AfterDawn: News

Department of Justice investigates labels over TotalMusic

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which among other things is responsible for enforcing federal antitrust laws, is apparently suspicious of record labels intentions with respect to a new proposed subscription music service tentatively called TotalMusic. The service, originally proposed by Universal Music Group (UMG) CEO Doug Morris, would provide most major label titles for a monthly $5 subscription fee, which Morris has suggested be paid by portable media player manufacturers.

A report in a music industry periodical called MusicAlly indicates that DOJ officials have contacted all four major labels to get more information. What apparently concerns DOJ regulators is the possibility that the labels are actually just trying to put existing online music services, most notably iTunes, out of business. It probably doesn't help any that the idea for TotalMusic surfaced around the same time Morris had a very public falling out with Apple, eventually leading to the company declining to renew the distribution deal between them.



This isn't the first such label backed service that's come under DOJ scrutiny. Before the launch of iTunes, there were two subscription services with label backing - PressPlay and MusicNet - which were similarly investigated, with no evidence found against the labels. One important difference between then and now is that labels are clearly interested in making the most of music downloads, while the earlier case focused on their potential use of the two services as a tool to kill online music entirely.

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 7 Feb 2008 23:53

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• 3 comments

• nobrainer

  like we didn't know, duh. they have used their clout to steal from indie bands because THEY are the gatekeepers and everyone must pay up. They are stonewalling iTunes because steve will not let them price fix on the singles forcing him to raise prices and stupid bundles because destroying albums as who wants to purchase more than two songs off of any manufactured pop album. They have engaged in global price fixing and are currently being investigated in Europe over their tired pricing that they forced on apple to obtain licences and just as the media industry did with AllofMP3.com they are blocking ANY credit transactions outside of the card owners registered address, and this is exactly what is happening with the new and IMPROVED amazon drm free music store. and then you have the payola scandels but they are the gatekeepers after all!
  
  http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...-antitrust.html
  
  Originally posted by link: Universal and Sony BMG are the targets of a new antitrust investigation by the US Department of Justice. The probe will focus on the labels' Total Music initiative and whether it might give them a way to shut out uncooperative vendors from the unique initiative. Spokespeople from EMI and Warner Music said that they had not yet been contacted.
  
  The DoJ is no stranger to price-fixing investigations when it comes to the music industry. In 2000, the DoJ determined that the labels had participated in wholesale price fixing, and investigated the Big Four again in 2001 over complaints that they all backed two services (PressPlay and MusicNet) while refusing to license music to other providers. The latter probe was dropped due to a lack of evidence.
  EU blames record labels, not Apple, for iTunes restrictions
  
  RIAA Claims Ownership of All Artist Royalties For Internet Radio
  
  Sony payola scam
  
  Damning Sony payola memos: "I'm a whore this week"
  
  an interesting look on copywrite and the media industry can be found here: http://www.stealthisfilm.com/Part2/ in this FREE bittorrent docu/film.
  
  you will need bittorrent to download this, if you are a firefox user allpeers is a great plugin for sharing files with you trusted friends, so go ahead and create a dark net free from the spys of the MPAA/RIAA. it can be found here: http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3234
  
  if you don't know about torrents look here: http://thepiratebay.org/help
  

  The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
  
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.
  
  How do you stop anti consumer = its easy purchase only second hand media and avoid their propertarian hobbled by DRM hardware! http://www.boycott-riaa.com/

  8.2.2008 04:40 #1

• Hrdrk20

  Just go to Stage6[.]com to download "Steal This Film II" already in .avi format. You can also watch the film online there also.

  10.2.2008 14:42 #2

• borhan9

  The more and more in depth we go the more complicated the matter gets. The question is. Is it really worth it??

  2.4.2008 04:27 #3