Baby-boomer music is the latest battleground for record labels as they sue Pandora Media for alleged copyright infringement. They have accused the Internet radio company of using songs recorded before 1972 without paying licence fees.
The labels argue that, while songs such as Aretha Franklin’s Respect and the Beatles’ Hey Jude aren’t covered by federal copyright law, they are protected by US state laws. The labels say artists and labels have been deprived of tens of millions of dollars a year by services such as Pandora.
