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Prince is relieved to be giving away his new album through European newspapers, insisting there's "no stress" in releasing 20TEN for free.

The Purple Rain singer, who released his 2007 album Planet Earth as a free CD with Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper, has expanded the idea by organising another giveaway on Saturday through the Daily Mirror and Daily Record in Britain.

The pop star has banned internet sites, including iTunes and YouTube, from using his music and he hopes distributing more than 2.5 million copies for free will help fight online piracy.

He says, "It's the best way to go. No charts, no internet piracy and no stress. Period. It seems like a lot of other artists agree with us as they are using the same approach now."

The German edition of Rolling Stone magazine will also include 20Ten, as well as Het Nieuwblad in Belgium.

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A judge in Australia has ordered the songwriters behind Men at Work's 1980s hit Down Under to give up five per cent of the royalties from the song following a court battle over copyright.

Bosses at Larrikin music publishers in Sydney filed suit against bandmates Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, and the group's EMI record label, claiming the flute solo in the track sampled parts of Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree, a song written by an Australian music teacher for the Girl Guides in 1934.

The Federal Court ruled against the stars and their record label and ordered them to pay compensation, which could have amounted to up to 60 per cent of the song's income.

But a judgment released by Sydney's Federal Court on Tuesday has revealed the stars will only have to hand over five per cent of the song's proceeds dating back to 2002, as well as royalties from future earnings.

Judge Justice Jacobson described Larrikin's claim for a 50 per cent share as "overreaching, excessive and in my view unrealistic".

He added, "Whether the hypothetical bargain is assessed at 1982 or 2002, the percentage interest payable is at the lowest end of the spectrum."

 

Prince has given what has been billed as his first U.K. newspaper interview in a decade as part of a deal for his new album, "20Ten."

The Daily Mirror will give the album away July 10 as a free CD with the paper, while European deals have also been struck with Rolling Stone Germany and a Belgian newspaper.

In the interview, Prince outlines his anti-Internet stance. Naturally his comments have been widely circulated via the Internet.

"The Internet is completely over," Prince told the Mirror. "I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it."

He added: "The Internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated."

Prince is not a fan of digital devices, either. "All these computers and digital gadgets are no good," he said. "They just fill your head with numbers and that cant be good for you."

Prince does not intend "20Ten" to get a download release in addition to the free CD distribution with newspapers and magazines. He has also shut down his official website and does not plan to license new music to download stores or subscription services.

A U.S. distribution deal for the album has yet to be confirmed. The record has been linked with Warner Bros.