Many major label artists are preparing cease and desist orders for their labels to prevent the use of their music on the label's effort, MusicNet and PressPlay, without their permission.

In a twist on the usual news over licensing and online music, artists are telling the labels "Oh, no you don't."

According to the LA Times, attorneys for dozens of angry artists began sending cease-and-desist notices that would bar the use of their music on MusicNet, which launched last Tuesday, and PressPlay, which plans to launch in a few weeks. Vivendi-Universal and Sony Music, which own PressPlay, and AOL Time Warner Inc., EMI Group and Bertelsmann, which own a majority stake in MusicNet, are engaging in the same tactics used by MP3.com, say the managers for several top performers. Mp3.Com terminated its MyMP3.com service last year after the Big Five sued it for failing to compensate artists, publishers and other rights holders. Simon Renshaw, a manager at the Firm, which represents the Dixie Chicks, Korn and Limp Biskit. say "Attorneys representing a number of our artists have already transmitted notices to the labels requesting that their copyrights not be included on PressPlay or MusicNet." Jim Guerinot, whose Rebel Waltz management firm represents the Offspring and No Doubt, says "Nobody has ever contacted us about using any of our music," Guerinot said. "We have never had a single discussion with a label about how they intend to compensate artists or in what manner the service will work. The contracts require labels to ask the artists permission before posting songs."

As usual the labels disagree. The Big 5 say they never sought permission from most of their artists because they didn't have to. According to the companies, recording contracts typically grant labels exclusive distribution rights to an artist's entire catalog. Companies contend that those rights cover all forms of distribution, including digital streaming and download transmissions. Some contracts specifically forbid the label to distribute music over the Internet without the artist's permission. That's why EMI and AOL Time Warner, for example, haven't tried to offered songs by the Beatles or the Eagles online. Managers say recording contracts also bar companies from releasing singles without obtaining permission. Many contracts also bar companies from repackaging single tracks without permission into compilation CDs, soundtracks and television commercials or from licensing them in any form to websites. Labels often are required to pay artists a higher fee to license their songs in those formats.

This comes at an inopportune time for the labels who have been seen as struggling to get MusicNet and PressPlay off of the ground. MusicNet reportedly has experienced problems since it's launch for many consumers, but sources say they are getting corrected and that the consumer is able to stream their music as it was designed. MusicNet is limited to playing the music you have downloaded only on the computer they were downloaded to, for as long as you pay your monthly membership fee, and the music can not be transferred to portable mp3 players or written to a CDR. Many consumers say this is unacceptable, and they won't bother.