Voices

Vivendi Exit From Activision Stake Can Proceed

Delaware’s highest court Thursday struck down an injunction that has been holding up Vivendi SA’s exit from its control stake in videogame maker Activision Blizzard Inc.

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Activision to Buy Back Most of Vivendi’s Controlling Stake

Vivendi said it will continue to hold about 83 million shares, or 12 percent of the company.

Music Sales Slump Again

Don’t blame Spotify or Pandora. But you might want to show this article to the folks at SoftBank and Vivendi.

Vevo’s YouTube Deal Expires in Three Days. But the “Hulu for Music Videos” Site Won’t Go Dark.

Both sides need each other. And they’ve got a few more months to make something work.

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Vivendi Seeks Buyers for Activision

Vivendi SA is working with two investment banks to explore the sale of videogame giant Activision Blizzard Inc., in which the French conglomerate owns a majority stake, people familiar with the matter said.

Before Universal Bulks Up With EMI, It’s Going to Have to Play Small

The world’s largest music label wants to get larger, but it’s going to need to convince regulators that this is a good idea. That may take a while.

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Citi to Sell EMI Units for $4.1 Billion

The protracted auction of EMI Group neared a conclusion Friday, with Citigroup Inc., owner of the storied British music company, selecting buyers for its publishing arm and recorded-music label—at a price that well exceeds many industry watchers’ expectations.

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Baidu, Record Labels in Deal

Baidu Inc. reached a deal with major record labels to provide licensed copies of songs on the Chinese Internet search giant’s site, a landmark agreement that brings the music industry together with a company long accused by industry executives of abetting piracy.

Is There a Myspace Mafia, Too? Because Leaving Seems to Have Paid Off for Many Ex-Execs.

When the selling of Myspace winds down in the next week or so, it’ll probably attract a spate of comments about what a failure the whole social networking enterprise turned out to be. That is, unless you think of the mob of former execs who have worked at the company over time, many of whom have moved on to some more golden opportunities after leaving Myspace.

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Delays Hit Amazon’s Lady Gaga Promotion

Amazon.com Inc.’s one-day, 99-cent promotion of Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated second studio album, “Born This Way,” resulted in downloading delays on the Internet retailer’s website due to high volume, the company said Monday.

One Down: Spotify Signs Sony to U.S. Deal