Streaming service Spinrilla sued by major labels

On behalf of Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Bros. Records, Atlantic Recording Corporation and LaFace Records, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is suing hip-hop streaming service Spinrilla for allegedly sharing unauthorised music with millions of users.

The case will take place in Georgia Federal Court in the US and concerns more than 21,000 copyright infringements from music that Spinrilla has made available to users on their website and apps. 

The RIAA has launched primary and secondary infringement claims and is seeking statutory damages and an injunction against Spinrilla, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Artists such as Beyonce, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar have not received appropriate compensation for their musical works that continue to be consumed by Spinrilla platforms.

"Through the Spinrilla website and apps, users with an artist account can upload content that any other user can then download or stream on demand for free, an unlimited number of times," writes attorney James Lamberth in the complaint.

"A substantial amount of content uploaded to the Spinrilla website and apps consists of popular sound recordings whose copyrights are owned by Plaintiffs."   

The RIAA issued a statement about the lawsuit: "Spinrilla specializes in ripping off music creators by offering thousands of unlicensed sound recordings for free. Fans today have access to millions upon millions of songs from innovative platforms and services that pay creators -- this kind of illicit activity has no place in today’s music marketplace.” 

A popular hub for free mixtape streams and downloads, the service was established by Jeffrey Dylan Copeland. This is not the first time the RIAA has taken legal action against the mixtape industry. Lawsuits were served throughout the 2000s against several physical outlets and digital stores.

Notably, the case is reminiscent of RIAA’s feud with Napster in 2000, culminating in the service being shut down a year later after creating a platform that enabled music to be freely shared amongst its nearly 20 million user base.

However, as reported by TMN last year, Napster has made a comeback in the US after being acquired by Rhapsody in 2011. As one of the earliest streaming services, Rhapsody is rebranding its music streaming service in the hope it can take on Spotify and Apple Music.