Hot on the heels of last week's settlement by Kazaa comes news that one major label is dealing with a peer-to-peer network. According to the BBC, EMI is licensing its entire US catalogue to Mashboxxx, the as-yet-unreleased filesharing service started by Grokster boss Wayne Rosso.
David Munns, chairman and CEO of EMI Music North America, said: "When it rolls out, Mashboxx will be a no-obligation way for fans to really immerse themselves in discovering music, turning their friends on to what they like and getting excited about artists and music they've not yet heard.
"It has the potential to be a very good revenue stream for those who make their living from creating and investing in music."
I still can't work out if this is the industry changing its tune, or just singing the same old song.
But it's interesting that poachers like Rosso are turning gamekeepers. Shawn Fanning, the kid (man?) behind Napster, now runs SnoCap, another legal filesharing service that's still in its formative stages. But previous attempts to go legit have struggled without the support of the industry. Can things change now?
