The five biggest stories in the music business this week...

01: Apple announced iTunes Radio. It's been a long time coming, but Apple just about got enough deals in place to feel confident enough to announce at its annual developers' conference this week that they will launch their streaming service, iTunes Radio, in the US in the autumn. As expected, it will be of the 'interactive radio' variety, funded by advertising and with download sell-through. The service will only be accessible via Apple devices, and will be available ad-free to iTunes Match users.

Both Sony Music and the Sony/ATV music publishing business signed up to provide content to the new streaming platform just days before the announcement, following the Warner Music labels and publishing business and the Universal Music record company. Deals will now be needed with the independents, though rumour has it a deal has been done with BMI, one of the American publishing sector collecting societies, to cover smaller BMI-affiliated publishers which aren't doing direct deals with digital services. CMU report | Evolver FM report

02: Pandora stepped up its royalty war with the American music publishers. The US-based streaming service announced it had bought a small FM radio station in South Dakota. The acquisition was mainly a bid to join the Radio Music Licensing Committee, through which the traditional radio industry negotiates royalty rates with the American collecting societies. Pandora, which argues that the music industry always gives traditional broadcasters more favourable rates, even when they are running Pandora-competing online services, hopes to cut the royalties it pays to the music publishers by becoming part of the RMLC system.

The US publishers did not react well. One of the collecting societies, BMI, said it was ending ongoing royalty negotiations and would now go legal on the matter. Pandora is already involved in a legal battle with the other major society ASCAP. CMU report | Billboard report

03: HMV got ready to return to the high street in Ireland. Hilco, the company that brought HMV UK out of administration, confirmed it had also done deals with some of the landlords of former HMV stores in Ireland, enabling the entertainment retailer to reopen at three sites in the country. Unlike in the UK, the whole of the HMV Ireland chain shut down not long after the firm went into administration in January. The reopening Irish stores are in Dublin and Limerick, though more may follow. CMU report | Irish Independent report

04: Pirate Bay proxies were targeted in UK, as the site was blocked for first time in Ireland. Following Sky's lead, other broadband providers in the UK started blocking access to more of the proxies that have enabled web-users to circumvent the blockade put up to stop people accessing the controversial file-sharing website, following legal action by record industry trade body the BPI. Meanwhile the operator of one proxy told Torrentfreak he had been visited by the police and the Federation Against Copyright Theft, who warned he'd be targeted with criminal action if he didn't shut the proxy down. In Ireland the record industry secured web-blocking injunctions against the Bay for the first time, forcing an ongoing battle with the proxies there too. Targeted proxy operator report | Irish injunction report

05: Live Nation was charged over the fatal stage collapse at a Radiohead gig. The band's drum tech Scott Johnson was killed when a scaffolding stage structure collapsed ahead of a planned concert in Canada last year. Investigators in Ontario said this week that they would charge Live Nation and its local subsidiary with four violations of the Canadian province's Occupational Health And Safety Act. Optex Staging & Services Inc and one specific engineer will also be charged. Live Nation said "we wholeheartedly disagree with the charges brought against us by the Ministry Of Labour", insisting no one was to blame for the tragic accident. CMU report | Billboard report

In CMU this week, we chatted to Jan Younghusband, Commissioning Editor for BBC Music & Events, producer Jon Hopkins compiled us a great playlist, Eddy TM shared a 'hurrah' for the prevalence of great dance music currently in the mainstream, and there was a brand new CMU Podcast to download. Approved were Jonathan Rado, Kenzie May and a new Italians Do It Better compilation.

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BMI LAUNCHES LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST PANDORA
As expected, BMI has launched legal action against Pandora, asking for a ruling on the rates the streaming music service should reasonably be expected to pay on a blanket license for songs represented by the American royalty collection agency.

As previously reported, Pandora has been pushing for a while to reduce its royalty payments to both the record companies and the music publishers, in the former case by lobbying in Washington to reform the statutory licensing system through which American interactive radio services can access sound recording rights, and in the latter case by negotiating hard with the US music publishing sector's collecting organisations, mainly ASCAP and BMI.

Pandora launched legal action against ASCAP late last year when negotiations failed to go its way - and earlier this week announced that it had bought an FM radio station in order to get a seat on the Radio Music Licensing Committee, which it hopes will help its chances of lowering fees to the same level as those given to traditional radio broadcasters who operate online services.

Perhaps worried that with all these fights already being picked, Pandora might forget about it, BMI yesterday struck first and launched its own legal challenge. In fact, it was the purchase of South Dakota station KXMZ-FM that seemingly spurred the organisation into action.

According to Billboard, BMI says in its lawsuit that after Pandora terminated its licence with the collection agency in October last year, seeking a new agreement, it had proposed an increase in fees to Pandora that it felt were consistent with market rates and the growth in popularity of streaming music, and accounted for those music publishers which were withdrawing from the collective licensing system in the digital domain. But, says BMI, Pandora rejected this offer, even though the digital service is paying more on a deal done with the biggest music publisher of them all, Sony/ATV, which is now licensing the streaming platform directly.

With regard to Pandora's call for parity with those RMLC-allied broadcasters who now operate online, BMI argues that its deal with those companies - which is based on a similar deal struck between the radio industry body and rival collecting society ASCAP - takes into account the high income the traditional broadcasters provide the music publishers across their operations. That deal was not designed to cover an "internet-based music streaming service that happens to own a single radio station in a city with a total population that is less than 0.045% of Pandora's online membership".

Pandora's strategic purchase of KXMZ-FM was, it added, "an open and brazen effort to artificially drive down its license fees ... for the expressly stated purpose of 'qualifying for the same RMLS license under the terms as our competitors'".

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FILM COMPANY GOES LEGAL IN DISPUTE OVER HAPPY BIRTHDAY COPYRIGHT
The debate over whether or not the song 'Happy Birthday' is still in copyright could be coming to a US courtroom thanks to a new lawsuit launched by Good Morning To You Productions Corp. Given that in 2008 is was claimed Warner Music's publishing company made in excess of $2 million a year from the song, one would assume it would be keen to prove the popular ditty was definitely still a copyrighted work.

The lawsuit is being pursued by filmmakers who have been making a documentary about the history of the song. Although the film company paid the $1500 sync fee Warner/Chappell charged for the inclusion of the song in the documentary, the producers say that their research has unearthed evidence to prove, once and for all, that the song is now public domain, in the US at least, and no royalties should have to be paid to use it. It's not the first time it's been argued 'Happy Birthday' is public domain, though it would be interesting if the evidence amassed by Good Morning To You Productions made it into a courtroom.

The copyright status of 'Happy Birthday' is complicated, and differs in the US and Europe. By most accounts, the piece was created by sisters Patty Smith and Mildred Hill in the late nineteenth century as a classroom song, albeit initially with the lyrics 'Good Morning To You', though it's very possible they adapted existing earlier versions. The music and lyrics, including the subsequent 'Happy Birthday To You' variation, then appeared in various books, originating from both school and church communities in America, in the early years of the 20th century.

But the US copyright that covers the song stems from the publication of the lyrics in a songbook in 1924 and a piano arrangement of the melody in 1935. These publications, and the accompanying copyright registrations, both follow a significant change in US copyright law that occurred in 1923, which provides for a 95 year copyright term from date of publication. It is on that basis that Warner/Chappell, which acquired the publisher of 'Happy Birthday' in 1990, claims the song is still in copyright, with the melody due to stay that way until 2030.

But, argue lawyers representing Good Morning To You Productions Corp, there is plenty of evidence that the song - both the music and the 'Happy Birthday' lyrics - was published and registered before 1923, which would mean it was protected by the pre-1923 copyright system, which would in turn mean the copyright expired long ago. What Warner/Chappell owns the copyright in, said lawyers will argue, is the specific adaptation of the melody published in 1935, but not the general tune it was based on.

It remains to be seen how the arguments of each side stand up if and when the case gets to court. And, if Good Morning To You Productions won, what that would mean for Warner/Chappell, which would have been taking royalties for a public domain work for decades.

In Europe, the copyright in the song - assuming it originated with the Hill sisters - would expire 70 years after the death of Patty Hill, who died 30 years after her sister, meaning the copyright will expire at the end of 2016.

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THE CRIBS' RYAN JARMAN HOSPITALISED
The Cribs' Ryan Jarman is in hospital in New York City - and probably not, this time, because he leapt onto a table of champagne glasses at the NME Awards. At least, the odds are against it.

The precise reason for Jarman's latest hospital stay is still TBA - though online hearsay is that it's an infected kidney - with his remaining Cribs stating via Facebook: "Just to keep everyone in the picture - Ryan has been in hospital in NYC... send good thoughts".

Jarman later added: "Thanks for hospital well wishes! Still a bit of pain and tests to be done, but watching a Queen DVD so I'm happy!"

What might make Ryan even happier is if we all take a listen to 'Rumours', a free new track by Ryan and Here We Go Magic bassist Jen Turner's band Exclamation Pony.

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SAY LOU LOU SIGN TO COLUMBIA
Say Lou Lou have signed a record deal with Sony/Columbia, it was announced this morning, having previously released two singles, 'Maybe You' via Kitsuné and 'Julian' through their own label À Deux. Formerly known as Saint Lou Lou, twins Miranda and Elektra Kilbey, are currently recording their debut album in Sweden, ahead of a trip to LA to work with a number of unnamed collaborators. The record is scheduled for release next year.

The duo told CMU: "We are so thrilled to have joined the Columbia family; to have this legendary record label supporting our creative vision feels amazing, especially as it's the home to some of the artists who have inspired us to create music since a young age".

Columbia UK's co-President Alison Donald added: "We're really excited to have signed Say Lou Lou. The ethereal, incomparable and ultimately hugely accessible space they have created for themselves, via 'Maybe You' and 'Julian', gathering both underground and mainstream support, reveals an act on the cusp of something very special. We are looking forward to a very rewarding future together".

Watch the video for 'Maybe You' here.

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IMAGEM RE-SIGNS NIK KERSHAW
Would Imagem "let the sun go down" on its partnership with songwriter and one-time pop star Nik Kershaw? Of course not. "Wouldn't it be good" to renew that alliance? Yes, yes it would. Here ends my knowledge of Kershaw songs to cornily reference in this report. Oh, didn't he write the Chesney Hawkes hit 'The One And Only', the best soundtrack for a chair ever written?

Anyway, Kershaw first signed with music publisher Rondor in 1994, and has been tied to Imagem on the publishing side since it acquired Rondor in 2008. Confirming that deal had now been re-signed, Imagem UK MD Kim Frankiewicz told CMU: "Nik Kershaw's catalogue is pivotal to the shape of British pop music in the 80s and 90s. It's fantastic to be working with such a vibrant artist, who continues to write new material and perform live".

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BLACK LIPS COLLABORATING WITH CARNEY, COX ON NEW LP
Mad garage dogpack (The) Black Lips are tearing into a new LP of "club bangers and southern rock anthems", with the idea to release it as a follow-on to 2011's 'Arabia Mountain'.

Talking to the Hollywood Reporter, TBL bassist Jared Swilley said the band had plans to go to Nashville to tape part of it, with The Black Keys' Patrick Carney producing. "Bradford Cox from Deerhunter usually makes it on our albums in some capacity as well", he added.

The main point of the Q&A, Bradford Cox name-checking aside, was to promote 'You Know, For Kids', filmmaker Bill Cody's new feature on the Middle Eastern live spree The Black Lips played back in 2012, playing shows in Egypt, Dubai, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Cyprus.

This is the 'You Know, For Kids' trailer.

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MUTYA KEISHA SIOBHAN SHARE A BIT OF A NEW SINGLE FLATLINE
Mutya Keisha Siobhan have shared a slightly poxy mini-clip of their new single, a Dev Hynes original titled 'Flatline'. Not that it isn't a really great track and all... but I still say sharing a third of it at a time is a mean thing to do.

"So excited to present to you all a preview of our brand new single", they unimaginatively chime via Twitter.

Have a go on all one minute(s) of it now.

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PORCELAIN RAFT TRAILS NEW LP
Maker of softly-softly alt-pop, Porcelain Raft, has shared a trailer to advertise his first LP since his very first LP, last year's 'Strange Weekend'.

The new disc, 'Permanent Signal', is released on 19 Aug via Secretly Canadian and - if the trailer is anything to go on - will seemingly be less 'dreamy' than its antecedent - the man behind the project, Mauro Remiddi, having apparently sold off all his musical equipment and started again from scratch in making this record.

Make what you can of this.

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BOB DYLAN TO PLAY LIVE IN GLASGOW, BLACKPOOL AND LONDON
Bob Dylan is going to Blackpool on 22 Nov. Not on holiday, but to play live in the city for the first time, this in the midst of a new set of live dates.

He's also doing three back-to-back shows at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium and London's Royal Opera House, having not visited the latter since 1966, when fans called him a 'Judas' for playing electric guitar. Haven't times changed.

The dates, tickets to which go on sale today, are as follows:

18 Nov: Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium
19 Nov: Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium
20 Nov: Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium
22 Nov: Blackpool, Opera House
23 Nov: Blackpool, Opera House
24 Nov: Blackpool, Opera House
26 Nov: London, Royal Opera House
27 Nov: London, Royal Opera House
28 Nov: London, Royal Opera House

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GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR ADD PRE-ATP DATE
Post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor have agreed to play a pre-ATP End Of An Era date at London's Brixton Academy. It's on 21 Nov, which only leaves them a day to acclimatise to the Camber Sands weather ahead of End Of An Era's Television-headlined first weekend (22-24 Nov).

Since the festival is already at-capacity, fans have only a single hope; this link to tickets to the Brixton show.

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FESTIVAL LINE-UP UPDATE: ICELAND AIRWAVES, WICKERMAN, SECRETSUNDAZE GO BANG! AND MORE
So, today's main festival headline relates to Glastonbury and booze. Glasto HQ has re-clarified its traditional stance on alcohol, cautioning ticket-holders that any drinks taken into the festival have to be for one's personal - aka not commercial - imbibition only. Oh, and it all has to be in plastic bottles, not glass.

The bottles can, says Michael Eavis, be carried on site in a shopping trolley (despite an initial email cautioning against trolleys), provided whoever's shopping the trolley looks capable of drinking its contents his/herself. Which Michael advises, via this official note, that he/she abstain from doing because it isn't very healthy. Great, since we're clear on that, it's time to pass over to a bank of brand new artist gains at the following festivals:

GODIVA, War Memorial Park, Coventry, 5-7 Jul: Devlin, Ghostpoet, Mallory Knox, Lexy and The Kill, and Waylayers, Craig Price, Charlie Brown, Scrufizzer, DeeLayDee, Influential Entertainment, SamSon, Matt Henshaw, The Neville Staple Band, Lee Thompson's Ska Orchestra, Reggaelators, Riddimstone, The Dualers, Coventry Youth Jazz Orchestra, Pauline Quirke Dance Academy, Three Spires Musical Society, Fletcher Ransberry, Barbershizzle, The Belles of Three Spires, Pandemonium Steel Orchestra, Freeman Dance, The Notables. www.godivafestival.com

HEINEKEN OPEN'ER, Kosakowo Airfield, Gdynia, Poland, 3-6 Jul: The National, Everything Everything, Mount Kimbie, Savahes, Palma Violets, Rykarda Parasol, Pianohooligan, Stroon, Plum, Fuka Lata, Vienio (Profil Pokoleń), Łąki Łan, Ballady i Romanse/Igor Boxx, Sorry Boys, hipiersoniK, Semantik Punk, LUC & Motion Trio, Please The Trees, Hot Cassandra. opener.pl

ICELAND AIRWAVES, various venues, Reykjavik, Iceland, 30 Oct - 3 Nov: Midlake, Emiliana Torrini, FM Belfast, Girls In Hawaii, Ólöf Arnalds, Retro Stefson, Amiina, Moses Hightower, Sarah MacDougall, Apparat Organ Quartet, Árstíðir, Royal Canoe, Kiriyama Family, Skúli Sverrisson, Hermigervill, Sun Glitters, Captain Fufanu, Sign, Stafrænn Hákon, Tempel, Leaves, Endless Dark, Nóra, 1860, Dimma, Auxpan, Þórir Georg, Emmsjé Gauti, Kjurr, Nini Wilson. icelandairwaves.is

LEOPALLOOZA, Lower Exe Farm, Bude, Cornwall, 2-4 Aug: Bastille, Jacob Banks,
Swiss Lips, The Skints, Blue Rose Code, Jetta, Wet Nuns, Findlay, Eliza and The Bear, Bebe Black, Straight Lines, Kezia. www.leopallooza.com

LONDON INTERNATIONAL SKA FESTIVAL, various venues, Lonodn, 17-20 Apr: Derrick Morgan, Junior Murvin, Pama International, Mr T-Bone, The Liptones, The Tighten Up Crew, Sounds & Pressure Sound System feat Phil Bush, Little Diane. www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk

OPTIMUS ALIVE!, Passeio Maritimo de Algés, Lisbon, Portugal, 12-14 Jul: 2MANYDJS, Stereophonics, Steve Aoki, Wild Belle, Crystal Fighters, Deap Vally, Jamie n Commons, Rhye, DIIV, Linda Martini, Brass Wires Orchestra, The Legendary Tigerman, Matias Aguayo feat Alejandro Paz, Flume, Dezperados, Metro Area, How To Dress Well, Yen Sung, Switchst(d)ance, Time for T, Brodinski and Gesaffelstein, Alex Metric, Daniel Avery, White Haus Live Band, Blaya, Zé Pedro Moura, Mad Called Honey, Max Drum. www.optimusalive.com

RAW FEST, Jackson's Boat, Chorlton, Manchester, 15 Jun: The Creature Comfort, Second Hand Wings, The Drunken Munks, Rum Thief, Chequa, The Mysterians, Brouhaha, Thugs On Wolves, Scott Lloyd, Hawker Reunion, Brad Bromley, Engine, Roots Before Branches, Bad Habit. www.rawfestmanchester.co.uk

REWIRE FESTIVAL, The Hague, Netherlands, 8-9 Nov: Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer, Nils Petter Molvaer & Moritz Von Oswald, Tape, Moon At The Dark, Kelpe. www.rewirefestival.nl

SECRETSUNDAZE GO BANG!, Studio 338/Coronet Theatre, London, 25 Aug: Juan Atkins & Moritz Von Oswald, Omar S, Martyn, Portable, Tama Sumo, Floating Points, Peter Van Hoesen, Trus'me, Ron Morelli, DJ Qu, Will Bankhead, Brawther, Andrew Ashong, Moxie, Giles Smith, James Priestley, LIES v The Trilogy Tapes. www.facebook.com/ssldn

WAKESTOCK, Penrhos, Abersoch, North Wales, 12-14 Jul: Echo And The Bunnymen, Raleigh Ritchie, Yr Eira. www.wakestock.co.uk

WICKERMAN, Kirkcarswell Farm, Galloway, Scotland, 26-27 Jul: Three Blind Wolves, Blood Relatives, Friends in America, Pinact, Arches, Lidh, Eugene Twist, The Deadline Shakes, Plastic Animals, The Velveteen Saints, Prides, Hector Bizerk, Be Like Pablo, MAASK, Casual Sex, The Yawns, The OK Social Club, Willie Campbell, Jemma Tweedie, Garden Of Elks, Book Group, Alarm Bells. www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk

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GLASSNOTE TO LAUNCH UK OFFICE
US industry veteran Daniel Glassnote has announced he is opening a UK office for his record label Glassnote Records and its sister Four Song Night publishing company.

According to Music Week, the new London office will be headed up by Sam Rumney, previously a producer at Radio 1. A UK team, including marketing, publicity and promotions staff, will be recruited in the coming months.

The US side of the label currently represents the likes of Phoenix, Little Green Cars and Mumford & Sons.

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VIDLER TO STEP DOWN ONCE WARNER'S PARLOPHONE ACQUISITION COMPLETE
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's been announced that Andria Vidler will leave the Parlophone Label Group once its sale to Warner Music is completed later this year.

Vidler joined EMI from Bauer Media in 2009 to run its UK and Ireland operations, and remained with the major through the turbulent years that followed, staying within the PLG business - the bit of the EMI record company that didn't merge with Universal - after the UK-based record company was swallowed up by its mega-major rival last year.

Former EMI exec David Kassler, who has been CEO of the PLG while it has operated as a standalone unit, confirmed in a staff memo yesterday that Vidler will depart once Warner's acquisition is completed. Kassler himself will also depart once Parlophone becomes a Warner division, something he confirmed last month.

Paying tribute to his colleague, Kassler said in the memo: "I know that all of you will want to join me in thanking Andria for all that she has achieved in her time with the company and for the commitment and enthusiasm she has shown in her work. The PLG family, artists and managers will greatly miss her, but I am sure I speak for us all when I say we wish her all the very best as she moves into the next stage of her career".

As previously reported, Warner agreed to acquire most of the EMI assets Universal was forced to sell by competition regulators in February. That deal got European Union approval last month.

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TUNECORE CO-FOUNDERS ANNOUNCE YOUTUBE REVENUE SERVICE
TuneCore co-founders Jeff Price and Peter Wells, the former of whom was pushed out of the company acrimoniously last summer, have launched a new venture, called Audiam. The aim of the new business is to ensure that independent musicians are properly credited and remunerated on YouTube videos.

In a statement, Price said: "Until now, artists have not had the needed access to make money from YouTube - access that has almost exclusively been the world of the major labels. As we did with TuneCore, Peter and I are going to make sure every artist has access to the same services as the majors and gets their money whenever and wherever their music is used".

Currently the service is available everywhere outside the US, with the company's website saying that North American musicians will be granted access "shortly", after it has been refined through testing elsewhere.

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7DIGITAL ALLIES WITH NEW MOBILE MUSIC FIRM
7digital earlier this week announced a strategic partnership with a new mobile music service called the ROK Mobile Music Network. Via the alliance, the London-based digital music firm will help the American mobile platform deliver a variety of co-branded music apps for smart phones. The service will initially launch in the US in 2014, with global roll out also planned.

Confirming the deal, 7digital co-founder Ben Drury told CMU: "Mobile devices have changed the way music is consumed, and the range of devices and experiences globally varies dramatically. ROK has a great deal of experience internationally in mobile technologies that will fully leverage the 7digital platform".

Meanwhile ROK MMN boss Jonathan Kendrick said: "While music is an incredibly important part of the lives of millions of people, we believe the traditional model of ownership and storage of music is changing. That's why we have partnered with 7digital".

He added: "They understand the international music landscape and the increasingly important role mobile devices play in the consumption of music, plus provide a library of over 25 million tracks and mobile apps for Android, iOS, Windows and Blackberry. Together with 7digital, we envision making your music collection easy to access through ROK Mobile Music Network - whenever and wherever you wish - in either streaming or downloaded format".

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BIEBER'S SECURITY ALLEGEDLY "BLIND" FANS WITH TORCHES
Obviously wary of generating further accusations of physical violence against the singer's fans, Justin Bieber's security guards have reportedly begun using non-violent techniques to stop people from taking photos of the star.

As previously reported, photographer Jeffrey Binion reported Team Bieber to the police last week after a run in with the pop teen's security in Miami on 5 Jun. Police have reportedly launched an investigation. Binion was trying to take photos of the singer when, he claims, Bieber ordered one of his minders to attack him and take his camera's memory card.

Now Splash News has reported new claims following a trip by Bieber to Disneyland on Sunday. He and his entourage reportedly had Space Mountain shut down for their exclusive use, and used the ride's tunnels and backstage areas to avoid being seen by the pesky public. In addition to this, it's claimed that any members of the public who did catch sight of the star were promptly "blinded" by torches being used by his security guards.

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