Music Labels Threaten Lawsuit Against Russia's 'Facebook'

Russia's most popular social network is about to bear the wrath of U.S. music labels seeking to crack down on sites that stream artists, including Beyonce and Madonna, without a rights agreement.

Nine companies, including Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music and EMI, VKontakte, are preparing to file lawsuits against VKontakte, which is often dubbed "Russia's Facebook" because it bears a striking resemblance to the Mark Zuckerberg production.

The litigation would be among the first to use Russian anti-piracy legislation that was recently broadened to include music. The issue has been particularly sensitive in Russia, where the RIAA claims piracy overshadows the legitimate industry Read more...