Universal, EMI and publishers oppose BMG's bid to dismiss Napster lawsuit
Universal Music, EMI and a publishers' consortium have opposed Bertelsmann's motion to dismiss their lawsuit over BMG's financial support of Napster.…
Bertelsmann
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Bertelsmann moves to dismiss Napster copyright lawsuits
Bertelsmann has asked New York courts to dismiss three copyright suits from Universal, EMI and publishers over its 2000 loan to Napster.…
Warner BMG merger on hold but probable
Talks over a Warner and BMG merger are reportedly on hold after Bertelsmann pulled out of a deal for AOL Time Warner's books division, though a merger is still seen as probable.…
Bertelsmann sued over Napster again
EMI has sued Bertelsmann in New York over its funding of Napster, seeking $150,000 per allegedly infringed work, following similar suits from Universal Music Group.…
More merger news
AOL Time Warner and Bertelsmann are reportedly seriously considering merging their music operations into a 50/50 group, according to the Wall Street Journal, though EU competition approval would be a hurdle.…
Bertelsmann in the red
BMG's parent Bertelsmann posted a first-quarter 2003 loss of £284.5m, blamed on weak US consumer demand during the war, against a profit a year earlier.…
Smiths pull out of running for Warners book business
WH Smith will not pursue buying Warner's book publishing assets, and Bertelsmann is now seen as a favourite, while AOL Time Warner's magazines will limit free website access.…
BMG upbeat after profits increase
Parent company Bertelsmann reports 2002 net profits of £630m on sales of £12.4bn, with borrowings doubling after the Zomba acquisition.…
More Napster problems for BMG
Music publishers including Frank Music and Peer International, backed by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, are suing BMG and Bertelsmann over copyright infringement on Napster.…
Bertelsmann admit to Nazi past
Media giant Bertelsmann, which owns BMG, has admitted lying about its Nazi-era past after an independent commission found its wartime publishing was anti-Semitic.…
EU approves BMG's Zomba takeover as Bol.com and Napster face closure
The EU has approved BMG's takeover of independent label Zomba, while BMG looks set to sell Bol.com and shut down Napster.…
Napster wins approval for $5.1 million debtor-in-possession loan
Napster has won approval for bankruptcy protection and a $5 million loan from shareholder BMG, though bid procedures for its proposed $92m sale to Bertelsmann were not approved.…