COPYCENSE

“The Universal Music Group, the world’s biggest music company, has agreed to pay $12 million to settle accusations that executives paid radio programmers to play songs, according to a settlement announced yesterday. It is the largest settlement yet in an investigation by the New York attorney general that has shaken the music business.

“The office of the attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, said in documents released yesterday that Universal, a unit of Vivendi, had used a broad array of illegal ‘pay for play’ tactics to secure airplay for its music, including bribing programmers with laptop computers, tickets to sporting events and luxury hotel stays.”

Jeff Leeds. Universal Music Settles Big Payola Case. The New York Times. May 12, 2006.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.