NO JUICY ENDING IN CRANBERRIES CASE 29/04/04
The dispute between Dolores O'Riordan and husband Don Burton with their former nanny Joy Fahey has ended with a small payment made to Fahey to compensate for lost belongings. Most of Fahey's claim failed in the Dublin High Court after Judge Jonathan Quirke dismissed
claims for a £10,000 Cherokee jeep and the deposit on a flat which the
nanny was allegedly promised on termination of her contract of employment.
GEORGE MICHAEL TOPS 20 YEAR PLAYLIST 29/04/04
George Michael , who recently announced an end to commercial recording, has topped a poll by Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) who had analysed all airplays on UK radio over the last 20 years. Michael's songs had been aired 418,000 times. The performer expressed surprise pointing out that he had only released 6 albums in 22 years.
FRANZ FERDINAND GIVE BIG UP TO DOWNLOADING 29/04/04
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranoss to give a lecture on file-sharing at Edinburgh University on April 29. Following his speech there will be a question and answer session with the panel, which will also feature a number of legal experts on the issue.
The singer told BBC news: "To
be honest I'm all for song swapping online. Downloading music from the
Internet is something I do myself and something that I'd be keen to encourage.
"From my experience it isn't necessarily the musicians themselves that are
against it, but those companies involved in the music industry.
"The way the music industry is trying to regulate online sites at the minute
is very heavy-handed - fining kids for downloading songs is just crazy."
He pointed out that file sharing builds an audience through the internet and helped the band get established saying that global word of mouth that has helped the band's progress adding that "downloading music is as revolutionary an invention as the gramophone and I'm all for it." The band are currently on a sold-out tour, which visits Edinburgh Liquid Room, Bristol Anson Rooms, PortsmouthPyramid, the London Astoria and the LondonCoronet amongst other venues.
Source:www.nme.com
STREET CONCERT IN DUBLIN SCRAPPED 29/04/04
Plans by Irish Premier Bertie Ahern to stage a massive outdoor concert in Dublin featuring Alanis Morissette and Bob Geldof have been scuppered after organisers discovered that the stage and set build would close the centre of Dublin for five days. The concert, planned to celebrate EU enlargement and Ireland's presidency of the EU was at the same time that b25 heads of state would have been in Dublin.
Geldof and Morrissette have been moved to a concert in Belfast which is being televised by the BBC. Roger Waters has penned a song for the event, "Ca Ira".
Source: The Times
APPLE SELLS 70 MILION TUNES IN FIRST YEAR 29/04/04
Apple , manufacturer of the wildly popular iPod digital music players has sold 70 million downloads through its iTunes digital service in its first year. Although short of its target of 100 milion sales the iTunes service is the internet's most popular legal download service.
The company has sold more than 3 million iPods since it introduced them in October 2001. Chairman Steve Jobs added "If
a year ago anyone had predicted iTunes would have sold
70 million songs, they would have been laughed out of town,"Jobs said. Apple now sells about 2.7 million songs per week. Jobs also said the company has no current plans to start offering a subscription-based online music service, which many of its rivals now do. Jobs said that Apple's online music store now has more than 700,000 tracks available for purchase, an increase from 200,000 when it launched the service a year ago.
Tracks cost 99 cents each and about 40 percent of the music sold is in the form of albums, rather than individual tracks.
RIAA TARGETS STUDENT DOWNLOADERS 29/04/04
The Recording Industry Association of America has sued 477 more computer users yesterday, including dozens of college students at schools in 11 states, accusing them of illegally sharing music across the Internet. The RIAA praised efforts by colleges and universities to use technology and school policies to crack down on music piracy on their own computer networks but said the most persistent offenders on campus deserved to be sued.
The latest filings brings the number of lawsuits filed by the recording industry to 2,454 since last summer. None of the cases has yet gone to trial, and 437 people so far have agreed to pay financial penalties of about $3,000 as settlements. Insitutions targeted included Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Princeton University in New Jersey, Texas A&M University, the University of Kansas, and University of Minnesota
HMV POSTS BETTER THAN EXPECTED PROFITS 29/04/04
UK Music retailer HMV and owner of Waterstone's bookshops has announced profits for the year to end of April 2004 at the top end of market expectations as it lured in more shoppers. The group, which sells CDs, books and DVDs, said stronger sales over Christmas in the UK helped earnings. While sales of CDs are dwindling because of Internet piracy, HMV is combating the decline by increasing the amount of DVDs it sells.
HMV is planning to close its last few US stores by the end of this year as it turns its focus to Canada, it said. Cash generation has been stronger than anticipated and the Group expects to end the year with net borrowings materially better than market forecasts, despite financing an expansion programme of 30 new stores.
IFPI FIGURES SHOW ANOTHER DROP IN GLOBAL CD SALES 26/04/04
IFPI figures for 2003 confirmed a drop in world sales of recorded music of 7.6% in value in 2003 although the year-on-year decline was slowed by a stronger second half in the US market, combined with resilient sales in the UK. The IFPI attribute the fourth consecutive year of falling music sales to the combined effects of digital and physical piracy alongside competition from other entertainment products. The decline affected virtually all major mrkets, with Western Europe showing particularly sharp falls compared to recent years.
Sales in Germany were down 19% in 2003 and down by more than 30% in value since 1999. Denmark, France, Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Switzerland also experienced double digit declines. Year on year, the industry has suffered global losses of 20% over the three years since 2000. Internet piracy remains a very significant factor in the decline in world music sales. Positive signs include more robust album sales in the US - thanks partly to a strong end-of-year release schedule - and a global rise in music DVD sales. DVD music video now accounts for 5.7% of global retail revenue compared to 3.1% in 2002. These factors helped restrict a global downturn in CD sales, which at the six-month point had been down 10.9% in value. Online sales of physical CDs also continued an upward trend, with an increase in the US from 3.4% to 5% in volume and in the UK up from 5.6% to 6.6% of total units.
The global music market was worth $US32 billion with total unit sales (including music video) of 2.7 billion. The IFPI's report on world music sales does not include sales in digital formats, but IFPI's market research department is collating information on these purchases across major markets and intends to include information on online sales for the first time in 2005. Apple's iTunes announced it had reached the 50 million downloads mark in March 2004. Puretracks in Canada reached 1 million downloads in February, and in Europe OD2 - powering many of the now 50 plus European portals for music downloads - announced in April it had sold more.
Source:www.ifpi.org
EMINEM WINS BACK DOMAIN NAME 25/04/04
Eminem has won a cybersquatting case against a British company who used his name without permission. Eminemmobile.com, which sells ringtones and picture messages, has been ordered to hand the domain name back to the star within ten days. The site featured a disclaimer stating it is unofficial and not connected to Eminem but the ruling made by the United Nation's World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) found that Tim McIntosh and Visitair, which runs the site, had no legitimate rights to the domain name. It must transfer back to the rapper within the ten day period unless the company decides to appeal against the ruling.
Eminem is the first rap star to use WIPO in settling a dispute over a domain name. Other singers, including Robbie Williams, Madonna and Celine Dion have used the organisation in the past to settle similar disputes. It is the second legal battle Eminem has been involved in this year, as he pursues a claim against Apple Computer for alleging the company used his hit single 'Lose Yourself' in a TV advert without permission.
Source:news.bbc.co.uk
EMI FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST GAMES COMPANY 25/04/04
EMI Group Plc , one of the world's largest music companies, has filed a federal lawsuit against Electronic Arts Inc., the world's largest video game publisher, over claims of copyright infringement in EA's highly successful sports games. The suit, filed in federal court in New York says a number of EA's recent sports titles, like "Madden
NFL 2004", "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004" and "MVP
Baseball 2004" use songs that "embody copyrighted
musical compositions that EMI owns, co-owns, administers or otherwise controls."
Music is important in games and a number of games companies have established divisions dedicated to producing and acquiring music for their titles. The suit seeks damages and the potential award of a percentage of EA's profits on those games, which EMI said was "believed to be tens of millions of dollars."
Source:www.reuters.com
EUROPEAN COMMISSION SEEKS TO REGULATE COLLECTION SOCIETIES 25/04/04
The European Commission has launched consultation with a view to regulate collection societies such as the MCPS, GEMA and SACEM which manage the songwriting rights in copyrighted products such as CDs and DVDs. Collecting societies act as agents for rights holders, but the way they function may vary considerably within the EU and may be an obstacle for businesses, the Commission said. This view is supported by the European ICT Industry Association (EICTA) which says many collecting societies are actually slowing down businesses that distribute content online because they have to negotiate with one or more collecting societies in each country to obtain the rights to use content in that territory. EICTA is advocating official recognition and large-scale adoption of Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems. DRMs are used to protect and secure payments of online material such as music. They are based on direct licensing agreements which means that collecting houses could end up being bypassed because the products' copyright would be managed directly by software.
Source:www.euractiv.com
MUSIC DVD SALES VERY POSITIVE 25/04/04
Robbie Williams , U2, Thin Lizzy, ABBA and Coldplay have inspired a surge in popularity of "live" music
- enjoyed from the comfort of their fans' living rooms. Latest figures show
that music DVD sales have rocketed by 95 per cent in the past year. Fans
pay about £20 for a DVD memento of concerts such as Robbie Williams's giant Knebworth gigs which attracted a live audiece of 375,000 over three nights. His DVD "What
We Did Last Summer" became the fastest-selling ever when it shifted 46,000 copies in its first week.
According to the new IFPI figures, 6.4 million music DVDs were sold in Britain last year. But that is set to increase this year as music labels further exploit the growing popularity of DVD players with more releases. The interest in live music is reflected in ticket sales for concerts, which hit an all-time high last year at £330 million. Of all music DVD sales, 60 per cent are of live performances and 25 per cent are greatest hits-style packages. The IFPI said live performance DVD sales are set to increase "as more artists have their 'tour diaries' and documentary footage produced for commercial release". Britain is now the world's fifth biggest market for music DVDs, behind Japan, the US, Germany and France. The Live Aid concert is due to be released on DVD at Christmas and is predicted to be the biggest seller yet. Music DVDs now outsell VHS music videos by nine-to-one.
Source:www.thisislondon.co.uk
EMI AND UNIVERSAL TAKE ON BMG IN 'OLD' NAPSTER ACTION 20/04/04
Record labels and publishers will have their day in thye federal court againt fellow major Bertelsmann AG (BMG's owner) San Francisco over claims the German media company's 2000 investment in Napster kept the file-swapping service operating eight months longer than it would have done otherwise.
The lawsuits claim the extra lease on life promoted wide-scale piracy and cost the music industry US$17 billion in lost sales. The Bertelsmann cases were first filed in New York, while Vivendi Universal's Universal Music and EMI Group also sued venture capital firm Hummer Winblad in Los Angeles, claiming its US$15 million investment and installation of a chief executive at Napster in 2000 also promoted piracy. All the cases, first filed in 2003, were recently relocated to San Francisco under US District Judge Marilyn Patel, who issued an injunction against Napster in 2000. That injunction was stayed, and Napster was operating at the time of the Bertelsmann deal in October 2000. Napster went bankrupt in 2002. Software firm Roxio Inc bought its name and logo, relaunching it as a pay service last year. Roxio is not named in the latest cases.
V ADDS MORE ACTS 20/04/04
Elbow , Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Divine Comedy, the Zutons and the Human League are the latest acts to be confirmed to play in the UK at this year's V FESTIVAL. The indie heavyweights join The Strokes, the Pixies and Scissor Sisters at the festival that takes place in Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in Staffordshire on August 21-22.
Elbow will play the NME Stage below headliners KIngs of Leon and Jet along with Thirteen Senses and Dashboard Confessional.
RIAA DROP FILE SWAPPERS AMNESTY PROGRAMME 20/04/04
The Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) "Clean
Slate" programme, launched in 2003, is being dropped. The programme allowed individuals to to acknowledge in writing that they shared music files online and then remove the files from their computers. In exchange, the RIAA pledged not to target them in its lawsuit campaign. While hundreds signed up, critics dismissed the program, saying the trade group could not possibly guarantee that anyone who admitted to file-sharing would not be the target of a lawsuit.
Eric Parke , a Calififornian resident, challenged the program in court, accusing the RIAA of fraudulent business practices for promoting the program and asking the judge for an injunction against the trade group. In papers filed Friday, attorneys for the RIAA asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit on grounds that the case is now moot, because the trade group dropped the programme earlier this month saying that the public was now fully aware that file swapping was illegal. The amnesty, called a 'shamnesty' by internet freedom lobby group the Electronic Frontiers Foundation, attracted only 1,108 people.
2004 MTV VIDEO AWARDS MOVE TO MIAMI 17/04/04
MTV 's annual Video Music Awards will be moved to Miami this year. In a change to usual host city New York and alternative Los Angeles.
The live event, in its 21st year, will be held August 29 at the AmericanAirlines Arena. The show celebrates the year's best music videos, but the honours are usually upstaged by the shenanigans of its celebrity presenters and performers. Last year, the show's most talked about moment was an onstage kiss between Madonna and Britney Spears.
READING SELLS OUT OF WEEKEND PASSES IN RECORD TIME 17/04/04
In the wake of the Glastonbury Festival selling 112,500 tickets in under 24 hours, weekend passes for this year's Carling sponsored Reading Festival have sold out in record time, the Mean Fiddler Group have confirmed. Although day passes are still on sale for the event, held over the weekend of August 27-29.
Weekend tickets have been snapped up in record time, under three weeks from being placed on sale. This year's festival will feature headline performances from The Darkness, Green Day and The White Stripes alongside Morrissey's first performance at the festivals, a debut UK festival performance for 50 Cent, a Main Stage debut for Franz Ferdinand, and acts including Placebo, The Offspring and Ash across six stages. A limited number of day tickets are still available for all three days of the festival. Reading's sister festival in Leeds is still on-sale.
APPLE REBUFF REALNETWORKS ALLIANCE 17/04/04
Apple Computer Inc apparently doesn't want to sing the same tune as its Internet music rival RealNetworks Inc. Seattle-based RealNetworks said Thursday that Apple chairman Steve Jobs had rebuffed an offer by RealNetworks' chief executive Rob Glaser to meet and discuss forming an online music alliance involving Apple's best-selling iPod portable players. comment Thursday. Apple has just improved greatly improved results with increasing profits from the sale of iPods.
Apple now has the No. 1 legal music service in the world in iTunes Music Store and the No. 1 digital-music player in the world. As competition in the online music market has increased, RealNetworks has sought to work with Apple so RealNetworks' customers can choose to play their music collections on Apple's best-selling iPod portable players.
RealNetworks , Apple and Microsoft all are jockeying for position in digital media. Songs attained from RealNetworks' Rhapsody music service and RealPlayer music store cannot be played on Apple's iPod players. In a less positive action, Apple face an ongoing trade mark challenge from the Beatles' Apple Corp who insist that the computer company has breached an agreement which limited their use of the word 'apple' to the computer world and that the computer company agreed not to use the mark in the music business.
2004 HEADLINERS ANNOUNCED FOR MANCHESTER'S MOVE FESTIVAL 17/04/04
The Virgin Trains sponsored Move 2004 Festival has announced a number of headine acts. The festival, from July 8 to 11 at Lancashire County Cricket Club, Old Trafford, Manchester.
NEW SAFETY CONFERENCE IN AMSTERDAM 15/04/04
The Public Events and Safety and Security conference is taking place in Amsterdam on the 22nd and 23rd April 2004. The pan-European conference will use case studies and key note speakers to identify the responsibilities and best practice procedures for those involved in managing public facilities and events. Speakers include Martin Spence, Head of Operations at the Royal Albert Hall, security consultant Peter Ryan, Glastonbury Festival and 3A lawyer Ben Challis, security co-ordinator Thomas Hofer and security manager and Pinkpop Director of safety Tom Hoofwijk.
Registration details James Pretty +31 (0) 20 531 2800. www.marcusevansnl.com
EUROPEAN WORKERS HAVE THEIR SAY ON SAFETY 14/04/04
The ILMC's Safety Focus Group's study for a web-based risk management tool for workers in the European live music industry is now well underway following a seminar in London last month just before ILMC 16.
The risk management tool will be web-based, free to access and will be based on actual risks faced by workers at concerts and festivals. The contents of the tool and the risks it will address were discussed by production managers, service suppliers and representatives of event volunteers at the Royal Albert Hall, London, this March. The consultation seminar, 'Worker Safety at European Live Music Events', saw professionals from 26 European countries discuss how working practices throughout Europe could be improved by a Europe-wide "risk management tool".
The tool, which is expected to be a free web-based checklist or set of guidelines, will be based on best practice in the live music industry throughout Europe and is likely to refer to well-established guidelines in the UK, Germany, Ireland, Spain and elsewhere. The project was set up jointly by the ILMC SFG and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (BCUC). It has received funding from the European agency OSHA.
"This risk assessment tool is an industry-led initiative which will be invaluable to music productions throughout Europe," says ILMC Safety Focus Group member Roger Barrett of Star Events Group. "Working standards and legislation are inconsistent across Europe. This tool aims to provide production teams with information both on local working requirements and worker safety measures based on the widest possible experience."
"The project will also provide safety guidance to volunteers, catering staff and other occasional event workers who might not be familiar with conditions at a festival site or venue," adds SFG member Penny Mellor. "As such, it's ideal for organisers of one-off or infrequent community events who might not have the safety-awareness of a regular touring production team."
MTV BIDS FOR LONDON POP SHOW VENUE 14/04/04
A bid to make Leicester Square the pop music centre of London is to go before a public inquiry. MTV wants to open a studio that would broadcast its Total Request Live show every weekday afternoon. Westminster Council rejected MTV's
plans last summer, citing the risk of "large uninvited crowds". But MTV bosses, who with landlord CLS Holdings have already transformed two floors of the building into hi-tech broadcast studios with celebrity facilities, say their plans would fit perfectly with the council's aim of making Leicester Square the UK's premier cinema and entertainment hub.
EU DELAYS SONY/BMG MERGER APPROVALS 14/04/04
The European Commission has suspended its review of the merger plans of Sony and Bertelsmann's BMG music units and stressed such deals required careful scrutiny.
The European Commission competition spokesman Tilman Lueder told a news conference that the merger review had been delayed after the EU sought additional information from the companies. The EU added that in a market wth so few dominant players (the majors control over 75% of the world's recorded music market) they would actively seek to acquire additional information before making any decision. The original decision had been planned for June 22 2004 and will now be determined by when Sony and BMG provide the information required.
THE WHO PLAN INTERNATIONAL DATES 13/04/04
The Who with original surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey will be hitting the road this summer. In addition to their June 12 performance at England's Isle of Wight Festival, the legendary rock act has confirmed dates in Japan, Australia and the United States. In addition to Townshend and Daltrey, the band will be include drummer Zak Starkey, bassist Pino Palladino and keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick.
NME SURVEY MAKES GRIM READING FOR RECORD INDUSTRY 13/04/04
As the BPI drop their strongest hints yet that UK downloaders could face court actions for swapping music with each other, an NME poll has revealed that most file sharers won't change their Internet habits in the face of the threat of legal action. As the IFPI's first wave of lawsuits against serial filesharers hits selected European countries including denmark and Italy, the BPI has confirmed that it will take action against music fans downloading and uploading free music on the Internet. By the BPI's own figures, over seven million people in the UK are using file sharing networks illegally. Over 1,000 NME readers took part in an exclusive survey on www.nme.com , and a massive 78% said the BPI's campaign won't make them change their downloading habits. Almost three quarters say they will continue to use free services.
Source:www.nme.com
LOLLAPALOOZA FESTIVAL REVS UP 13/04/04
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Gomez have joined the lineup for this year's Lollapalooza Festival. The tour will kick off July 14 at White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington, with a two-day bill that also includes Morrissey, Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, The Polyphonic Spree and String Cheese Incident.
Source:www.billboard.com
EIRE'S OXEGEN FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES MORE HEADLINE ACTS 07/04/04
The Libertines , Muse, Snow Patrol and Faithless are the latest additions to the 2004 Oxegen Festival which is to be held at Punchestown racecourse outside Dublin on July 10th and 11th. The bill already includes David Bowie, The Strokes, N*E*R*D, Pink, The Darkness, Chemical Brothers, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand and Keane.
Source:www.nme.com
IFPI FIGURES SHOW ANOTHER DECLINE IN SALES 07/04/04
World sales of recorded music fell by 7.6% in value in 2003, the year-on-year decline slowed by a stronger second half in the US market, combined with resilient sales in the UK the IFPI reported.
The fourth consecutive year of falling music sales is attributed to the combined effects of digital and physical piracy and competition from other entertainment products. The decline affected virtually all major markets, with Western Europe showing particularly sharp falls compared to recent years. Sales in Germany were down 19% in 2003 and down by more than 30% in value since 1999. Denmark, France, Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Switzerland also experienced double digit declines.
Year on year, the industry has suffered global losses of 20% over the three years since 2000. Positive signs include more robust album sales in the US - thanks partly to a strong end-of-year release schedule - and a global rise in music DVD sales. DVD music video now accounts for 5.7% of global retail revenue compared to 3.1% in 2002. These factors helped restrict a global downturn in CD sales, which at the six-month point had been down 10.9% in value. The recording industry is meanwhile making significant progress in creating an online music business.
US-based services achieved downloads of 19.2 million in the second half of 2003. In Europe, around 30 legitimate services offered upwards of 300,000 tracks for download in 2003. Legitimate online music services also operate in Canada, Australia, Latin America and Asia Pacific. the global music market was worth $US32 billion (28.5 billion Euros) with total unit sales (including music video) of 2.7 billion.
Music DVDs are the new growth area and the top selling DVD music videos from the major companies were:
Source:www.ifpi.org
CARLING HOST LIVE 24 HOUR PARTY 07/04/04
Carling have announced a 24 hour live event in London, Carling Live 24, featuring five different shows and a secret party. Most of the tickets can be won through Carling organised competitions. The performances begin wth a 7am show with the Von Bondies / Kasabian (Camden Barfly) followed at 11am Franz Ferdinand / The Feiry Furnaces (Islington Academy) 2pm Starsailor (Bush Hall) 6pm Feeder (Hammersmith Apollo) 9.30pm Scissor Sisters / Lamb (Brixton Academy) and at 3am the aftershow party at a secret venue.
Source:www.carlinglive.com
DELL CUTS COST OF DIGITAL PRODUCT 06/04/04
Dell has cut prices on its digital audio players. The Round Rock, Texas-based company is now selling its 15GB hard drive-based Dell DJ 15 Digital Music Player for $199, down from $249. Its 20GB device is selling for $279, down from $299. The company also is offering a 10 percent rebate on the 20GB device for a limited time, bringing the cost down to $251.
EMI GETS SOLE CONTROL OF JOBETE 06/04/04
EMI Group PLC has made an agreement to become the sole owner of Jobete, the Motown song catalogue established by Berry Gordy Jr. EMI's Music Publishing division already owned 80 percent of Jobete and will complete the buyout of Gordy's remaining stake in the catalogue within a few days. The deal is reported to be worth an estimated $80 million.
Jobete controls more than 100 chart-topping songs from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and the Jackson Five. Only the Beatles catalogue, which is co-owned by Michael Jackson and Sony, is considered to be worth more.
This deal hands over sole ownership of Jobete's music publishing rights to EMI. Motown Records parent, Universal Music Group owns the rights to the original song recordings. In 1997 EMI acquired 50 percent of the catalogue for $132 million and in April 2003, bought another 30 percent for $109 million. Gordy will remain involved in the creative development of several pending Jobete projects, including a musical and a television miniseries.
PIXIES TO RELEASE ON THE NIGHT CD AFTER US SHOWS 05/04/04
The Pixies will make every show from their upcoming 15-date North American tour available for sale immediately after the performance. The group will be touring with a recording truck from DiscLive that will press a limited run of 1,000 CDs per show and 2,000 for their May 1st performance at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California.
Source: Billboard
FUJI LINEUP ANNOUNCED 05/04/04
The Pixies are also confirmed to play at the 2004 Fuji Rock Festival. Other acts featured include the White Stripes, the Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Jet, Chemical Brothers and Ash. The show will be held July 30-Aug. 1 in Naeba, Japan.
Also set to play are the Black Keys, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Ben Kweller, Basement Jaxx, Snow Patrol and Super Furry Animals. The lineup will be rounded out by Haven, Cosmic Rough Riders, Husking Bee, Mum, Simple Kid, the Stills, the 22-20s and The Streets. This year, only three-day passes are available via the Fuji Rock site. A limited run of 5,000 "early bird" tickets that include parking and camping have already sold out
GLASTONBURY SELLS OUT IN A DAY 03/04/04
Tickets for the Glastonbury Festival sold out in 17 hours despite attempts to slow the procedure by limiting applications to two tickets per person and the use of debit cards only. Tickets went on sale at 20.00 on April 1st and co-organiser Emily Eavis went live on XFM Radio on the morning of April 2nd to ask fans to be patient. But soon after noon tickets had sold out.
An estimated 300,000 fans sought the 112,500 tickets on sale jamming phone lines and the website and a large number were left angry and frustrated having tried all night to buy tickets. The only headliner confirmed for the Festival is Paul McCartney. Since licence problems in 2000, Festival organiser Michael Eavis has invested heavily in a new fence system which was put in place in 2002 and brought in MFG's Melvin Benn to manage the site infrastructure and operations. This year the Festival hopes to avoid ticket touting by personalising the 112,500 tickets purchased.
EMI SHEDS 1500 JOBS AND CULLS ARTIST ROSTER 01/04/04
The EMI Group, which has failed to forge a deal in a consolidating industry, has said it would cull 20 percent of its artists and cut 1,500 jobs. This is the second time that EMI has cut artists and jobs since Alain Levy, the former president of PolyGram, was hired as chairman and chief executive of the music division in October 2001.
The cuts will result in £25 million, ($46 million) of savings in the financial year ending March 2005 and £50 million annually after that, but it will result in substantial one-time charges and write-downs, EMI said. The Company added that full-year sales in recorded music will be "close" to the level last year. Industrywide, sales slipped more than 7 percent in 2003, according to an estimate by the industry group IFPI. EMI will shed its manufacturing plants in Uden, the Netherlands, and Jacksonville, Illinois, resulting in the loss of 900 jobs.
Source: The New York Times
CANADA'S FEDERAL APPEAL COURT RULES THAT FILE SHARING IS NOT ILLEGAL 01/04/04
The Canadian Federal Appeals Court has ruled against a motion that would have allowed the music industry to start suing serial filesharers. Individuals in Canada were facing copyright infringement claims in the first wave of international legal action by record companies, here brought by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. But the court held that the CRIA could not prove that any of these 29 alleged music 'uploaders' were breaking the law.
Justice Konrad von Finckenstein said that downloading a song or making files available in shared directories like Kazaa does not constitute an infringement of copyright laws under the current Canadian law (which operates a levy on blank tapes, cassettes and on some hardware). In February the CRIA took five Internet service providers to court, trying to force them to hand over the names and addresses of 29 people who allegedly shared hundreds of songs on peer2peer networks last November and December.
The Court came to three key conclusions:
The decision sets the precedent for high-speed Internet providers not having to divulge their client list and without these names the CRIA is unable to begin filing lawsuits.
MTV AND INDEPENDENT LABELS REACH SETTLEMENT 01/04/04
The simering row between MTV Europe and a host of independent labels who represent artists such as Craig David, Prodigy, Basement Jaxx and the White Stripes has been settled. MTV had originally said that it would give the labels until March 31st to accepts its reduced offer but labels such as the Beggars Group, Telstar, Ninja and Sanctuary united and rejected MTV's position.