Staying with record labels and litigation and that kind of thing, final preparations are underway for the hearing in the EU courts where pan-European independents trade body IMPALA will call for the EU's decision to allow Sony and BMG to merge to be overturned.
As previously reported at length, IMPALA objected to the decision to allow the two major labels to merger, further consolidating the music industry and, the independent's claim, giving too few big companies too much power within the music business. Their appeal will be the wonderful Court of First Hearing in Luxembourg on Thursday.
Of course, it is hard to see how anyone can un-merge Sony and BMG now, given that half the work force has been axed and joint SonyBMG departments have already been opened. But IMPALA will presumably be hoping that if the European courts share any of their opposition to mergers within the music sector that further major label mergers (ie EMI and Warner) might be less likely to happen. Time will tell.