Independent music rights agency Merlin has settled a legal dispute with P2P file-sharing company LimeWire, which was shut down in October 2010.
The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed.
Merlin CEO Charles Caldas, however, said it was commensurate with the major record labels’ ($105m) settlement taking into account the aggregate market shares of the Merlin members relative to the major labels.
But as Merlin’s global share is 10%, it would put the figure somewhere between $5m and $10m.
Merlin will pay the proceeds of the settlement to its members who include Epitaph, Merge, Warp, Yep Roc/Red Eye, among others.
"The exclusion of independents from past major settlements such as Kazaa was a key factor in the formation of Merlin, and I am proud to say that this time, via the actions of Merlin, our members’ rights have been properly protected," said Caldas.
LimeWire had to pay $105m last year to major music labels for a settlement.
