). ▁ ▁MP 3 . com ▁def ended , ▁in ▁part , ▁that ▁" consum er ▁protection " ▁concepts ▁supported ▁MP 3 . com ' s ▁una ut hor ized ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁intellectual ▁property ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁record ▁labels ▁and ▁music ▁publish ers . ▁In ▁r uling , ▁the ▁court ▁indicated ▁that ▁" st ri pped ▁to ▁its ▁ess ence , ▁def endant ' s ▁' consum er ▁protection ' ▁argument ▁amounts ▁to ▁nothing ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁bald ▁claim ▁that ▁( the ) ▁def endant ▁should ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁mis app ropri ate ▁( the ) ▁pla int iff ' s ▁property ▁simply ▁because ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁consumer ▁demand ▁for ▁it . ▁This ▁hardly ▁appe als ▁to ▁the ▁conscience ▁of ▁equ ity ." ▁ ▁The ▁resulting ▁lit ig ation ▁and ▁jud g ments ▁against ▁MP 3 . com , ▁total ing ▁over ▁$ 5 3 ▁million , ▁pushed ▁MP 3 . com ▁into ▁severe ▁financial ▁difficulties ▁which ▁were ▁a vert ed ▁by ▁a ▁mer ger ▁with ▁Viv endi ▁Universal . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁IO ▁Group , ▁Inc . ▁v . ▁Ve oh ▁Network s , ▁Inc ., ▁a ▁similar ▁case ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁▁ ▁News ▁of ▁the ▁settlement , ▁from ▁um us ic . com ▁ ▁The ▁Mer its ▁in ▁the ▁MP 3 . com ▁Law suit ▁- ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁MP 3 ▁New sw ire ▁article ▁on ▁the ▁Universal / MP 3 . com ▁court ▁case . ▁ ▁Category : 2 0 0 0 ▁in ▁United