New Music Business Briefing: YouTube Sued Again, Majors Claim DRM Alive, Congress Backs RIAA & More

>>> The UK’s Premier soccer league and publisher Bourne have joined the growing chorus of content owners suing YouTube.

>>> Forbes.com takes an in depth look at how each of the major label views moves towards DRM free downloads and how the download services are handling the transition.  Other than EMI, all three majors claim publicly that they’re in no big hurry to let DRM go. But a growing number of "experiments" and behind the scenes discussions tell another story than the surveys suggest.

>>> Clear Channel Radio‘s board has rejected a revised takeover bid in favor of a slightly lower friendly bid.  A shareholder meeting will go ahead as planned on Tuesday, May 8th.  The NY Post also claims that the Westwood One media group for sale.

>>> NARM has posted a power point presentation on its web site created by Soundscan that includes CD, download and ringtone sales and trends for 2006 and the first quarter of 2007. One eye-opener: twice as many digital only albums we’re released last year than 2005, but 95% of them sold less than 100 copies.

>>> A bipartisan group of Congressmen have sent letters to the colleges being targeted by the RIAA calling on them to be more diligent in protecting intellectual property and surveying their efforts to fight piracy. (pdf of letter via DMN)

>>> WORTHY CLICK: MusicMesh.com is one more comprehensive organized and best organized mashup  of music info and styles on the web.