UNIVERSAL AND WARNER MAY BOTH BE BACK IN THE RUNNING FOR EMI
Universal may be back in the game, people. That's the game where the prize is owning EMI's record companies, and what a prize that would be to have, no?

As previously reported, the favourite bidders to get the EMI record companies, being sold by Citigroup as we speak, were Universal and Warner Music, but late last month both pulled out of the running, seemingly unable to meet the US bank's expectations on price.

Universal pulled out first, seemingly because Warner Music - and its newish owner Access Industries - simply had more money. But when it was subsequently announced that Warner had also bailed, speculation began that the Universal music company, owned by French-based Vivendi, may soon be back in the running. And, according to Bloomberg, sources this weekend indicated that was the case.

That said, Warner Music may, as yet, return to the negotiating table too. Many reckon Warner/Access's decision to withdraw from the bidding was basically a negotiating tactic, the company believing that - with Citigroup's negotiations regarding the sale of EMI's music publishing business going well - the bankers won't want to be left sitting with just the less valuable EMI labels, giving Access Industries the upper hand.

As previously reported, as well as having to agree on a price, Warner was also negotiating hard with Citigroup regarding EMI's pension liabilities. The fact that EMI is the guarantor on certain HMV leases (stemming from its former ownership of the retailer) may also be a factor, given HMV's own wobbly finances, while Digital Music News last week speculated whether the Zombie/James v Universal class action lawsuit could also have an impact. If successful, that could force all majors to pay heritage artists a bigger slice of digital royalties, though EMI's biggest heritage act - The Beatles - have a separate post-internet agreement with the major re download sales, so wouldn't be affected even if the Zombie/James lawsuit prevailed.

With Universal and Warner possibly both back in the running, perhaps we will have a resolution on the EMI sale this month after all. BMG and Sony/ATV are both still in the running for EMI Music Publishing.

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TOWNSHEND AND DALTREY BACK NEW US CANCER INITIATIVE
When not making misguided remarks about the digital music era, that Pete Townshend fella likes to turn his hand to charity work, so if conference organisers can just stop asking him to speak, we won't have to listen to any misinformed industry moaning, and more charities will benefit. Double win.

In his latest charity venture, Townshend is teaming up with bandmate Roger Daltrey to back a Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program at UCLA in Los Angeles. The new charitable initiative has parallels with the UK's Teenage Cancer Trust, with which both Daltrey and Townshend have long been associated via their annual fund-raising concerts at the Albert Hall. It will aim to fund special hospital units for young people receiving cancer treatment.

According to a statement the new organisation, which will be launched by Daltrey this week and is also backed by Robert Plant, will aim "to ensure that every young person receives the best possible care and professional support to help meet the unique physical and emotional challenges resulting from a cancer diagnosis. The belief is that teenagers and young adults shouldn't stop enjoying their youth just because they have cancer".

It continues: "The UCLA Daltrey/Townshend Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program's special hospital unit will be a comforting environment where young people stay in adjoined patient rooms around a common lounge so they can provide emotional support for each other. The units are designed to provide, as closely as possible, a normal life, helping the youngsters cope with gruelling treatments and long hospital stays".

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RADIOHEAD SELL KID A GUITAR FOR CHARITY
Radiohead's Ed O'Brien has agreed to auction off one a Fender Telecaster he played during recording sessions for the band's fourth and fifth studio albums, 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac'. All proceeds from the sale will go to The Billie Butterfly Fund, a campaign set up to raise funds for the ongoing treatment of four year old Billie Bainbridge, who suffers from an inoperable form of brain stem cancer.

An accompanying handwritten message from Ed reads: "To whoever ends up with this Tele... It was bought in the summer of 98, just prior to us going into record the albums which came out as 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac'. It was pretty much the only guitar I used at that time. It's also been gigged a lot, up until and including the 'In Rainbows' tour. Hope you enjoy it".

You can bid on the guitar, which has been signed by the whole band, here: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110768803065. Bidding closes on 13 Nov.

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CONTENT INDUSTRIES DEMAND BT BLOCKS THE PIRATE BAY
So this was predictable. A coalition of content industry trade bodies, led by record industry's BPI, has formally requested that BT block access to The Pirate Bay, threatening to apply for a court injunction ordering the site be blocked if it fails to comply voluntarily.

This, of course, follows the landmark ruling in the so called Newzbin2 case, in which the Motion Picture Association successfully obtained an injunction against BT, as the UK's biggest ISP, forcing them to block access to the Newzbin file-sharing website, which provides links to music and movie content online, most of it unlicensed. The MPA had previously successfully sued Newzbin itself for copyright infringement, but the site relocated itself to outside the jurisdiction of the UK courts.

It was a landmark case because no previous web-blocking injunction had been served on an ISP in the UK on copyright grounds. One element of the copyright section of the Digital Economy Act provides a system for such injunctions to be issued, though that element was saddled with a 'wait-and-see' clause, basically removing it from the Act in the short term. But the Newzbin case showed that even without the DEA amendment, it was possible to get web-blocking injunctions against infringing websites under existing copyright rules.

Once the MPA won against Newzbin, and following the recent formal issuing of the injunction against BT, it was only a matter of time before other trade bodies followed suit with similar action against other file-sharing services and ISPs. And the Pirate Bay was always going to be an early target.

BT confirmed that it had received a letter from the BPI on Friday, and said it was "considering its response". Some fear the Newzbin case and/or the web-blocking section of the DEA (should it ever be enacted) will open the flood gates, and lead to efforts by content owners to block access to websites where copyright infringement (or contributory infringement) is an unavoidable side product to a legitimate activity, such as when Google inadvertently links to illegal sources of content amongst other search results (and, of course, some would argue TPB is no more than a Google-type search engine that just happens to focus on BitTorrent feeds). But others argue that if injunctions are administered by a court there are plenty of opportunities for accused websites to prove copyright infringement is not at the heart of their operations, and that they have systems in place to block most infringing activity.

Of course even if BT were to block access to The Pirate Bay - and similar web-blocking orders have been issued against ISPs in relation to the infamous file-sharing site in other countries - more committed file-sharers will know how to circumvent the block, though more casual users would likely look elsewhere for content - with the BPI et al hoping they'd opt for legal alternatives.

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ADAM LAMBERT SUED BY PRE-IDOL LABEL
An American company called Colwel Platinum Entertainment is suing former 'American Idol' runner-up Adam Lambert claiming it has agreements with the pop star dating from before his appearance on the 'Idol' franchise. The lawsuit claims the singer has breached those agreements by working with Sony label RCA since his stint on 'Idol'. If true, that would also likely mean Lambert broke the rules for entering the telly talent contest, which say that contenders must not already have record or similar deals in place, because otherwise the format's owners wouldn't for able to force their own deals on the winners.

The claimants have gone legal after reps for Lambert ordered Amazon stop selling an album of the singer's early pre-Idol recordings which Colwel Platinum Entertainment recently released. The music company said it had a 'music services agreement' with Lambert, who recorded tracks for the company in 2007 and 2008, before appearing on Idol in 2009. Representatives of the company say they spent $200,000 on the tracks, as well as advancing cash to Lambert, and that they own the copyright in the recordings and a stake of the publishing on the singer's writing.

They add that by entering 'Idol' and subsequently signing to RCA he breached their agreements, as well as breaking the Idol show's rules. And, for good measure, they say that all this means that when Team Lambert ordered their album of the singer's songs be removed from Amazon under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it was a misuse of said Act.

The lawsuit is looking for confirmation Colwel Platinum Entertainment has ownership of and can sell the recordings Lambert made for them, as well as seeking damages. Team Lambert are yet to respond.

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BIEBER WILL TAKE PATERNITY TEST, SAYS TMZ
Justin Bieber's lawyers have told representatives of Mariah Yeater that the teen popster is happy to take a paternity test to prove he's not the father of her young child, according to TMZ.

The pop star's legal reps got in touch with their client's accuser as Bieber himself, as opposed to his publicist, directly denied Yeater's allegations for the first time on American TV. Asked by US TV show 'Today' about Yeater's claims that he fathered her young child during a brief sexual liaison back stage at an LA concert late last year, he said: "I'd just like to say that none of those allegations are true. I know that I'm going to be a target, but I'm never going to be a victim".

Insisting he'd never met Yeater, he added that her claim that they had sex after she was invited back stage after a show at the Staples Center was flawed because he never stayed at venues after a concert was finished. He said: "I think it's crazy, because every night after the show I've gone right from the stage to my car, so it's crazy that someone would want to make such false allegations. To set the record straight: None of it's true".

According to TMZ, Bieber's legal reps were more brutal when contacting Yeater's lawyers. Bieber would take a paternity test as soon as he returned to the US, they said, without any court order to do so, and when that test proves Yeater is lying they'll sue for defamation. The gossip site's source added: "Justin and his team are so serious they directed [the pop star's lawyer Howard] Weitzman to find a lab to do the test and Weitzman has already selected one".

Team Bieber plan to sue Yeater, sources say, to deter other people from making wild allegations about the popstar in the future. The singer had previously told TMZ he was sure this "wouldn't be the last time" a member of the public would make untrue claims about him. He said: "It's the first time that something like this has happened, so it's kind of really crazy. I'm sure it won't be the last, but it's just sad that it has to happen like this. I mean, it's just weird that people automatically assume that it was true. But I knew eventually it would die down".

As the Bieber-baby story developed late last week, allegations that might throw further doubt on the credibility of Yeater's claims began to surface. Again it was TMZ leading with the revelations, with a report that Yeater had previously accused a former boyfriend of fathering her child. The grandmother of that ex told the gossip site that Yeater had shown up at her grandson's home last December claiming he was the father. When he denied the allegations Yeater allegedly smashed a window in his car and, when later returning to apologise for that, ended up punching her ex three times. The battery charges relating to that incident are due in court next month, though Yeater's lawyers say she will plead not guilty.

Said lawyers were also asked last week about the risk of their client facing defamation charges should Bieber's paternity tests prove Yeater is lying. They again insisted they had "credible" evidence their client was telling the truth, telling news channel HLN: "We think [the paternity test showing Bieber is not the father is] highly unlikely based on the evidence we have, not all of which has been released to the media, by any means. There's credible evidence that supports he is the father".

So that's all fun. Meanwhile, for all those Beliebers heading to one of the Westfield shopping centres in London tonight to see Justin turn on the Christmas lights, don't worry, they're going to lock all the toilets, so the chances of him impregnating you are low.

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ANDY WILLIAMS FIGHTING CANCER
Andy Williams has been diagnosed with cancer of the bladder and will begin a programme of chemotherapy. Concern for the 83 year old singer's health had grown recently after he cancelled a series of gigs.

A source told the National Inquirer last week: "Andy got the diagnosis of invasive bladder cancer very recently. That means his cancer has invaded the lining of his bladder, but doctors weren't sure yet whether it had spread to other parts of his body. If the chemo shrinks the tumours, doctors will surgically remove Andy's bladder. Andy is in for the fight of his life".

Meanwhile Williams himself confirmed his condition when appearing at a show on Saturday in Missouri, where he said: "I do have cancer of the bladder. But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this thing. They're kicking it, and they're winning more and more every year. And I'm going to be one of them".

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GAGA DOMINATES AT EMAS
So, Lady Gaga has the most active and loyal fans. Or at least that's what the MTV EMAs decreed last night. Yes, among the four awards given to Gaga at MTV's big European awards show last night was the new prize of Biggest Fans, which I think means she has the most prolific fanbase, not that the Little Monsters are all very tall. I mean, then they'd be Big Monsters wouldn't they, and that would never work. She also won prizes for Best Single, Best Video and Best Song.

"But what about the Bieber?" you're surely asking, he was there, what did he win? Well, he won Best Male and Best Pop, even though he said he himself had voted for Kanye West for the former. And in case you think Bieber's girlfriend Selena Gomez, as EMAs host, quickly changed the names on those awards backstage to ensure her other half had a win, that can't be the case, because rumours online this weekend had it that she was about to dump her boyfriend over the Bieber-baby scandal. Of course the website that first reported those rumours had another exclusive later the same day - the rumours aren't true - but let's not worry about that.

Anyway, EMA winners. Here's a list. And what's the betting that when it comes to all the regional awards we only list the Best Brit act gong? How insular.

Best Female: Lady GaGa
Best Male: Justin Bieber
Best New: Bruno Mars
Best Live: Katy Perry
Best Pop: Justin Bieber
Best Hip-Hop: Eminem
Best Rock: Linkin Park
Best Alternative: Thirty Seconds To Mars
Best World Stage: Thirty Seconds To Mars
Best Push (Emerging): Bruno Mars
Biggest Fans: Lady GaGa
Best UK & Ireland Act: Adele
Best Worldwide: BIGBANG

Best Video: Lady GaGa - Born This Way
Best Song: Lady GaGa - Born This Way

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2010 DIGITAL ALBUM SALES TOTAL ALREADY PASSED IN 2011
For a sector that is constantly moaning that if the government doesn't get its arse into gear and enact the anti-file-sharer 'graduated response' system set out in the Digital Economy Act it will soon crash and burn into oblivion, the UK record industry has certainly been issuing a lot of announcements recently about all the many, many, many downloads it's been selling of late.

I know trade body the BPI would tell us that anytime it says "blimey our members are selling a lot of records at the moment" we should automatically hear the proviso "but not enough for them to continue to invest in British new talent at a level that ensures the future of the music industry and all those jobs and exports", but you can't help thinking the mixed messaging aids those who proffer the "all record companies are money-grabbing lying bastards" line.

Anyway, the BPI has announced that more digital albums have already been sold this year than last with two months left to go. According to Official Charts Company data released by the trade body, over 21.3 million digital albums have been sold so far this year, meaning 2010 sales levels have already been beaten. Digital albums now account for 26.2% of all album sales, up from 17.5% in 2010.

Coldplay selling 83,000 copies of their new album in the digital format during first week of sale helped, while Lady Gaga, Jessie J and Ed Sheeran have all had impressive digital album sales. Needless to say, Adele is the biggest British digital seller, selling close to 800,000 digital albums so far this year.

Commenting on the stats, BPI top main chief dude Geoff Taylor told CMU: "It's encouraging to see such strong sales in the digital albums market before the Christmas gifting season gets properly underway. For the last five consecutive years, the final week of the year has been the biggest in terms of digital album sales, as consumers spend digital music gift vouchers received at Christmas and try out legal digital music services on their new iPods, tablets and laptops".

He added: "In the last week of 2010, digital album sales topped a record 800,000. This year we may see the one million weekly sales barrier broken for the first time, despite the adverse impact of illegal sites and tough economic conditions. Music fans have more ways than ever before to buy music and a great selection of exciting new albums to look forward to before the end of the year".

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FUCKED UP FRONTMAN MAY YET QUIT
Damian Abraham, who fronts Canadian hardcore outfit Fucked Up, has confessed he's considered quitting the band to spend more time with his wife and son.

Confirming that the band would go on hiatus after they've finished touring their latest album, Abraham told Spinner he hated being away from his family and would like to stop touring, but added that "I don't want to take away these five other people's livelihoods".

He wishes there could be some sort of set up where Fucked Up would sometimes tour with him, but other times the rest of the band could go off in another incarnation of the band and work without him. He continued: "I would love to find a way to basically make it [the band] into a constantly evolving thing where sometimes Fucked Up can go on tour and other times, it's another band [involving] us".

On the upcoming hiatus, he added: "I have no idea how it's all going to work out. I know we're going to take this long break and hopefully we can think about it and figure it out a little more".

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DARREN ARONOFSKY TO DIRECT LOUTALLICA VIDEO
See, not everybody hates Lou Reed and Metallica's collaborative album 'Lulu'. 'Black Swan' director Darren Aronofsky is set to direct the video for the supergroup's new single 'Iced Honey'.

Metallica drummer Lars Unrich has said that partnering with Reed and Aronofsky on the project is like "living the dream", while Lou Reed is optimistic that the video "can become [Aronofsky's] next 'Black Swan'".

With plans to shoot scenes in San Francisco's Bay Area, the 'Iced Honey' video is due to debut later this month.

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CANADIAN BLAST AND OUI LOVE PLAN FREE PARTY
The folks at Canadian Blast have teamed up with French music connoisseurs, Oui Love, to throw a free Christmas party at east London's Rich Mix on 5 Dec. Harmonic-pop duo Zooey are booked as headliners, while Canada's Maylee Todd and alt-soul singer Saidah Baba Taliba will also perform.

Here's a short playlist of tracks from those artists for you to listen to: soundcloud.com/canadianblast/sets/canadian-blast-vs-oui-love/

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ODD FUTURE AXED FROM BIG DAY OUT NEW ZEALAND DATE AFTER OPPOSITION FROM GAY RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER
Promoters of the Big Day Out festival have axed the Odd Future posse from the line-up of their Auckland date after complaints about the hip hop group's homophobic lyrics.

According to the New Zealand Herald, a local activist called Calum Bennachie complained to Auckland City Council, who own the venue where the festival takes place, about the US act's inclusion on the Big Day Out bill, and the Council subsequently demanded the posse be removed. They will still appear on the Aussie dates of the Big Day Out festival tour though.

Bennachie also wrote to Big Day Out's promoters directly, and in that letter said: "Lyrics such as those played by Odd Future increase the societal discourse against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, a discourse that encourages bullying and violence. If it is acceptable to say something similar to 'gays are a cancer on society that deserves to be eliminated', then what group would be next?"

He added: "By allowing Odd Future to play at Big Day Out, you are proving that you have little concern for the lives and welfare of LGBT people, that you are willing to endanger their lives, and seek to encourage stigmatisation against them. I find this disappointing in an organisation that could do so much to enhance the self esteem of youth, reduce stigma, and discourage violence".

Big Day Out promoter Ken West confirmed to reporters that Odd Future would not play Big Day Out in New Zealand, but that they would still play the festival in Australia, while adding that his company planned to stage a separate show with the hip hoppers in Auckland in a non-Council owned venue.

Bennachie is not the first person to criticise Odd Future for their homophobic lyrics. Earlier this year Sara Quin of Canadian twin sister duo Tegan & Sara took one of the group's most high profile members, Tyler, The Creator to task on this issue, writing in an open letter: "As journalists and colleagues defend, excuse and congratulate Tyler, The Creator, I find it impossible not to comment. In any other industry would I be expected to tolerate, overlook and find deeper meaning in this kid's sickening rhetoric? Why should I care about this music or its 'brilliance' when the message is so repulsive and irresponsible?"

After initially responding that "if Tegan and Sara need some hard dick, hit me up!", Tyler later told MTV: "Well, I have gay fans and they don't really take it [my homophonic lyrics] offensive, so I don't know. If it offends you, it offends you. If you call me a nigga, I really don't care, but that's just me, personally. Some people might take it the other way, I personally don't give a shit".

While this is one isolated cancelled gig for Odd Future, it's not unknown for campaigns of this kind to hinder the live activity of artists known for particularly violent homophonic lyrics. Reggae and dancehall acts like Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton were particularly hit after active campaigning by gay rights groups around the world in the middle of the last decade.

In unrelated Big Day Out news, West's partner in crime with regards the uber Aussie fest has announced he is stepping back from involvement in the franchise. Vivian Lees told The Music Network last week: "After 20 wonderful years as co-producer of the Big Day Out Festival I have decided to move on. My decision is principally to ease the workload on myself and I believe this will also allow me to increase my commitment to my family and interests outside of Big Day Out. I am a passionate supporter of the Big Day Out and the musical legacy I have created with Ken West who will now continue to produce the show as sole producer".

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IS BEST BUY ABOUT TO LEAVE THE UK?
American consumers electronics retailer Best Buy, known in the States for selling all sorts of music products, is planning on shutting all of its UK stores, according to a report in the Sunday Times.

Best Buy only arrived in the UK in April last year and now has eleven stores across the country. A spokesman for the retailer's UK parent company Carphone Warehouse (which is, in turn, half owned by Best Buy US) told reporters: "We always said we would open eleven stores and then conduct a strategy review. We are now conducting our evaluation with our partners and will provide an update in due course".

The Times reckons an announcement to the effect that Best Buy will withdraw from the UK market could come as soon as tomorrow. It's thought Mini Best Buy departments may be introduced in larger Carphone Warehouse stores, selling some non-mobile based gadgets.

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SANDBAG MOVES INTO RETAIL DISTRIBUTION WITH SIGUR RÓS
Artist services company Sandbag, which offers online-based merchandise, ticketing and direct-to-fan marketing services, has announced a new project with Sigur Rós which will see it also oversee the distribution of physical product into retail outlets. Sandbag will oversee the distribution of 'Inni', Sigur Rós's new live film/album project which is released this week.

Confirming his company's move from online fulfilment services into physical distribution, Sandbag Director Christiaan Munro said last week: "Extending our reach out into retail is the logical next step in our vision of enabling artists to take control of every aspect of their careers - but with the reassurance that that they have one company and one point person to coordinate it all. For the first time artists can be truly independent".

Sigur Rós co-manager Dean O'Connor added: "Sandbag's service offering in merchandise, ticketing and D2C is already second-to-none. We have worked together since 2003 and are delighted to pioneer with them this entirely new approach to a worldwide music release".

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JAMIROQUAI FANS TO GET CONTENT AT GIGS VIA NFC POSTERS
So, one for all you Jamiroquai fans (anyone? Oh, there you are). Fans of the band will be able to access exclusive digital content at a number of their upcoming European concerts by waving their smartphones in front of special posters placed in venues. Content will be delivered by what organisers are calling 'near field communication', or NFC, enabling a campaign which only slightly tedious marketers might refer to as 'location specific marketing'.

The campaign has been created by entertainment marketing agency Media Junction, whose Head Of Digital Neil Cartwright told CMU: "NFC is a powerful technology when marketing artists because the process is straightforward and the rewards are instant for fans, in this case they can immediately see exclusive content at an event they're engaged with. Location-based marketing at gigs is an exciting development. The exclusive behind-the-scene video was specially commissioned for the promotion to provide a strong incentive for fans to tap on the poster".

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AMERICAN FOOTBALL FANS CAMPAIGN FOR NO NICKELBACK
A fan of American football team the Detroit Lions has started an online petition calling on the club to alter plans to have Nickelback play during the half-time show at the team's Thanksgiving Day game, even though that booking has only so far been rumoured.

Above his petition, which has been signed by 37,300 people, student Dennis Guttman writes: "This game is nationally televised, do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!?!?! Does anyone even like Nickelback? Is this some sort of ploy to get people to leave their seats during half-time to spend money on alcoholic beverages and concessions?"

Comments from those who have signed the petition include one from someone who lives in Nickelback's home city of Alberta in Canada, which says: "They have been giving Canadians and Albertans a bad name since they puked out that 'How You Remind Me' thing way back when, and I think it is time they are stopped". Meanwhile a Detroit local remarked: "I'd rather drink bleach than listen to Nickelback and have them associated with Detroit".

For a band that have sold over 35 million records worldwide, they sure have some haters don't they? Last week the Canadian rockers topped a survey as the act most like to "turn-off young lovers" run by music-based dating service Tastebuds.fm.

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