Skype, EMI, deal
p2p news / p2pnet: It looks as if eBay is serious about becoming the latest company to try to cash in on the hopeless and hapless corporate online music business, significant by its serious and ongoing lack of paying punters.
eBay’s Skype has done a deal to sell music on Skype`s new retail website, says the Times Online.
“Under the deal, Skype will be licensed to use song copyrights from EMI`s catalogue to sell music as downloads and ring tones,” says the story, emphasising it’s the first time music copyrights have been licensed world-wide in such a way.
“Normally licences have to be applied for by the seller on a country-by-country basis, making it more difficult for songwriters to collect payments for their work,” it states.
Skype hasn’t yet set a launch date and, “the company recently signed a deal with the Warner Bros` group of record labels, allowing Skype use of Warner Bros` master recordings,” adds the Times.
Meanwhile, EMI is reportedly on the verge of a merge with Warner, a marriage which would reduce the Big Four Organized Music cartel to the Big Three EMI Warner, Sony BMG and Vivendi Universal.
(Thanks, Thuan.
Also See:
Times Online – Skype to sell EMI music on retail site, April 24, 2006
marriage – EMI, Warner merger?, April 24, 2006
April 24th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
what the heck does the term “punters” mean?
I suppose it’s a derogatory statement of some kind.
April 24th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
It’s a British expression generally meaning people who spend money on something – but I think it originally meant people who bet on horses ; )
Cheers!
April 24th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Actually, I think it’s an Irish expression. The “Punt” was the Irish name for their national currency, which was also known as the Irish pound, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_pound), and “Punter” is used to describe a consumer/spender. It is commonly used in horse racing circles. In Ireland itself, it has taking on the meaning of “a person of no particular description”. Not derogatory in the slightest.
April 24th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
ok thanks for the info.
i read it on here many times
and i figured it was a way of making fun of people who bought music online instead of just using p2p for free.
thanks for the clarifying.
April 24th, 2006 at 8:04 pm
“the verge of a merge”
That is funny way to word it. Sounds so sexual.