(U-WIRE) AUSTIN, Texas — A group of recording and music publishing companies have filed suit against Austin-based Audio-galaxy Inc., alleging the company was “knowingly, willfully and intentionally designed” to enable its users to unlawfully copy millions of copyrighted songs.
Audiogalaxy allows its users to share music files over the Internet using technology similar to Napster’s. University of Texas graduate Michael Merhej founded the company in 1998. Napster, a peer-to-peer music-file sharing service, was forced to shut down in 2001 under legal pressure from the music industry.
The Recording Industry Association of America and the National Music Publishers Association filed the lawsuit representing numerous record labels, including Sony music, Motown Records and Interscope Records.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York City, asks for $150,000 for each title shared and requests a court order to stop Audiogalaxy from enabling the trading of copyrighted songs. Merhej is also named as a defendant in the suit.
Matt Oppenheim, senior vice president of business and legal affairs for the RIAA, said the litigation was a last resort.
“Audiogalaxy and Napster are cut from the same cloth,” Oppenheim said in a written statement.
Audiogalaxy has a filter in place to block copyrighted songs, but Oppenheim alleges this filter is “totally ineffective.”
The suit also accuses Audio-galaxy of enabling its users to download entire albums, cover art and software.
“Audiogalaxy’s system is even more egregious than that of Napster,” the complaint said.
Audiogalaxy did not return calls.

— The Daily Texan