EMi filed suit against music search engine SeeqPod and music-on-demand site Favtape this past Friday in the S.D.N.Y.  SeeqPod is a search engine that indexes and finds third-party websites that host music and video content.   SeeqPod allows a user to play music from their search engine using an Adobe Flash interface without having to individually visit the third-party sites from which they stream content.  This lawsuit follows a similar suit filed by Warner Music Group roughly one year.

EMI brought claims for direct, contributory and vicarious copyright infringement, and inducement of copyright infringement.  EMI also alleged that SeeqPod and Favtape violated New York unfair competition law by commercially exploiting their pre-1972 recordings.

While EMI didn’t file claims against investors in SeeqPod and Favtape, the complaint contained the following language:

SeeqPod has been able to attract millions of dollars of financial support from various “angel” investors.  Upon information and belief, each of these corporations have also contributed to, facilitated and profited from the infringing conduct of SeeqPod, the other SeeqPod defendants, and SeeqPod users.  Plaintiff reserved the right to add as defendants SeeqPod’s investors once the full extent of their contribution to, and facilitation of, the infringing conduct described herein is know.

EMI may be waiting to see whether UMG Recordings, Inc. refiles claims against Veoh’s investors in an amended compliant, and if they do, the outcome of those claims, before they decide whether to file suit against SeeqPod’s investors.