Stories about: Warner Music Group

In the IT world it is amazing how often you'll be presented with an idea that sounds good, seems reasonable and appears to fix a problem but in reality is a bad idea. I say this because a proposal that sounds good is being developed to address the "problem" of online music piracy, and not only is the idea bad for consumers, it also could be particularly problematic for enterprise networks.

Sony BMG Music Entertainment will crack open the door to its music vaults on Jan. 15, taking the DRM copy-prevention wrapper off a limited selection of downloadable tracks.

Just hours before Google announced a US$1.6 billion acquisition of YouTube on Monday, both companies separately revealed agreements with major music labels for offering music videos on their respective sites. The deals, especially those between YouTube and the record companies, take on new significance since the acquisition, says one leading industry analyst.

Google has laid speculation to rest -- it is buying YouTube for US$1.65 billion in a stock transaction.

In a dramatic close to the legal battle between file-sharing software developer Kazaa and the entertainment industry, Kazaa said on Thursday that it has agreed to pay at least US$100 million to four record companies and an additional amount to motion picture companies to settle two lawsuits.