Prince has decided to drop a $22 million legal action against fans accused of posting bootleg footage of his concerts online.

Prince wanted $1 million each from 22 internet users but, according to TMZ which has obtained court documents, he has now decided not to pursue the case.

In a statement, Prince’s lawyer told TMZ that the illegal downloads had been removed.

Fans had reacted angrily to the news of the legal action.

Prince has decided to drop a $22 million legal action against fans accused of posting bootleg footage of his concerts online

Prince, 55, had intended to take legal action against 22 internet users who allegedly posted copies of his live performances on Facebook and on blogs.

“Because of recent pressure, the bootleggers have now taken down the illegal downloads and are no longer engaging in piracy,” his lawyer said.

“We recognize the fans craving for as much material as possible, but we’d prefer they get it from us directly than from third parties who are scalpers rather than real fans of our work,” the statement read.

Prince has often used legal battles to crack down on unauthorized distribution of his music.

Bootleg recordings are a bone of contention within Prince’s fan base, with many frustrated that the material has not been made commercially available.

Prince has taken a $22 million legal action against 22 people for posting copies of live performances online.

Court documents list the individuals said to have distributed bootleg recordings using Facebook and blogs.

One fan on a major Prince fan forum wrote: “Doing things like this is making him lose more and more fans.”

However, other fans rushed to defend the singer’s right to protect his vast back catalogue of material.

The action, filed earlier this month, reads: “The defendants in this case engage in massive infringement and bootlegging of Prince’s material.

Prince has taken a $22 million legal action against 22 people for posting copies of live performances online

“For example, in just one of the many takedown notices sent to Google with respect to Doe 2 (aka DaBang319), Prince identified 363 separate infringing links to file-sharing services, with each link often containing copies of bootlegged performances of multiple separate musical compositions.”

The documents go on to outline a range of blog sites and Facebook profiles where live renditions of classic Prince’s tracks such as Purple Rain and Little Red Corvette could be downloaded, or where links to such material could be found.

Fans on the long-established Prince.org forum suggested that although the action was surprising, it was not out of character for Prince. The 55-year-old has often used legal battles to crack down on unauthorized distribution of his music.