METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has asked METALLICA's longtime attorney Peter Paterno to try and defuse the situation between BEATALLICA — the Milwaukee-based parody band known for METALLICA-infused covers of BEATLES songs — and Sony Music. As previously reported, Sony Music accused BEATALLICA of violating copyright laws, demanded that their webmaster pay "unspecified damages," and forced the band's ISP to shut down their web site.

Thanks to Ulrich's efforts, BEATALLICA will soon be back online, and the legal debacle over. Sony is now indicating that it may agree to just drop the case, if they even had a proper case in the first place.

Ulrich is no stranger to matters of intellectual property law and the Internet. Five years ago, he stood on the steps of Napster, Inc., hauling boxes full of 300,000 names: all people he said were using Napster to "steal" METALLICA tunes. But things have changed. That debate was about who profited from METALLICA's music, he says, and this one is about creative rights at the heart of rock and roll itself. Ulrich says he believes that cover bands, mash-ups, and the right to re-interpret art on the Internet are things worth fighting for. Thanks in part to Lars, expect to see Beatallica.org online again — with a new song release — this week.