday to postpone the lawsuit against the record label Bertelsmann. The decision was made because the Federal Constitutional Court was worried the lawsuit might violate Bertelsmann's constitutional rights in Germany.

"If lawsuits in (foreign) courts are obviously misused to bend a market player to one's will by way of media pressure and the risk of a court order, this could violate the German constitution," the court said in a statement late on Friday.

Bertelsmann was sued by major music labels for $17 billion for funding Napster's operation in 2000 and 2001. According to the lawsuit Bertelsmann kept Napster running by investing more than $100 million in the company, and hence prolonged it's existence.

The tempoary ruling will be upheld untill the court can review the case more closely and determine whether or not constitutional rights are in fact in jeopardy. The decision means only that the lawsuit could possibly not be delivered in Germany. Bertelsmann has also been sued in the US.

Source:
Reuters

Permalink to this article

Bertelsmann and UMG announce Napster litigation settlement (6 September 2006)

Bertelsmann seeks dismissal of $17bn lawsuit (14 July 2003)

EMI sues Bertelsmann (4 June 2003)

Universal sues Bertelsmann (13 May 2003)

Music publishers sue Bertelsmann over Napster funding (20 February 2003)

Bertelsmann acquires Napster (17 May 2002)

Napster gets more funding from Bertelsmann (26 October 2001)

Bertelsmann licenses technology from Napster (23 October 2001)

Napster gets a new CEO from Bertelsmann (25 July 2001)

Bertelsmann gets ready for the launch of legal Napster (11 July 2001)

AOL Time Warner sceptical about Napster-BMG (1 February 2001)

Napster makes a deal with BMG (31 October 2000)

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Discuss this article!
Shegax (Junior Member) 26 July 2003 20:24
Common now, this is over. Shega (adrenaline Is the closest Total freedom) [ + quote]
Toiletman (Senior Member) 27 July 2003 1:53
Hahahahahaha... the suers have fucked themselves... When you are on your deathbed, you will wonder, "Did I waste my life? Was it worth spending all that time on that?" Do not despair, no one has wasted their life. After all, you can only waste something if you throw it away. And you can't throw life away. [ + quote]