If you have tears, prepare to shed them

Universal Records - currently demanding a stupid USD150,000 from MySpace for "copyright infringements" by its users (that's per song, not in total) - have more or less admitted to Reuters that they're using the US courts to conduct a business negotiation rather than seriously pursuing a claim:

Universal Music Group Chief Executive Doug Morris said on Tuesday he expected News Corp.'s MySpace to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit the music company filed against it earlier this month.

[...]

"I think it will settle. It would be a horrible case for them to lose," Morris said at the Reuters Media Summit.

[...]

"They're not that happy that we sued them but all these issues about infringement have to be worked out as we go into this transitional period for the industry," Morris said, referring to the move to digital distribution.

Morris said he believed the music industry would emerge stronger once many of these issues were resolved.

"When we get through it, it will be the resurrection of an enormous business," he said.

This sort of thing, of course, would be equally possible to achieve through negotiation - including artists, perhaps - in the best interests of everyone except the expensive lawyers who are running up calculator-defying bills. Never mind, though - those bills, ultimately, will be paid by consumers and artists.

It doesn't make Morris happy, though, all this:

"I hate being in the middle of this and I don't want to be looked at as the suing chairman.

"It's the worst thing that could ever happen to me."

Aw... I think... I'm filling up. Poor man, forced against his will and instincts to spend days and days dreaming up spurious court battles just to make sure his legal team don't get bored and start taking the photocopiers to pieces again.

If you don't want to be thought of as the suing chairman, perhaps... stop suing everybody?

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