New Corp chief lays into Google on competition and copyright grounds
Rupert Murdoch's publishing business News Corp has joined the public assault on the ever-powerful and slightly evil (allegedly) Google by releasing a letter sent by its CEO Robert Thomson to the European Union's Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almunia.

It's not the first time execs at a Murdoch-led business have criticised the web giant, though Thomson's letter is particularly harsh. Its core focus is the ongoing allegation that Google continues to act in an anti-competitive way, exploiting its nearly 90% share of the web search market in Europe.

Thomson's missive comes as Almunia reopens the European Commission's long-running investigation into Google's search and advertising business, after efforts to reach an agreement with the web firm on how it might overcome competition law concerns faltered.

While conceding that not every single person working at Google is totally and utterly evil (many are "honorable and thoroughly professional" he says), Thomson writes: "The company has evolved from a wonderfully feisty, creative Silicon Valley startup to a vast, powerful, often unaccountable bureaucracy, which is sometimes contemptuous of intellectual property and routinely configures its search results in a manner that is far from objective".

He goes on: "The shining vision of Google's founders has been replaced by a cynical management, which offers advertisers impressively precise data about users and content usage, but has been a platform for piracy and the spread of malicious networks, all while driving more traffic and online advertising dollars to Google. [It] has been remarkably successful in its ability to monetise users, but has not shown the willingness, even though it clearly has the ability, to respect fundamental property rights".

Thomson's letter confirms that Murdoch's newspaper and book empire is an ally of those in the music business who reckon that Google - while on one level a partner and revenue generator - is also an enemy of the content industries. And while Thomson's specific focus is the allegedly anti-competitive business practices rather than the intellectual property issues usually raised by the labels, firstly it's anti-competitive behaviour being alleged by the indie label community against Google in the ongoing YouTube dispute, and secondly Thomson makes sure Almunia is also aware of the copyright concerns in his letter too.

As previously reported, Google is increasingly seen as a big enabler of piracy by the copyright industries, for failing to de-list blatantly copyright infringing websites from its search results, even when courts have ordered said websites be blocked on infringement grounds. And on launching her organisation's 'Measuring Music' report yesterday, UK Music boss Jo Dipple noted that a top priority for the industry's lobbyists is getting "help to ensure the many legal music services we licence are given priority in online search results".

Thomson, meanwhile, concluded in his note to the EC: "The internet should be a canvas for freedom of expression and for high-quality content of enduring value. Undermining the basic business model of professional content creators will lead to a less informed, more vexatious level of dialogue in our society. Your decision to reconsider Google's settlement offer comes at a crucial moment in the history of the free flow of information and of a healthy media in Europe and beyond".

Iggy Azalea sues ex-boyfriend over early music release
Iggy Azalea has launched legal proceedings against a former boyfriend, who released an EP of her early recordings this summer.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Azalea met Maurice Williams, aka Hefe Wine, when she was seventeen. The pair worked on music together, as well as beginning a relationship. At some point during this time, her lawsuit alleges, "Williams downloaded the entire contents of Azalea's personal computer".

Last month, early Azalea tracks appeared on download stores, via a partnership between Williams and a company called Primco Management. Universal Music quickly issued cease and desists to force the EP back offline, and Azalea claims that the music on it was amongst files taken from her computer.

Williams also apparently claims to have an agreement allowing him to use Azalea's music and other content in his possession as he sees fit. However, says Azalea's lawsuit, this agreement is a forgery based on a copy of an old management contract. And, it adds, not a particularly good forgery at that.

According to THR, the legal papers state: "The forged agreement contains tell-tale signs that it is not genuine. For example, it includes mismatched fonts on the signature page, paragraph numbers out of sequence, a signature line for 'Wine Enterprises, inc.' [sic] (rather than for an authorised agent), and provides, as an address for legal notices, the contact information of an attorney who had no prior knowledge of the forged agreement".

Not mentioned is the rumoured sextape featuring Azalea and Williams, which has apparently been shopped to porn company Vivid Entertainment. He told TMZ recently that he did not initiate these discussions - the video having been taken from a stolen laptop - but would be keen to make a deal with Vivid if one was on the table.

Neither side has commented on the lawsuit further as yet.

FAC announces partnership with Youth Music
The Featured Artists Coalition has announced an alliance with music education charity Youth Music which will see the former promote the latter's Give A Gig fundraising initiative which is, well, I think you can probably guess.

Youth Music invests over £9 million a year in music learning activities to ensure young people, regardless of background, have access to music-making opportunities. Over 90,000 children benefit but, Youth Music says, as many again are waiting to access such initiatives.

Confirming the new partnership with the FAC, Youth Music's Executive Director Matt Griffiths told reporters this morning: "We are very grateful to the FAC for backing our work, especially our new Give A Gig campaign. Many artists have shown their dedication to charitable giving in the past but few are aware they could direct these efforts to help create music-making opportunities for disadvantaged children. There is great potential in this partnership to benefit thousands of children and young people living in challenging circumstances".

Paul Pacifico of the FAC added: " We are excited to be working with Youth Music in enabling fantastic opportunities for young people to connect with and make music. Britain has always been at the forefront of contemporary music around the world and the FAC is committed to programmes that inspire and support future generations".

SFX appoints VP Of Artists & Labels
EDM obssessed SFX has announced the appointment of Liz Miller to the role of VP Of Artists & Labels. Which is interesting, because you might well respond to that news by remarking "I didn't know SFX had any artists or labels".

Certainly most of the newish entertainment firm's many acquisitions to date have centred on live entertainment, with a little bit of digital thrown it. But Miller's appointment suggests the next round of buys may be more in the management and content domain of dance music.

That said, we did know SFX had ambitions in talent management, not least because of its appointment of Kerri Mason to the role of SVP Talent in March. On Miller's hire, she said: "Liz is not only a seasoned executive with a tremendous track record, she's also a founding member of the Beatport team, and one of the most passionate advocates of electronic music culture in the industry. We are absolutely giddy to have her anchor our growing department, supporting the SFX goal of being the best place in the world for electronic music artists".

As Mason notes, Miller previously worked at now-SFX-owned Beatport, before moving into digital marketing, and later joining Warner's Atlantic label, with a focus on the dance side of music throughout much of that.

7Digital man to head up entertainment retail trade group
The Entertainment Retailers Association has a new Chairman, and for the first time an exec from a digital music business sits atop the trade group, in the form of 7Digital Group's SVP of Music Raoul Chatterjee, who joined the download store operator in 2012 having previously worked for Warner Music, Trinity Street and Ministry Of Sound.

Confirming his appointment, Chatterjee said: "I am honoured to have been elected by my peers to chair ERA at this crucial point for entertainment retailing. ERA's members have transformed the entertainment market over the past decade to the benefit of both content owners and consumers. It is vital that we work together with our suppliers, our fellow trade associations and with legislators to ensure the healthy business environment we need to continue this work".

Outgoing ERA Chair Paul Quirk added: "ERA's role has never been more central to the future of entertainment than it is today. ERA's members are innovators, investing heavily in new business models and helping music, video and games companies transition to a new world. It has been an absolute pleasure to have chaired the organisation and I am confident Raoul will be an excellent successor".

Although perhaps more readily associated with traditional high street music and DVD sellers, ERA counts many online operators in its membership, including mail-order, download and streaming businesses, with 7Digital having been a proactive operator within the association for many years now.

Quirk, of course, used his final moments as head of ERA to issue a damning statement about U2's recent alliance with Apple, calling the band's decision to give away their new album to all iTunes users "as damaging to the value of music as piracy".

ITV axes new telly talent show Rising Star without airing an episode
ITV has axed its new TV talent show 'Rising Star' in anticipation of people not liking it; it having not actually aired yet.

As previously reported, a format bought from Israeli company Keshet International last year, the show would have seen contenders perform while viewers voted on whether or not to keep them in the competition via an interactive app, with immediate feedback flashed up in front of the contestants' very eyes.

ITV's decision to end pre-production on the programme comes after versions in the US and Germany flopped.

An ITV spokesperson told reporters: "'Rising Star' is an innovative show and we have enjoyed working on the format with the team. However, as a commercial broadcaster, we always need to be as confident as possible about the potential ratings of any new programme format that we have acquired and we have therefore taken the decision not to proceed with plans to broadcast the series on ITV".

Keshet's UK office had been working on the British version with ITV Studios, and its COO Sammy Nourmand said yesterday: "There's always a risk attached when launching an ambitious new concept and we're obviously disappointed by ITV's decision not to move forward with 'Rising Star'. We would like to extend our thanks to the team at ITV Studios who have worked tirelessly to adapt the format for a UK audience. 'Rising Star' remains an innovative and groundbreaking format of which we're extremely proud".

Meanwhile, BBC One's 'The Voice' is gearing up for its fourth series next year. Which probably says something about how publicly funded and commercial TV companies work differently.

Young Guns and BBC Introducing to co-host management event
The Young Guns Network, that scheme linking the bright music execs of the future, is to buddy up with BBC Introducing for its next meeting, which takes place on 27 Sep at BBC Broadcasting House.

Looking at the ways aspiring managers can build their artists from initial radio play spots to big name status, the event will feature speakers in the shape of Woof Music Director Joey Swarbrick (who takes care of Rizzle Kicks and CMU approved band Juce), self-starter Emma Marsh (one of the minds behind 16-24s media/music brand Go Think Big), and head of Beatnik Creative's Ali Raymond.

BBC Introducing Producer and Guardian/NME writer Kieran Yates is going, too, and she says: "BBC Introducing is committed to supporting not just new artists, but also those wanting to gain experience within the music industry. We have lots of exciting plans for the year ahead and are thrilled to be partnering with the Young Guns Network to host a special panel event equipping a new generation of managers within the necessary tools to help their acts become superstar".

Entry to the event is free to those who register here, though bear in mind the closing date for RSVPs is 22 Sep.

Dan Le Sac on Royal Blood
Following on from last week's look back at Bestival, Dan Le Sac has written another column for CMU, this time looking at the rise of Royal Blood. No, it's not a tedious 'rock is back' write-up. This is a message of hope, that it's still possible to 'make it' in music just by being good, without the gimmicks.

Writes Dan: "Google 'Sept 2014 album releases' and in a couple of clicks, after some epic finger counting, you'll find over 115 albums listed that are out this month, right across the musical spectrum of genre, size and scale. So any band (expect U2) can be forgiven for doing that controversial 'viral' promo or agreeing to a Converse hook-up to push themselves above the other 114 releases. Yet looking at the last nine months of Royal Blood's career these routines are nowhere to be seen".

"I'm not stupid enough to suggest that luck didn't play its part here", he adds. "But if Royal Blood do have a trick, it's glaringly simple. They wrote great songs, smashed a veritable shit tonne of gigs, and did it all with joy. Ultimately, they prove to the doomsayers that if you're genuinely good at what you do, put in the graft, and play with a straight bat, the world will pay attention".

Read Dan's column in full here.

Universal, Sunshine HQ, Slipknot's Corey Taylor and more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Universal Music has given digital man Andrew Chang - a staffer at UMG since 2009 - the title of Senior VP of Digital & Strategic Development for the Greater China region. "Andrew's prowess in the region's digital space is exceptional and we look forward to seeing exciting developments take shape", coos Universal's Global Digital Business President, Rob Wells.

• Cooking Vinyl has announced the launch of new divisions in France and Germany. They will support the wider Cooking Vinyl network, and its sister label services business Essential, in Europe. Zineb Benomar will manage Cooking Vinyl France and Hilke Dethleff Cooking Vinyl Germany.

• Direct-to-fan firm Sunshine HQ has done a deal with London-based label Stolen Recordings, home to Savages, Bo Ningen and East India Youth. Stolen co-founder Rachael Robb says: "We were especially pleased with the capabilities of the Sunlight platform because it gives us access to easy-to-use marketing and sales tools".

• The Association of Independent Festivals has appointed a new Chairman and Vice-Chair, in the form of Jim Mawdsley from music development agency Generator and Sŵn Festival co-founder John Rostron respectively. Out-going Vice-Chair and AIF co-founder Ben Turner will sit on a new strategy board overseeing the indie festival group.

• Music and gaming industry convention the Bizkaia International Music Experience will be headlined by music business blogger Bob Lefsetz next month, who will presumably regale his audience with stories of leching over twelve year old 1D fans. 100 speakers from over 20 countries will take part in the cross-sector event, while The National, Mogwai and Placebo are amongst the bands playing the festival side of the proceedings. It takes place 29-31 Oct, info here.

• Slipknot's Corey Taylor is going to appear (sans mask) in a horror film titled 'Fear Clinic'. That's Fear. Clinic. He says fans will "freak", literally, when they see it. Watch the trailer, here, and let that all sink in veeeeeeerrrrryyyy gently.

• Pixies have premiered a new vid for 'Ring The Bell', a song off their 'Indie Cindy' LP. The Twist is that it stars, and is directed by, a pair of Israeli fans named Lital Mizel and Adi Frimerman, who back in 2005 went 'viral' with a clip of them lip-synching to Pixies hit 'Hey'. This is said viral clip, and this 'Ring The Bell'.

• Nicole Scherzinger has this week revealed that she's decided to title her new LP - which is released 20 Oct - 'Big Fat Lie', because... well, why? Here's why via Scherzy's lips: "We all go through our own battles and hard times and a big fat lie is about how we mask what's really going on. This album is about me revealing some of my personal struggles and facing them head on".

• Voiceless rock band Mono, from Japan, have taken the lid off an excerpt of the lead track off their new LP 'Rays Of Darkness', which is released on 27 Oct. Part-stream 'Recoil, Ignite' here.

• Garage rock band Deers have previewed their new single 'Barn'. It'll be released digitally and on seven-inch vinyl via Lucky Number on 3 Nov. Give it a quick spin here.

• The band Wire are programming a Brighton-based arm of their music/arts/film festival Drill. With live sets by the hosts and Swans, Savages, Toy, Courtney Barnett, The Wytches, Mono, East India Youth, Telegram and Gold Panda, it's happening over various sites in Brighton on 4-7 Dec. Glean details and tickets via www.drillfestival.com

Hook not happy as @joydivision goes live without him being told
Peter Hook is pissed off with his former New Order bandmates. Which is a sentence we could probably run in pretty much any edition of the CMU Daily these days.

Perhaps we will. Let's end every edition of the One Liners with "Peter Hook hates New Order, Morrissey is pissed off with his label/publisher/promoter, Azealia Banks isn't releasing her debut album this week and Justin Bieber annoyed someone last night by being a bit of a twat". The music industry may be in flux, but there are still some constants.

Anyway, Hook is specifically pissed off with his former bandmates today because they - or whoever manages their official Twitter feed - have just set up another profile on the microblogging platform with the @joydivision handle.

It's pretty amazing that name was available. Perhaps its just been sitting dormant for a long time. Anyway, the new feed has been established to promote the previously reported new book of lyrics and notes written by late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, which you'll all remember reading about in some detail here in CMU a couple of weeks back.

Although seemingly in the loop on the book (having signed copies of the limited edition version), Hook seemingly wasn't told about the Twitter promotions, and as @neworder first plugged the new feed the bassist quickly responded: "Thanks for telling me... As a member of @joydivision it would have been nice to have been informed". Which it probably would have been. Though, in fairness, he's informed now.

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Ariana Grande hopes you all fucking die
RED ALERT. Pop's fave new big-voiced and bigger-haired pageant-baby-alike Ariana Grande mightn't be as 'vanilla' as she seems.

Amidst a violently-swirling typhoon of gossip that singing-fairy-cake Grande has been acting like a diva, and a brat, and a mini-'Mimi'-era-Mariah-Carey lately, The New York Daily News has claimed that at a recent signing with fans, Grande was "all smiles until she got into the elevator. And as soon as the doors shut she said, 'I hope they all fucking die'".

So, that definitely happened. Ariana Grande wishes her fans were dead. DEAD.

Also, as Gawker discovered whilst gawking at other sites than its own, Ariana Grande believes demons exist. And that's the same Ariana Grande that made all her friends cry as a child at her 'Jaws'-themed birthday party, and generally acted "dark and deranged" to the extent that when she was three or four, her 'mom' feared she'd grow up to be a serial killer. For real.

So I think what we can all take from this is that Bambi-eyed child-of-a-Disney-princess Ariana Grande is tight with the Illuminati, best friends with Satan, and wants to kill us all. Though, for what it's worth, she says that is not the case.

Tweeting yesterday, she wrote: "Man, some of these rumors that have been coming out about me lately actually have me laughing out loud... really can't take em seriously. Sooner or later people will realize that what you put out is what you get back. The lies/hate etc, give love and I promise life will treat you better".

Yeah, that's exactly what a serial killer would say.