Streaming music service still battling UMG over copyright infringement.
Streaming music service Grooveshark has seen its iPhone app removed from the App Store, following a complaint by record label Universal Music Group.
The app, which launched last week, allowed users to stream music to their iPhones and iPod touches. However, Grooveshark blogged about the abrupt takedown.
"Earlier this afternoon, Apple sent us a letter notifying us that, due to a complaint they received from Universal Music Group UK, Grooveshark for iPhone has been, strangely, pulled from the App Store," says the post.
"This comes as an absolute surprise to us, and we are not sleeping until we figure out exactly how to fix this—and get Grooveshark for iPhone back in the App Store."
Should the news have come as such a surprise? UMG launched a copyright infringement lawsuit against Grooveshark back in January, claiming that Grooveshark was allowing users to stream its catalogue without a licensing deal.
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With that litigation still unresolved, UMG's complaint to Apple is far from a surprise.
While Grooveshark has licensing deals in place with major label EMI and independent collective Merlin, it has faced regular complaints from other labels over licensing - and also from rival streaming services who have got deals in place.
