Newest Million DJ March Speaker: Harald Blakeslee (BCD Music Group)

URB.com reported that Atlantic Records was suing Mixtrap.com and the Texas-based BCD Music Group for copyright infringement and intellectual property rights issues over material from Plies [click to read] and Gucci Mane [click to read].

Today, BCD defended their actions and business in a letter sent to HipHopDX from H. Blakeslee, the music group's managing director.

The letter stated the following: "BCD is a reputable Texas-based independent music and video distributor engaged in the distribution of finished master sound recordings. BCD has an excellent reputation in the independent marketplace and is well-respected in the world of independent retail. BCD has over 500 titles in its catalog ranging from urban, to rock and alternative, to classical, to country, to comedy, and to children’s titles.

BCD legitimately believes that it had proper authorization from the respective artists’ representatives as well as employees of Atlantic’s marketing department to distribute the Plies Real Definitions mixtape and the Gucci Mane's No Pad No Pencil mixtape. However, promptly after receiving notice from Atlantic’s legal department (and prior to the legal action being commenced) BCD stopped selling both mixtapes – and BCD advised Atlantic that it would cooperate to resolve the dispute without the need for litigation. Even so, Atlantic maliciously filed suit against BCD in Federal Court in the Southern District of New York alleging copyright infringement.

Although BCD cooperated in removing the mixtapes from the distribution chain, BCD vigorously disputes Atlantic’s position in the case. BCD believes that the marketing people at Atlantic condone the sale of mixtapes to build awareness of a particular artist’s forthcoming studio album but, in a classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, the Atlantic legal department then comes to court with “unclean hands” and tries to punish BCD for doing precisely what Atlantic authorized it to do.

BCD fully expects to prevail in the event that Atlantic pursues the case any further."

Atlantic Records is home to DJ Drama [click to read] and his Aphilliates Music Group, who went through a very highly-publicized federal investigation with the RIAA over similar disputes [click to read].

BCD recently released Devin The Dude's Smoke Sessions Volume 1 [click to read]. The group has worked with artists such as Trae, Lil Flip and others in the past.

(Adapted From HipHopDX.com)