Chicago - Universal Music Group has pulled the plug on a Web-based project offered by recording artist Nine Inch Nails, which let fans create and post remixes from the master tracks used to create the band's recent album, Pitchfork reported on Tuesday.

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor said the issue at hand isn't with the remixable tracks themselves, but rather that fans may choose to add copyrighted material to their remixes, which when posted online could open Universal to liability.

"Universal feels that if they host our remix site, they will be opening themselves up to the accusation that they are sponsoring the same technical violation of copyright they are suing [YouTube and MySpace] for," Reznor wrote in note on the Nine Inch Nails website.

"Their premise is that if any fan decides to remix one of my masters with material Universal doesn't own -- a 'mash-up', a sample, whatever -- and upload it to the site, there is no safe harbor under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (according to Universal) and they will be doing exactly what MySpace and YouTube are doing. This behavior may get hauled out in court and impact their lawsuit."

Reznor, who last month announced plans to leave Universal/Interscope and become a free agent, adds that Universal is willing to allow use of the master tracks it owns on a remix site hosted by Reznor, as long as he accepts liability for any potential infringements.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2kfa5h (Pitchfork)

http://www.umusic.com

http://remix.nin.com

http://www.nin.com