Chrysler Sued by Music Industry Over In-Car Recording Devices

Dec 03, 2014 05:30 PM EST | Matt Mercuro

The music industry has decided to sue Chrysler, claiming its customers might be driving down the street with stolen music.

Owners of some Chrysler vehicles have the capability of storing songs and other copyrighted media on an internal hard drive without paying royalties, according to Billboard.com.

The proposed suit was filed on Nov. 14 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies and also names supplier Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America Inc. as a defendant.

"While litigation is always a last resort, it is clear this lawsuit is the only way to protect our members' rights," says AARC executive director Linda R. Bocchi in a statement on the company's website from Nov. 14.

The lawsuit also follows similar actions filed over the summer by the alliance against Ford and General Motors.

The suit claims that vehicles equipped with hard drives are digital audio recording devices under a 1992 "Audio Home Recording Act." The law was supposed to protect copyright holders from sharing their work without compensation, according to Billboard.com.

Chrysler started introducing its MyGig infotainment system back in 2006. MyGig came with a 20 gigabyte hard drive that could be used for "saving audio" from a compact disc or USB memory device onto a hard drive, according to a 2006 release.

The automaker's current UConnect software lets some users save music directly from an internal hard drive. UConnect is available for some, not all, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram and Dodge models, according to the automaker.

Chrysler spokesman Mike Palese said the automaker "believes the lawsuit is without merit and intends to vigorously defend against it," according to Automotive News.

AARC has also filed a complaint against Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America over their own automobile-based audio recording devices.

Make sure to check back as more information regarding the lawsuit.

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