The law never sleeps

Here's something new for America: the sort of people who write letters to the Daily Mail complaining "the BBC is not supposed to have advertising, and yet is constantly advertising its own programmes in between shows..." have been strangers to the 50 states until now. Being America, though, Matthew Enderlin hasn't merely sent his complaint that XM claims to be commercial free, but its stations promote their own programmes and other services, to a eye-boggling newspaper letters column, but instead launched a legal action. XM say his case is without merit, but do (probably) agree that a smile a day can keep the doctor away.

Meanwhile, the AnywhereCD court action is hotting up. After Warners forced the service to take down its music, offered DRM-free, AnywhereCD has hit Warners with a breach-of-contract action. Warners, for its part, has countersued, to get the courts to confirm the contract it has with AnywhereCD has been voided.

It's not yet known how much money has poured into the legal profession in the battle to defend the 1960s music industry into the modern era, but it's certainly more than all the cello players in the US made last year.