MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Could this be an attempt by Middlebronfman to prevent DRM free digital downloads by a major before it gets off the ground?

For a Big Four record company, "everything" is never enough.

There goes DRM free music from EMI if this deal goes through. I'm sure that is one of the motives of Warner as there execs are dead set against dropping DRM.

Too much consolidation, too few players, too much power in too few hands. Please let the ruling be NO!

The same goes for mass media, industrial food producers, oil barons...

If a Warner / EMI merger was abandoned last year because of the probability that EU regulators might not allow it ( after the Sony & BMG merger was banned ), what has changed to make a merger possible now ?

Warner aren't doing very well at the moment, their profits have tumbled alarmingly. I would have thought that a different company altogether would try to buy EMI. EMI's value is about $3.5 billion. Anybody know of any companies with that sort of loose change and an interest in the music business ?

Ouch, no Thanks to reader Harrison for submitting article?

EMI's quasi support of DRM-less music sales probably has the other big labels extremely concerned and probably had the effect of lighting a fire under their heinies to do something about it.

It's becomimg more and more obvious that the labels are terrified of a DRM-less future. Probably because it means they won't be able to make the kinds of profits they used to. They'll still make money...just not the tens and hundreds of millions like they used to.

The tools are in place, and the networks/infrastructures are in place.

Now it's time for the artists and music creators to take control over their creations...and put the suits and beancounters in THEIR place.

MDN word: progress. Man, you just can't make that up.

I wonder if the EMI DRM free gambit was just a ploy to get a favorable price in a buyout.

AlanAudio…

I have consistently promoted the idea that Apple should acquire one of these two, especially EMI, out of the loose change down the back of the sofa in Steve's office.

$3.5 billion to disrupt the entire music industry, whilst becoming a major force in that industry strikes me as a bargain.