EMI’s recent decision to rejoin legal battle with Grooveshark didn’t come as a huge surprise. The company’s decision to take the Irish government to court is significantly more of a shock. EMI has launched a High Court action against the Irish State over what the Irish Times describes as “foot-dragging” over introducing anti-piracy legislation. EMI’s Willie Kavanagh tells the newspaper that despite requests, the government has not yet shown the label its upcoming ‘instrument’ to enable rightsholders to take action against ISPs that are not blocking infringing websites. He adds that the delay is “leading me to believe it’s unlikely to satisfy the music industry’s requirement for injunctive relief”. The Irish government is expected to publish its proposed legislation later this month, so the timing of EMI’s move is somewhat puzzling.
