Prince has abandoned plans to sue 22 alleged bootleggers of his material.

This month, the musician filed a lawsuit seeking $1m (£604,000) each from internet users he has accused of posting footage of his concerts online. But according to TMZ, which claims to have obtained court documents, Prince has now asked a federal court in California to dismiss the lawsuit.

The musician's legal challenge generated a degree of controversy because some of the sites targeted by the lawsuit appeared to be fansites, such as Purple House, Purple Kiss and Funky Experience 4.0. Despite them being described by Prince's lawyers as "an interconnected network of bootleg distribution, which is able to broadly disseminate unauthorised copies of Prince's musical compositions and live performances", the move angered some Prince fans. At the long-running web forum Prince.org, one user wrote: "Yes, bootlegging is wrong, but … who is next? Dude will even go after regular ass fans … really sad. Prince will be remembered for making some of the most beautiful music ever created and for hating his fans."

The reason for Prince's change of heart is not yet known, and he has made no official statement. TMZ reports that the singer retains the right to pick up the case again should he so wish.

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In the meantime, Prince has teased fans with a snippet of a new song, PRETZELBODYLOGIC. The 20-second clip features a crunching rock riff and a capella chanting, probably from his all-female backing group, 3RDEYEGIRL. The track is taken from his forthcoming album, Plectrum Electrum, which is set for a spring release.

Last week Prince announced plans for a short London tour, beginning on 3 February, before which he will host a press conference at the home of Lianne La Havas.