Hanson to sue MP3.com

LOS ANGELES (AP) - All-brother pop band Hanson are the latest artists to sue internet music service MP3.com, alleging copyright infringement.

Their lawyer, Bruce E Van Dalsem has filed a lawsuit saying that the website illegally gave listeners access to their songs.

MP3.com offered access to users own record collections for free

Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson are seeking an injunction against the US-based digital service and seeking damages of $150,000 (�102,000) per infringed song.

Singer-songwriters Tom Waits and Randy Newman filed a suit against the company in May of this year.

They also challenged the MP3.com system which allows a database of songs to be heard by anyone who "proves" ownership of the music by briefly inserting the relevant compact disc into a computer.

Newman and Waits are also asking for the maximum penalty of $150,000 (�102,000) for each song available in this way.

Injunction

In August more than 50 songwriters and music publishers, including the estates of Roy Orbison and The Bellamy Brothers, filed suit against the company demanding damages for unpaid royalties and an injunction against the site.

MP3.com is owned by Paris-based media giant Vivendi Universal, the world's largest record company.

Vivendi bought MP3.com in a $372m (�255m) cash-and-stock deal in May.

In November 2000 MP3.com signed a series of copyright agreements with five major record labels.

Roy Orbison" vspace="0" border=0 width="150" height="180" src="https://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1630000/images/_1631981_hanson150b.jpg"> Orbison: Estate alleges misuse of his back catalogue

But much of the music distributed by the major record labels involves song copyrights published and administered by other companies, who may not be a party to the broader agreements so far reached with MP3.com.

Hanson came to fame with their 1997 teen anthem MmmBop when the brothers were aged only 16, 14 and 11 years old.

Raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, they made their first professional appearance at a local music festival in 1992 and have since gone on to record three albums, including their 12 million-selling debut Middle Of Nowhere.