CMU Digest

CMU Digest 22.07.19: Viagogo, Sony, Universal, Woodstock 50, Salt-N-Pepa

By | Published on Monday 22 July 2019

Viagogo

The key stories from the last week in the music business…

Google announced it had suspended the advertising account of Viagogo for failing to meet the obligations the web giant has placed on its secondary ticketing advertisers since last year. The decision was widely welcomed by those who oppose online ticket touting, who have long argued that many consumers unknowingly buy touted tickets at hiked up prices because sites like Viagogo buy themselves to the top of Google search lists. [READ MORE]

Sony confirmed that it was more closely aligning its global record company and global music publisher, Sony Music and Sony/ATV respectively. The move had been expected ever since Sony took complete control of Sony/ATV and its EMI subsidiary, and especially since the departure of former Sony/ATV boss Marty Bandier. The major’s recorded music chief Rob Stringer will now head up the combined Sony Music Group. [READ MORE]

Universal Music hit back at the class action lawsuit filed over the 2008 fire at its Hollywood archive. A number of artists have gone legal over master tapes allegedly destroyed in the fire, which has been back in the spotlight because of new reports in the New York Times which claim losses were greater than previously stated. The mega-major said that the loss of master recordings in the 2008 blaze was “heartbreaking”, but that the legal claims in the lawsuit were without merit. [READ MORE]

Organisers of Woodstock 50 suffered yet another setback. The town in New York State where they are now hoping to stage the 50th anniversary event next month again refused them a licence. After that, a Virgin-owned events company that has been assisting the Woodstock team in recent weeks announced that it was now stepping down from the project, because there is “simply not time” to deliver a quality event. [READ MORE]

Salt-N-Pepa were sued by their former DJ, Spinderella, who was sacked by the hip hop duo earlier this year. The DJ’s lawsuit includes numerous complaints dating all the way back to the outfit’s 1999 greatest hits album. She also accused her ex-bandmates of continuing to trade off her name and image via recent touring activity in which she was not involved. [READ MORE]



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