A download website based in Spain has agreed to pay companies represented by the Recording Industry Association of America $10.5 million to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against them.
Puretunes.com only operated for two months. It gave the appearance of being a legitimate download site because users were charged to use the service. Initially the site's owners claimed they had licensing agreements with relevant Spanish copyright organisations, but the RIAA subsequently proved those agreements were not sufficient for offering a full download service, and forced the site to close. But the industry association reckoned millions of tracks had been downloaded by US users in the two months Puretunes.com operated, hence the lawsuit.
According to the LA Times, the settlement will see Puretunes owner Sakfield Holding Company pay US record companies $10 million, while certain top players at P2P network Grokster, who operated the site, will pay the remaining $500,000.