Car companies like Ford and General Motors are seen as key partners for the music industry going forward, particularly as they strike deals with streaming services. Yet US music industry body The Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC) isn’t happy at all with those two manufacturers. In fact, it’s suing them in a class action lawsuit. The cause: car stereos with hard drives, capable of ripping CDs into digital files, then storing them for in-car playback. The AARC is arguing that Ford and GM should be paying royalties under the terms of the US Audio Home Recording Act for their respective Jukebox and Hard Drive Device, which have been available for some time in various cars. TorrentFreak reports that tech partners Denso and Clarion are also cited in the lawsuit. “While no one likes litigation, Ford, GM, Denso, and Clarion have stonewalled long enough, and we are determined to collect the royalties our members – and all artists and music creators with rights under the AHRA – are owed,” said AARC boss Linda Bocchi.
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