Universal 'to revise iTunes deal'
632871
Universal wants monthly deals to sell its music through Apple's iTunes rather than an annual one, a report says.
141679
Vivendi condemned as &quot;indecent&quot; the  contract terms between its Universal Music Group (UMG) unit and  Apple Inc, the computer maker whose iTunes online store  dominates the digital music market.
653289
(InfoWorld) - Contract negotiations between Apple and NBC Universal regarding video content in iTunes are getting nastier and staying public. In a statement, NBC disputes Apple's characterization of the companies' contract renegotiation and says that its TV programs will be available on iTunes through early December. Late last week,Â Apple said that NBC wanted to increase the price for its video contentÂ so much that iTunes would have to sell individual TV shows for $4.99, instead of $1.99, like the rest of the available programs. Because Apple wasn't willing to agree to that price hike, NBC declined to renew its contract, Apple said. So that it wouldn't have to stop selling programs in December -- the middle of the TV season -- when their contract ends, Apple said it wouldn't offer any NBC shows for the upcoming season. But Apple may have a bigger battle on its hands if it does pull those shows from the iTunes video store. In its statement, NBC said that all returning series including new episodes would be available on iTunes through the end of the contract. NBC also said that rather than asking to double the wholesale price of its programs as Apple contends, it wanted to offer end-users more flexible pricing, including bundling packages of shows for a set price. Apple has mostly stuck to a policy of flat pricing despite pressure from content owners to allow for variable pricing. The exception is in the music store where a selection of songs that come without copy protection cost more. Both companies took jabs at each other in their statements. Apple called NBC's suggested pricing change a "dramatic price increase." NBC responded thus: "It is clear that Apple's retail pricing strategy for its iTunes service is designed to drive sales of Apple devices, at the expense of those who create the content that make these devices worth buying." NBC also sells programs on Amazon.com and very soon plans to start offering its shows and others for free on Hulu.com, a joint venture company with News Corp. So far, sales in the iTunes video store are relatively low. During 2007, the store should generate about $300 million, according to estimates from Forrester Research.
618358
Apple says it will deliver its iTunes music service to more European countries next month. Corroborating several reports in recent months, Reuters is reporting today that Apple Computer is planning the next
271478
Apple moved closer to selling DRM-free music with the release Wednesday of an iTunes update.
767882
Universal Music Group Chief Executive  Doug Morris said on Tuesday he may try to fashion an iPod  royalty fee with Apple Computer Inc.  in the next round  of negotiations in early 2007.
17167
Apple Computer, maker of the iPod music player and online iTunes Music Store, is likely to be forced into a multimillion-pound payout to Apple Corporation, the Beatles&#39; management
246632
Apple bears the ultimate responsibility for making iTunes compatible with rival music players, says the agency leading a European effort to make it happen. By the Associated Press.
651436
Apple will scrap online pricing policies across Europe for iTunes music downloads and charge consumers in Britain and the rest of Europe the same amount,  according to the deal.
545433
TechWeb - Apple Computer and Apple Corps may forge an agreement to offer Beatles music over iTunes, according to published reports.
161064
Apple Inc. and the Beatles ended their dispute over rights to use the Apple name and logos, potentially clearing the way for the company to distribute the group's music through its iTunes online store.
359554
NBC Universal has decided against  renewing its contract to sell digital downloads of television  shows on Apple Inc&#39;s iTunes after failing to come to an  agreement on pricing, the New York Times reported in its online  edition on Friday.
3810
A watchdog group asks a consumer-protection agency to look into the higher price of songs on Apple's British version of its iTunes service. Wendy M. Grossman reports from London.
198918
The dispute between Apple and NBC Universal over the pricing of video on iTunes grew more heated as Apple announced it would not add any new NBC shows to the online storeâs inventory.
734793
In a breakthrough agreement, another major movie studio will add its feature films to the iTunes lineup, but this time under unusual and potentially groundbreaking terms.
568435
The OFT refers Apple's iTunes to the European Commission on the grounds that it over-charges UK customers.
118036
NBC Universal will pull its television programming from iTunes in December after the two sides failed to reach an agreement regarding the pricing of its video downloads.