Press Reaction to MySpace Music's Equity Deal - 22/09/08

MySpace Music hears the antitrust song: Indies call foul at exclusion 18/09/08
"News Corporation and the major record labels are facing antitrust questions about the blockbuster MySpace Music venture - even before the site has launched.

MySpace Music is billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. It's a one-stop shop backed by the cross-media muscle of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, with the three biggest record labels. The site promises to offer everything from downloads to ringtones to concert tickets, backed by the "street" cred of the MySpace brand, and a blockbuster launch is expected this week. Astronomical valuations - $2bn - have already been placed on the service, which MySpace insiders want to become the 'internet's MTV'.

The problem? Not everyone can play. Independents say they're being frozen out of the new venture. No independent music company has inked a deal with the News Corp, and independent labels report that they've been blocked from uploading their music. And since MySpace Music is a joint equity venture between News Corp and the three biggest labels, which control 70 per cent of the US recorded music business, the trouble might only be starting." [TheRegister]

MySpace Music Already Faces Legal Challenge 19/09/08
"MySpace Music hasn't even launched yet, but already it is facing anti-trust allegations from independent record labels. MySpace Music has the backing of its parent company, News Corp., as well as three of the four major labels, and the joint venture is being billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. Together, the three major labels involved - Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony BMG - account for 70 percent of the U.S. recorded music business. Meanwhile, smaller independent labels feel that they are being frozen out of selling their music on the site, which expects to become the MTV of the Internet. This has the indies crying foul." [FMQB]

MySpace Music Screws Over Indie Labels 9/22/2008
"As News Corp. readies the “internet’s MTV,” MySpace Music, legal troubles are looming even before the site has got off the ground. Indie labels have risen antitrust allegations against the company because its new one-stop music mega-site is allegedly locking out independents and blocking them from uploading their music to the new MySpace venture." [Exclaim]

MySpace Music Faces Threats Of Antitrust Suits From Indie Labels Before Its Launch: Indies claim they're being blocked from uploading music to the site. Sep 19 2008
"The very online service that has been such a boon for independent music artists is now facing criticism for allegedly freezing those same artists out of the picture with its new music venture. MySpace Music is drawing fire for its deal with major labels and threats of a possible antitrust action that could scuttle the venture before it even opens shop, according to a report in the British tech journal The Register." [MTV]

Indie labels may sue MySpace Music for anti-trust September 22
MySpace Music is reportedly set to launch sometime this week, but the new partnership between MySpace and the major labels may already be facing legal action from indie labels that say they are being excluded from the deal. [Prefixmag]

MySpace Music Responds To Indie Criticism 23/09/08
"Responding to reports that MySpace may be the subject of antitrust lawsuits because of an equity stake shared by three of the four major labels, as well as, growing criticism of its treatment of indie labels, a MySpace Music spokesperson gave Hypebot this statement:

“We are not aware of any antitrust complaint or inquiry pending against either MySpace or MySpace Music. MySpace Music welcomes indie artists and is not blocking content from them or other labels. Our goal is to provide the indie community with powerful tools and monetization channels to enable them to access revenue streams previously unavailable.”"
[Hypebot]

Is An Antitrust Lawsuit In MySpace Music's Future? 22/09/08
"Myspace's MySpace music is now scheduled to launch this week, but an antitrust lawsuit may be in the making as indie labels in the EU and US complain they are being excluded.Some speculate that the launch has been delayed because of ongoing negotiations with EMI. Others believe it has been more about tech issues. This is an important launch both for MySpace who wants to cement its relationship with consumers in the face of growing competition and the music industry who needsEu_flag to finds ways to monetize music particularly with MySpace's young audience." [Hypebot]

Indie Music Bigwig: MySpace Music Is Playing Nice With Us September 23
"Last week we heard some vague grumbling from small record labels -- primarily those based in Europe, it seems -- who were angry with MySpace because they didn't yet have access to MySpace Music, the soon-to-launch joint venture between News Corp. and three of the four major labels. And here in the U.S., indie heavyweight IODA, which digitally distributes 1.5 million tracks for several thousand labels, doesn't have a deal with the JV, either." [AlleyInsider]

Indie Labels Bite The Hand That Used To Feed Them: MySpace Music
"MySpace Music, the JV between News Corp. and three of the four big music labels (no EMI, yet) that should be launching any day now, is already drawing the ire of the indie music community. Their gripe? They say they can’t get their music uploaded onto the site, British site The Register reports." [AlleyInsider]