Michael Robertson’s MP3tunes.com declares bankruptcy

MIKEY DOESN’T LIKE IT: Michael Robertson’s MP3tunes.com, which rose from the ashes of MP3.com, has filed for bankruptcy, CNET reports. The music locker service was sued out of existence by EMI, according to Robertson. In 2007, EMI accused MP3tunes.com of violating its copyright and so ensued more than four years of litigation, heaping loads of legal costs onto the startup service. "Four and a half years of legal costs and we're not even out of trial," Robertson told CNET. "MP3tunes has no choice but to file... This is what they do. The labels engage in multiyear legal battles and put small companies through hell for years… EMI went to other companies and demanded that they not work with us. They went to retailers, as one example, and forbid those guys to work with us." Records show that MP3tunes.com has liabilities of between $1 million and $10 million. (5/11a)