Sony Music are suing EMI Music, which is fun. The legal dispute is over Ron Werre, EMI's recently promoted Co-Chief Operating Officer.
Werre, possibly most notable for the fact Word insists on auto-correcting his name to 'were' whenever I type it, was and still is head of EMI's busily growing Music Services division. Sony say that Werre's previous contract with EMI was due to run out in 2010, and they already had a deal done to headhunt the exec once he was free of his commitment to their rival. They were seemingly so certain they'd be getting Werre next year, they'd already fired the guy doing the job he'll take over, which seems a little premature, but whatever.
Anyway, it seems Werre's promotion at EMI, so he becomes COO as well as Music Services chief, locks him into more years with the London-based major, stopping him from going to Sony, which has pissed them off. Sony say they now think Werre only agreed to his contract with them so to bully a better financial package out of EMI. Legal action has now begun, against both EMI and Were, though quite why EMI should be held liable for any cheeky wheeling and dealing done by their COO in a personal capacity I'm not sure, but whatever.
EMI are yet to comment.