In a victory for the concept album, Britain's High Court has ordered record company EMI Group Ltd. to stop selling downloads of Pink Floyd tracks individually rather than as part of the band's original albums.
The group sued the music label, saying its contract prohibited selling the tracks “unbundled” from their original records. EMI claimed the rule applied only to physical albums, not the Internet.
Judge Andrew Morritt backed the band on Thursday, saying a clause in the contract protected “the artistic integrity of the albums.”
He ordered EMI to pay the band's legal costs and said he would rule later on damages.
Pink Floyd signed with EMI in 1967 and became one of its most lucrative acts, with its back catalog outsold only by The Beatles.
