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Ryan Paul - Apr 7, 2011 1:02 pm UTC
The controversial GrooveShark music streaming service is getting the cold shoulder from mobile platform vendors. GrooveShark's mobile music streaming application, which was kicked out of Apple's App Store last year, has recently received the same treatment from Google. GrooveShark for Android was removed from the Android Market this week and is no longer available through the platform's official application delivery channel.
GrooveShark's mobile software won't be as easily discoverable or convenient to install as it once was, but the beat will go on despite banishment from the mobile software storefronts. The GrooveShark for Android application is still readily available from the company's website and can be installed on any Android device that allows sideloading. The iPhone version is also similarly available, though only installable on jailbroken devices.
GrooveShark allows users to upload media content and play media uploaded by other users. The company behind the service has faced litigation from major recording labels in the past and has negotiated licensing deals with some. EMI, for example, dropped a lawsuit against GrooveShark in 2009 after reaching a settlement agreement which included licensing terms that granted GrooveShark access to EMI's catalog.
Although GrooveShark's executives contend that their service operates within the boundaries of copyright law, that's not entirely clear. Universal Music Group is still currently engaged in litigation against GrooveShark, in what one inside industry source described as a relentless "legal jihad" against the streaming service.
In a statement to TechCrunch, GrooveShark claims that pressure from the recording industry was what compelled Apple and Google to stop distributing the GrooveShark application. The company believes that there is no defensible basis for the removal of their application in Google's Android Market policies. In the statement, GrooveShark compares its own service to YouTube and argues that that they are entitled to stream user-contributed content as long as they continue complying with DMCA takedown notices.
When we briefly discussed the matter with the RIAA via e-mail, the organization declined to comment or confirm playing a role in the application blockage.
It's worth noting that Google is currently facing scrutiny from Congress over its handling of sensitive copyright issues, particularly the rampant use of AdWords advertising campaigns on piracy websites. Google could be clamping down GrooveShark in response to the pressure from its Congressional inquisitors.
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