Apple In Talks To Buy Universal Music
from the wow! dept
dsg was the first to write in with word that Apple is in talks to buy Universal Music. Talk about a surprising move. Apparently, they've been holding secret negotiations for a few months now. Vivendi certainly has been trying to sell it off, but I don't think many people thought Apple was a likely buyer. There are still some other bidders in the game, so this is far from decided. Depending on what they do with it, it could make a lot of sense - or it could be a disaster. One thing is clear though. If you hadn't realized it yet, Apple wants to be the next Sony and this would put them one step closer to equal footing. I think it's a smart move if they really take advantage of the situation to make Universal a truly digital music label - but I'm not convinced that's what Jobs really has in mind. Still, it will do a lot to shake up the industry - and I have more confidence that Jobs has a smart strategy in mind than I do that current Universal Music management does.
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