Ramones drummer adds to music download woes

Stephen Withers
Monday, 24 September 2007 12:25

Business IT - Technology

Former Ramones drummer Richard "Richie Ramone" Reinhardt is suing three prominent online music outlets for copyright infringement.

Reinhardt asserts that he has never authorised the non-physical digital distribution of six songs that he composed, and is suing Apple, Real and Wal-Mart for $US900,000 plus any profits made from his songs.

It seems that the music retailers obtained the rights to Reinhardt's compositions - Human Kind, I Know Better Now, I'm Not Jesus, Smash You, Somebody Put Something in My Drink, and (You) Can't Say Anything Nice - from the Ramones' music publisher, but that company failed to secure the corresponding rights from Reinhardt.

Defendants in the suit also include the estate of guitarist Johnny Ramone, Ramones Publishing, and the band's publisher, according to Reuters.

The Ramones were an early and prominent part of the New York punk scene in the mid 1970s. The songs in question were written during the 1980s.

Similar suits have been brought against Apple by companies associated with Eminem and by independent record label Dawg Music .