Singer Ozzy Osbourne has launched a $20m (�14m) lawsuit over the broadcast rights to a rock concert.

The singer and eight rock bands claim a concert in which they performed was unlawfully broadcast on pay-per-view television in the US.

The writ claims a deal with three entertainment companies meant the concert was for use on the internet only.

Osbourne and the eight acts - Pantera, Soulfly, Godsmack, Static-X, Methods of Mayhem, Kittie, Disturbed and Slaves on Dope - claim their artistic vision has been violated by the companies.

According to the lawsuit, filed at the US District Court in Los Angeles, MCY.com was granted permission to film the final concert of Osbourne's Ozzfest tour exclusively for internet display.

Pay-per-view

But instead, the suit says, MCY.com signed deals with satellite broadcaster DirecTV and another company, In Demand, to give them the rights to air the footage as a pay-per-view broadcast.

Osbourne insists MCY.com only had the "right to solicit a broadcast proposal" - and that right expired in early September. The pay-per-view broadcast was first shown on 10 November.

He also alleges he and the bands were denied compensation for the pay-TV broadcast, and that the "webcast taping was vastly inferior in quality what is required for a television broadcast".

MCY.com denies the claims, and says its rights to the webcast and the broadcast are "clear and unambiguous".

"MCY paid Osbourne Management for the pay-per-view rights to Ozzfest 2000 and Osbourne Management will continue to share in the proceeds of the pay-per-view," a company statement said.

DirectTV declined to comment, while In Demand said it was unaware of the legal action.