Universal Music Group has settled a lawsuit against XM over a player that records XM programming by extracting a per unit fee from the satellite radio service similar to the per unit charge it gets from every Zune sold.
Never one to be daunted by falling sales, Universal’s Doug Morris seems determined to shore up his eroding bottom line with payments from others who profit from their association with music.
Internet radio and satellite broadcasters are being asked to pay more by all the labels. Devices manufacturers from Microsoft to Nokia are cutting special revenue sharing deals with Universal as are services like YouTube. Then there’s Morris’s broader initiative to have all device manufacturers pay Universal and the other major labels for a "Total Music" subscription built into each player sold. Sounds interesting, but the devil is usually in the details and thus far Morris has not provided any.
EXTRA CREDIT: "Universal Bans Song Streams, Cuts Nokia Free Music Deal. WILL THE REAL DOUG MORRIS PLEASE STAND UP?"
