Home

Record Labels

YouTube in Talks With Record Labels to Add Free Music Videos

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 18, 2006 - 11:54am.
New York - Video-sharing site YouTube said this week that it is in negotiations with record labels on distributing their music videos on its site, Reuters reported. "What we really want to do is in six to 12 months, maybe 18 months, to have every music video ever created up on YouTube," co-founder Steve Chen told Reuters.
tags: Internet | Video | Music | Broadband | Music Videos | IPTV | YouTube | Record Labels |

Labels Sue LimeWire File-Sharing Service for Copyright Infringement

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 7, 2006 - 3:47pm.
New York - A group of record labels that includes Sony BMG, Warner Bros. Records and Virgin Records has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against peer-to-peer file-sharing service LimeWire.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Tech | P2P | Music | RIAA | Copyright | File-Sharing | Record Labels | LimeWire |

IODA Signs Digital Distribution Deals With Japanese Record Labels

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 22, 2005 - 11:07am.
San Francisco - The Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA), a digital distributor of independent label music, announced on Tuesday that it has signed deals with a number of Japanese record labels and distributors. Under the deal, San Francisco-based IODA will distribute tracks from Daiki Sound, Neoplex and M-Zone both within and outside Japan through retailers including iTunes, Napster, Yahoo, Rhapsody and D-Sound Total Site.
tags: Deals | Japan | IODA | Record Labels | Digital Distribution |

Record Labels Sue Chinese Search Engine Baidu for Copyright Infringement

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 16, 2005 - 10:36am.
New York -- The world's four major record labels (EMI, Sony BMG, Universal, Warner) have sued Baidu.com, China's most popular Internet search engine, for copyright infringement, alleging the site provides illegal links to free music downloads, Reuters reported. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) told Reuters three of the suits were filed in July in Beijing, with Sony BMG filed its suit earlier this month. Baidu, which saw its share price rise from $27 to $122 on the day of its initial public offering on the Nasdaq in August, has since lost a third of its market value -- blamed largely on the company's overvaluation.
tags: Law | Sue | Copyright Infringement | Baidu | Record Labels | Chinese Search Engine |

Record Labels, RealNetworks Sell MusicNet Joint Venture to Baker Capital

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 13, 2005 - 10:00am.
New York -- MusicNet, the digital music distribution joint venture launched in 2001 by RealNetworks and the major record labels, has been sold to New York-based investment group Baker Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Baker Capital's investment portfolio is focused mainly on digital communications firms, and also includes Wine.com, Action Engine and Broadview Networks. MusicNet provides a library of 1.3 million tracks, and digital music services to distribution partners AOL, Virgin Digital, HMV and Trans World Entertainment. "In the early stages of building the business, we greatly benefited from our strategic alliances with key players in the music industry," said MusicNet CEO Alan McGlade. "Today marks a new chapter in the history of MusicNet, as our agreement with Baker Capital greatly enhances our ability to grow, both domestically and internationally." Baker Capital said the deal will provide MusicNet with the funds necessary to expand the scale of its operations and increase its music library.
tags: RealNetworks | Baker Capital | Record Labels | MusicNet Joint Venture |

Report: Record Labels Cashing In On Master Recording Ringtones

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 27, 2004 - 7:01am.
London -- Record labels are beginning to see major profits from cell phone ringtones, a market that previously benefited only publishers but is now being cashed in on by labels through the introduction of "sample" ringtones, which use actual snippets of the copyrighted master recording, according to a report from London-based Informa. Record labels are charging far more for sample ringtones -- as much as four times -- than the average cost of a normal ringtone, or between 25% and 55% of the total retail price. Some master recording ringtones in Britain cost a whopping $7.35. "Demanding such high percentage rates by the record companies could certainly lead to the market being depressed," said Informa's Simon Dyson. Informa projects that music industry revenues from ringtones will reach $5 billion in 2007, up from $3 billion last year.
tags: Reports | Ringtones | Record Labels |

Record Labels Reach Deal to Pay Artists $50 Million in Unpaid Royalties

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 4, 2004 - 3:22am.
New York -- New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced on Tuesday that the state has reached an agreement with the major record labels and music publishers that will result in the distribution of $50 million in unpaid royalties to thousands of musicians. The payout comes after a two-year investigation into the accounting practices of the labels, which found that many artists and writers were not being paid royalties because record companies had failed to maintain contact with the performers and had stopped making required payments. In addition to more obscure artists, some of the checks will be going to top-sellers like David Bowie, Sean Combs, Dolly Parton and Dave Matthews. "As a result of this agreement, new procedures will be adopted to ensure that the artists and their descendants will receive the compensation to which they are entitled," said Spitzer. The labels said they will now list names of artists owed unpaid royalties online, as well as work with industry groups and unions to locate artists.
tags: Deals | Artists | Royalties | Record Labels |

Kazaa, Australian Record Labels Argue Legality of "Surprise" Search Warrant

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 20, 2004 - 8:14am.
Sydney -- Kazaa file-sharing network operator Sharman Networks and the Australian recording industry were in court Friday, arguing whether a special order issued to allow surprise searches of Sharman offices, universities and Australian ISPs was properly obtained, or should be set aside. An "Anton Piller" order was issued by Justice Murray Wilcox with the understanding that evidence from Sharman would likely be destroyed if another means of search and seizure, such as a subpoena, were obtained instead. Sharman Networks attorneys argued that the labels did not inform Justice Wilcox that similar information was willingly surrendered to U.S. and Dutch courts under subpoena in separate lawsuits. During the hearing, Wilcox stated, "I'm not saying I was misled, but I do have the feeling that there was a lot more to the story than I was told." Lawyers for the record industry countered that some of the information it sought to obtain was "ephemeral" in nature. Sharman also argued that the current case is essentially the same as the U.S. recording industry's case against Kazaa, and should be deferred until that case is resolved. An attorney for the record industry, attempting to differentiate between the intercontinental lawsuits, told Justice Wilcox that "the U.S. copyright law is more concerned with structural aspects of the technology...rather than the operation of the software (as the Australian law is)," ZDNet Australia reported. A ruling on the legality of the Anton Piller order is expected in several weeks.
tags: Kazaa | Record Labels | Australian | Surprise | Warrant |

Record Labels Vow to Fight Belgian Copy-Protected CD Lawsuit

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 6, 2004 - 4:12am.
Brussels -- A number of the biggest music companies in the world this week vowed to fight a multi-million-dollar lawsuit filed against them by the notoriously feisty consumer group Test-Achats. The Belgian group filed the suit against EMI, Universal Music, Sony Music and BMG earlier this week after receiving hundreds of complaints that the companies' copy-protection schemes had prevented some audio CDs from being played on PCs and car stereos. In a statement, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry defended its members' practices, saying that European law clearly stipulates that record companies "have the right to protect their works through technical means".
tags: CD | Belgian | lawsuit | Record Labels |

Major Record Labels Sue Napster Investor Hummer Winblad

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 23, 2003 - 10:24am.
Los Angeles -- Two of the world's five major record labels have sued Hummer Winblad, a venture capital firm that invested in defunct file-sharing service Napster, alleging the firm through its investment "knowingly facilitated infringement of plaintiff's copyrights for its direct financial benefit." The suit was filed by Universal Music Group and EMI Recorded Music, both of which were also party to the suits that eventually resulted in Napster's shutdown. Hummer Winblad was an early Napster investor, sinking around $13 million into the company and inserting partner Hank Barry as the company's interim CEO. "Businesses (as well as those individuals or entities who control them) premised on massive copyright infringement of works created by artists, should face the legal consequences for their actions," the two record label plaintiffs said, in a statement. Hummer Winblad isn't the only Napster investor to be targeted with a copyright infringement lawsuit. Bertelsmann, which itself owns the BMG Entertainment major record label, was sued by a group of music publishers over its investment in Napster, which it intended to turn into a secure file-sharing service.
tags: Napster | Record Labels | Winblad |