Prince gets tough on web pirates
Pop star Prince is demanding that video sharing website YouTube removes clips of his recent concerts in London. The singer says he is taking action against the site, and others like it, to “reclaim his art on the internet”.
More than 1,000 unauthorised clips have been taken down in the last few days, according to Web Sheriff, the UK firm he has hired to enforce the ban. The star is also targeting online shops which, he says, infringe his copyright by selling unauthorised merchandise.
“Prince believes strongly that… copyrights should be protected across the board,” a spokesman for the star said. “Prince’s actions are a brave and pioneering step to challenge the status quo and hand control over internet rights back to the artists.”
Prince has been famously protective of his artistic rights, becoming embroiled in a squabble with record company Warner Brothers over the ownership of his master tapes in the 1990s. As part of his protest, he changed his name to a symbol and wrote the word “slave” on his cheek during public appearances. Since fulfilling his contract with the company, he has only released albums online or through special one-off deals with other record labels.
