[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ $.04 for music downloads - legally?, Looks legit...

Interesting read:
http://www.g4techtv.com/feature.aspx?article_key=779
http://www.museekster.com/allofmp3info.htm

At $.01 per Meg, that's about $.04 per song at 128kbps. They need a larger catalog, but it's growing every day.

Because this service originates in Russia, it is bound by Russian copyright law - which is a little different than the copyright laws here in the United States (or Canada, Australia and/or Europe).

United States copyright law does not really apply since you are buying the music for personal use from a licensed (and legitimate) content provider. So we really need to look at intellectual property law to determine if this is legal or not - and then we need to consider who's intellecual property laws apply. United States law? Russian law? Currently, the neither the WTO or the World Court has established any minimum standards for international intellectual property standards. So until they do, it can be argued that you downloaded the files from a Russian site, then you will be covered under Russian copyright laws.

My feeling is that if you purchase a licensed work of art, you are able to use it subject to the terms of that license. Thus, if the work you purchased a license for included terms that you were able to use it anywhere, and reproduce/broadcast it, then that license would hold firm.

The key lies in allofmp3's rights to license and distribute the music. If it's affiliation with CISAC is genuine, then that would satisfy Australian law to the best of my knowledge, provided you used the work in accordance with the the terms of the license.

Also, if there were an alleged breach of copyright law, my suspicion is that since the work is licensed in Russia, then that would be the appropriate forum for the RIAA to sue you in. Chances of that anyone??