Normally having someone talk you through a budget wouldn’t make for especially compelling reading, but when a DIY artist outlines the costs they are incurring releasing records, touring shows and keeping fans happy it’s usually a pretty interesting read, and the latest blog post from Amanda Palmer very much falls into that category.

Palmer, of course, recently launched a campaign on US-based crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter to raise money to fund a new album, art book and an ambitious tour, basically offering a wide range of packages to fans on a pre-order basis, so she can access now the cash required to make all that activity happen later in the year.

Such crowd sourcing by artists isn’t new, of course, with many other new and established acts working with platforms like Kickstarter, or music specific crowd sourcing services like Pledge, to generate cash now in return for providing fans with products or services down the line. But Palmer’s pre-order funded project is certainly one of the most ambitious.

Originally stating, at the start of 32 days of fundraising, that she’d need a minimum of $100,000 to make the project happen, that much was raised within hours and with a week to go her Kickstarter haul is currently standing at $817,055. With some reckoning she will break the million mark by the end of the month, one tweeter asked the former Dresden Dolls singer: “So, are you loaded?”

It’s a question that motivated Palmer’s budgeting blog, in which she explains how, actually, even if the million mark is passed by the end of her Kickstarter campaign, she will actually be lucky to pocket any more than $100,000 herself. And – given that any major project should probably allow 10% of contingency money for unforeseen expenditure – that could also be used up, so that Palmer will rely on the subsequent more conventional album and merchandise sales that the Kickstarter project ‘kick starts’ (via her website, at gigs and iTunes et al) to actually make a profit.

So, where will the million go? Well, she explains, it cost $250,000 to get to the point at which the Kickstarter campaign even went live, much of which was borrowed from friends and needs to be paid back (meaning if she had only raised the originally stated $100,000, the project would have made a loss). There are then costs in fulfilling the packages that have been sold via the Kickstarter initiative, and the more that are sold the more those costs go up.

Add the commissions that Kickstarter and Amazon take, the fees that need to be paid to the staff who help make everything happen, legal costs and any loss that might be made by the tour (that should break even, Palmer says, but she might have to take a hit if any shows don’t sell so well), and the million is soon gone.

The singer notes that she could save money by cutting corners with the products she sends to fans who have contributed to the million, but says she doesn’t want to, not least because if the products people pre-ordered on trust this time weren’t of a sufficiently high quality, people would be less likely to pre-order in that way in the future.

Of course traditionally all these upfront costs would be covered by a record label, which would then recoup the money it had spent through subsequent record sales (though without the flexibility to sell premium packages that incorporate live events, merchandise and related art).

Palmer stresses that she has always recognised that, in making that upfront investment, labels have traditionally played a crucial role in helping artists succeed, even if artist/label relationships were at times fraught, but adds that she hopes the direct-to-fan pre-order model enabled by Kickstarter and Pledge might offer an alternative to the label system for new artists and “major label refugees like me”. Which means, she says, this project will have been a huge success even if she only breaks even once all the bills are paid.

She writes: “[Because it will be] proof positive that [the traditional label system] is just not necessary any more. Paying now for value later is what historically would’ve been a label’s primary purpose. Now you are able to bankroll and finance and keep control with the artists. Showing that this works… that’s simply great art-karma, and awesome for everybody, including me. And all my art-making friends”.

Read Palmer’s full outline of where all that money will go here.

The US Supreme Court has refused to take on the Joel Tenenbaum case, meaning the file-sharing student can now only hope that the damages he was ordered to pay the record companies for illegally sharing music files via Kazaa back in 2004 can be reduced back in the lower courts.

As much previously reported, Tenenbaum was one of the few people targeting during the Recording Industry Association Of America’s big sue-the-fans lawsuit party last decade to actually let his case get to court. He lost, and was ordered by a jury to pay $675,000 in damages.

The judge hearing the original case felt that was way too much and tried to cut the damages payment down to size. But she did so on constitutional grounds – arguing that such a high pay out for an act that in itself caused nominal damage to the plaintiffs was unconstitutional, despite it being based on parameters set out in US copyright law – rather than using a more complicated damages review process called remittitur. An appeals court subsequently criticised the judge’s process, and reinstated the $675,000 damages sum.

Tenenbaum’s legal rep Charles Nesson hoped to persuade the Supreme Court that his client’s damages were indeed unconstitutionally high, to such an extent that Judge Nancy Gertner was right to go straight to constitutional considerations when reviewing the file-sharer’s obligations, rather than going down the more time-consuming route of considering remittitur first.

But the Supreme Court declined to hear Nesson’s arguments yesterday, meaning Team Tenenbaum will have to continue to fight the damages sum in the lower courts, which could involve several more hearings and appeals yet.

Of course Tenenbaum doesn’t have $675,000 and has previously suggested he’d have to bankrupt himself if that figure stuck. Though for both sides there are points of principle at play here, even if the chances of the record companies ever getting anything near $675,000 from arguably America’s most famous file-sharer are almost zero.

Robin Gibb died this weekend after losing a lengthy battle with cancer. The Bee Gee had been fighting the disease for some time, and had been praised by doctors for his strength of character, especially when he regained consciousness after over a week in a coma after suffering a bout of pneumonia. But, despite a strong will to beat his various illnesses, the singer’s condition had continued to worsen in recent weeks.

Confirming his passing yesterday, a spokesman for Gibb’s family said: “The family of Robin Gibb, of The Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time”.

In his customary commentary for the BBC when any pop great dies, Paul Gambaccini noted that while best known as performers in the Bee Gees, Gibb and his brothers were also an incredibly successful songwriting team, second only to Lennon and McCartney as “the most successful songwriting unit in British popular music”.

He added: “Their accomplishments have been monumental. Not only have they written their ownnumber one hits, but they wrote huge hit records for Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, Destiny’s Child, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, the list goes on and on. What must also be said is Robin had one of the best white soul voices ever”.

Concerns for Gibb’s health began when he was forced to cancel a series of shows in 2010 after suffering severe stomach pains. He went on to have emergency surgery for a blocked intestine, his twin brother and fellow Bee Gee Maurice having died in 2003 following complications from a similar condition. Although that surgery seemed to be successful, further concerts had to be cancelled a year later when he suffered acute abdominal pains, and he was subsequently diagnosed with cancer of the colon, and later still with cancer of the liver.

After receiving cancer treatment Gibb started to look very frail, though he insisted he go ahead with promotional work around a charity single he was involved in last October in aid of the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, and he subsequently told reporters that he felt he was successfully fighting off his illness and that doctors had been very impressed with his recovery. There was even talk of him and surviving brother Barry returning to the stage as The Bee Gees. But further hospital stints generated more concerns, even though to the end the singer remained upbeat and resolute he could beat his cancer. Last month he spent over a week in a coma after a bout of pneumonia, but regained consciousness.

Needless to say, many musicians and other celebrities took to Twitter overnight to pay tribute to Gibb, many having only days ago tweeted their tributes to another icon of the 1970s disco era, Donna Summer. Meanwhile, noting the passing of both Summer and Gibb, Stevie Wonder told reporters at last night’s Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas: “We live in a world with changes happening more rapidly. We won’t see them ever again. That’s a heartbreak. The blessing is we’re able to feel the pain, which means we were able to feel some love from that person; feel the experiences the music gave us”.

In the latter part of his life Gibb also worked as President of CISAC, the global organisation of collecting societies. It’s Chairman Kenth Muldin also paid tribute to Gibb yesterday, telling reporters: “Robin has been our President and the voice of CISAC for the past five years and throughout this period we have been blessed by his presence and his infectious enthusiasm. He took his role very seriously – we knew we could count on him whenever the principles of authors’ rights were under attack. On behalf of CISAC, and in the name of the whole creative community that he so brilliantly represented, I would like to offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to his wife Dwina and to his family. We will miss him immensely; we will miss his energy, his dedication to the cause of authors and, most of all, I will miss his friendship”.

Meanwhile Guy Fletcher, Chairman of the UK’s collecting society PRS, told CMU: “Few people enjoy a career in music lasting more than 50 years yet Robin Gibb was still only 62 when he passed away. With Brothers Barry and Maurice, they formed one of the most powerful song writing teams of all time. Apart from the phenomenal success of the Bee Gees, they enriched the lives of so many international stars, delivering for them some of their most enduring hits: ‘Islands In the Stream’, ‘Chain Reaction’, ‘How Deep is Your Love’ and dozens more. Robin was also very active in his support of Bomber Command charities and was president of CISAC, The International Confederation of Authors And Composers Societies. We have lost a true friend and a unique songwriter”.

Live music giant AEG Live has preferred bidder status to buy HMV’s live music business the MAMA Group, according to the Daily Mail. Although final details of the deal are to be confirmed, the paper says the global venue owner and tour promoter is now favourite to acquire the MAA business, generating HMV in the region of £65 million, to help cut back the flagging retailer’s estimated £180 million in debts.

It’s thought AEG Live will take complete ownership of MAMA, at least initially. As previously reported, there was speculation that the live major would only be interested in the bigger of the MAMA Group’s venues, in particular the Hammersmith Apollo, and the rest of the live business might be sold to a different buyer, or be subject to management buy out.

If it does take ownership of the whole MAMA Group, it will be interesting to see what AEG will do with the company, which has core venue and festival divisions as well as a number of periphery units such as The Fly magazine and marketing agencies. As also previously reported, MAMA’s artist management division, SuperVision, has been wound down after key managers opted to leave the group amidst concerns about HMV’s sale of the company.

Sony Music and equity types Oakley Capital were both also bidding for the live firm, though according to the Mail talks are now focusing on AEG Live’s bid.

Disco queen Donna Summer died in Florida yesterday after losing a battle with cancer, she was 63.

Confirming the singer’s death, a statement from her family read: “Early this morning, surrounded by family, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith. While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy”.

Summer had been battling lung cancer, a condition which, various reports suggest, she believed may have been caused by inhaling toxic dust when the Twin Towers in New York collapsed after the 9/11 attacks on the city in 2001.

The singer was at her New York apartment, near the former World Trade Center, on the day of the attacks, after which thousands of tonnes of ash, which contained asbestos, lead and mercury, spread across lower Manhattan. According to The Sun, hundreds of New Yorkers in the area that day have since complained of respiratory illnesses.

Needless to say, the pop world lined up yesterday to pay tribute to the late singer, with the disco genre’s other great diva, Gloria Gaynor, leading the eulogies, telling the world that Summer had “forever changed … how Americans danced and enjoyed themselves. She may have had her ‘Last Dance’ here on earth, but ‘Heaven Knows’ it is dancing with joy for her arrival”.

Former collaborator Quincy Jones said via Twitter that Summer’s voice was “the heartbeat and soundtrack of a decade”, while other pop queens credited the ‘Hot Stuff’ singer’s influence on them and others, Kylie Minogue noting that the singer was “one of my earliest musical inspirations”, and Gloria Estefan tweeting: “Few singers have impacted music and the world like Donna Summer! It’s the end of an era”.

As is customary in the download age, Summer’s passing has already had an impact on her record sales as pop fans remember her musical legacy, with a 2003 best of compilation currently at number eight in the UK iTunes charts. Meanwhile the singer’s family asked that any fans wishing to pay tribute do so by making a donation to the Salvation Army.

And so the Joel Tenenbaum story continues, as lawyers for the file-sharing student seek a US Supreme Court hearing in their ongoing bid to quash the mega-damages their client has been ordered to pay the American record companies for illegally accessing a few tracks via Kazaa back in 2004.

But first, the customary recap. Joel Tenenbaum. Student. Does some naughty file-sharing of unlicensed content. Sued by Recording Industry Association Of America. Chooses not to settle out of court. Goes to court. Bullish legal rep Charles Nesson presents pretty lacklustre defence. Tenenbaum found guilty of copyright infringement. Ordered to pay $675,000 in damages. Can’t pay, won’t pay. Judge cuts damages to $67,500 on constitutional grounds. Appeals court says if damages to be cut different legal process (called ‘remittitur’) required, reinstates $675,000 damages.

Nesson has since been pursuing various routes in a bid to have the damages his client has to pay cut back to something more realistic. He continues to argue that a $675,000 damages bill is unconstitutionally high, while adding that, in his opinion, the judge hearing the case – Nancy Gertner – was in fact right to cut the damages figure down to size based on constitutional arguments, even though technically another process for reviewing damages should have been used first. Nesson argues that the labels will continue to appeal any ruling that doesn’t go in their favour, meaning eventually the constitution element would have been up for consideration, and by going there first Gertner was simply saving his client from the hassle of unnecessary legal wranglings.

In his submission to the Supreme Court, Nesson argues that the record industry’s subsequently axed “litigation assault” on small time file-sharers was “procedurally unfair and profoundly unethical”. According to Ars Technica, he adds that the Recording Industry Association Of America sought to
“punish [Tenenbaum] beyond any rational measure of the damage he conceivably caused, not for the purpose of recovering compensation for actual damage caused by him, nor for the primary purpose of deterring him from further copyright infringement, but for the ulterior purpose of creating an urban legend so frightening to children using the internet, and so frightening for parents and teachers of students using the internet, [so] that they will somehow reverse the tide of the digital future”.

On the requirement or Gertner to initially review Tenenbaum’s damages payment using the process of remittitur, he continues: “The deployment of remittitur as a means of fending off constitutional issues empowers the copyright-holding corporations to subject any individual who is seeking to protest the unconstitutionality of their settlement methods to years and then further years of endless litigation and repeated trials”.

It’s thought the Supreme Court will confirm any day know whether or not it will review the Tenenbaum case.

The Pirate Bay was inaccessible for many for much of yesterday, but not because British ISPs were in the process of erecting blockades to stop their customers from reaching the controversial file-sharing site (although they are), rather the Swedish file-sharing search service was the victim of one of those Distributed Denial Of Service attacks usually reserved for the websites of major copyright owners or the organisations and government departments that help them enforce their rights.

It’s still not clear who instigated the DDoS attack against the Bay, though some initially pointed the finger at hacktivist group Anonymous, noting that representatives of TPB were critical of that informal organisation last week after it targeted the website of Virgin Media for being the first UK ISP to put in place a block against the file-sharing search site.

Asking that its users refrained from participating in DDoS attacks in its name, the Bay said in a statement last week: “We do NOT encourage these actions. We believe in the open and free internets, where anyone can express their views. Even if we strongly disagree with them and even if they hate us. So don’t fight them using their ugly methods. DDoS and blocks are both forms of censorship”.

But reps for Anonymous yesterday took to the tweets to deny involvement in the DDoS attack on The Pirate Bay, tweeting: “YES The Pirate Bay is down. YES it’s under DDoS attack. NO we don’t know who from. We’ll update as we hear more”.

A spokesman for the Bay then acknowledged the Anonymous statement, and added that the Bay was certain the hacktivist group was not behind the DDoS attack on its servers, despite last week’s disagreements.

For UK users of The Pirate Bay, the sudden and sustained collapse of the file-sharing service made some worry that moves to force ISPs to block access to the site were proving much more effective than anticipated.

As previously reported, the London courts recently ordered five British net firms to instigate web-blocks against the controversial service after a claim by record label trade body the BPI. The web-block order followed a ruling earlier this year that confirmed that, under English law, the Bay is liable for the copyright infringement it enables, and a court decision last year in the Newzbin case that said web blocks can be ordered against copyright infringing websites if said sites are based outside the jurisdiction of the UK courts, making it impossible to enforce a shutdown.

Of course while ISPs can put in place blocks that mean that when their customers go to thepiratebay.org they see a warning message instead of the site they were looking for, it’s relatively easy for web savvy users to circumvent the blocks, and various web pages have gone live in recent weeks explaining how that can be done. Though when, yesterday, TPB users accessing the net via those ISPs that have already instigated the block (Virgin Media in particular) found that the alternative ways for accessing the Bay were also down, some wondered if the big net firms had found a much more effective way of blocking rogue websites than had been previously used. But no, it was just that the Bay itself was down.

Debate continues as to whether, given that web-blocks can be circumvented by those in the know, the entire web-blocking thing is actually a waste of time, though some rights owners argue that their aim is to simply make it harder to access unlicensed sources of content, not necessarily impossible, and while blocks may be passable by those who know how to, the more hassle it is to access sites like the Bay the less people will bother to do it.

One of the more interesting questions raised by any anti-piracy three-strikes system, whereby internet service providers can be forced to send warning letters to suspected file-sharers of unlicensed content, and to then reduce the net connection of any such file-sharing customers who ignore the warnings (either to slower speeds or to full disconnection of service), is what happens if the customer claims the illegal content sharing was committed by a third party on their wi-fi network?

Is the owner of a wi-fi network liable for any copyright infringement that occurs via their net connection? Can liability be circumvented if the wi-fi network is password protected, but a third party hacks in somehow? And if so, does that mean any three-strikes legislation – such as that contained in the UK’s Digital Economy Act – implies into law an obligation on every ISP customer to password protect their wi-fi?

This question doesn’t actually come up quite as often as you might imagine – in either straightforward file-sharing litigation cases or the operations of active three-strikes systems – mainly because in most cases, when ISP customers are hit with legal or warning letters about file-sharing, they generally say “fair cop mate, I won’t do it again”. But occasionally the accused pleads ignorance of any file-sharing activity via their net connection, and assuming they are willing to maintain those claims at the witness stand, the question must be considered: is ‘someone else did it on my wi-fi’ an acceptable get out?

One previous case that considered this question in an albeit relatively junior German court decided that there was an obligation on ISP customers to put at least basic password protection on their wi-fi networks in order to circumvent any liability for copyright infringement then conducted on said net connection.

Which makes it easier to enforce three-strikes and more conventional file-sharing litigation, though many fear such a conclusion, as it arguably puts new liabilities onto the libraries, hotels, colleges and cafes which provide open wi-fi (or at least password protected wi-fi where the password is openly published). And such extra liabilities might make such institutions less likely to offer wi-fi as a matter of course, just as plentiful wireless internet hotspots are becoming the norm in many townsand cities.

The good news for those concerned about wi-fi liabilities is that a Finnish court has just ruled that there is no obligation to password protect wireless networks, and that the ‘someone else did it on my wi-fi’ defence is satisfactory in illegal file-sharing cases, even if the wi-fi network had no password protection, providing the evidence available gives that excuse some credibility.

In the Finnish case, reported on by Torrentfreak, the defendant was accused by anti-piracy group CIAPC of downloading unlicensed content in July 2010, but it was shown that that downloading occurred during a twelve minute window via the woman’s open wi-fi network while she had 100 guests at a party at her house.

The defendant’s lawyer told Torrentfreak: “The applicants were unable to provide any evidence that the connection-owner herself had been involved in the file-sharing, the court thus examined whether the mere act of providing a wi-fi connection not protected with a password can be deemed to constitute a copyright-infringing act”.

And, unlike its German counterpart, the Finnish court ruled on that question with a resolute “no”. In doing so Finnish judges considered a number of European Union directives on copyright, which means the ruling possibly has ramifications beyond Finland itself. Indeed, should CIAPC choose to appeal, lawyers for the accused say they might ultimately push to have the matter considered at the European Courts Of Justice. If the ECJ decided this was, indeed, a matter for European rather than national law, any such ruling could settle the ‘does the wi-fi excuse stand’ question across the Union.

So, with those pesky jail sentences now hanging over the founders of The Pirate Bay in their home country of Sweden, two of the three creators of the always controversial file-sharing search service are trying very different approaches to avoid prison.

According to Torrentfreak, legal reps for Fredrik Neij are ready to fight the Swedish legal system by taking his case to the European Court Of Human Rights. They will argue that, under the European Convention Of Human Rights, Neij has the right to “receive and impart information”, and that via operating The Pirate Bay he was merely exercising that right.

Neij’s lawyers will again stress that The Pirate Bay itself did not host or copy any infringing music or movie files, and will argue that while the information TPB distributed may have primarily directed users to copyright infringing content, the imparting of that information in itself is not illegal, and, moreover, the right to impart such things is protected under European human rights legislation.

It’s a timely argument, given the increased tendency of the pro-file-sharing community to equate copyright enforcement with censorship, and the convention article Neij will rely on – should his case be accepted by the Human Rights courts in Strasbourg – is the freedom of expression provision.

The article in question does allow the freedom of expression right to be restricted for the “prevention of disorder or crime”, which is presumably how Sweden will fight the case if it reaches court – arguing that by setting up an online operation that enables and indeed encourages others to infringe copyright law, TPB was guilty of copyright crimes and therefore the convention right does not apply. Though quite when copyright infringement, and especially so called contributory infringement (where you help others to infringe), should be dealt with under criminal rather than civil law is very debatable.

It will be interesting to see how this one turns out. And if the European Court Of Human Rights were to rule that the convention right to freedom of expression was being breached via various forms of copyright enforcement, that could have a big impact on the copyright systems of countries bound by the convention, including the UK.

And given that, arguably, under European Union law (which is separate to European human rights law), EU countries have a duty to protect copyright, such a ruling could have the potential to put Europe’s two judicial systems (the human rights courts and the EU’s European Courts Of Justice) in conflict for the first time, which could cause all sorts of constitutional quandaries. I’ll say this, The Pirate Bay story is one that just keeps on giving.

Elsewhere, Neij’s fellow TPB founder Peter Sunde has opted for a very different route to avoid prison, pleading with the Swedish authorities rather than taking them to the European Courts Of Human Rights. Sunde’s lawyers have said that their client being forced into jail for eight months now would be damaging for his new business Flattr, as well as offering albeit undisclosed health reasons as to why the former Pirate Bay spokesman should be given clemency.

Sunde’s legal reps have also said that, if their client’s prison time can’t be revoked, it would be helpful if it could at least be postponed (presumably to the 29th Century). The Swedish courts are yet to respond to that application for clemency, though Sunde, who was due to start his prison sentence last week, remains free for the time being.

As much previously reported, the so called Pirate Bay Four – founders Neij, Sunde and Gottfrid Svartholm plus funder Carl Lundström – were handed jail sentences after a joint civil and criminal trial over their involvement in running The Pirate Bay in 2009. The sentences were postponed pending appeal hearings though. They lost their first appeal in 2010, although the jail terms were reduced, and earlier this year Sweden’s Supreme Court refused to accept a second appeal hearing.

Lundström has reached a deal to serve his sentence under house arrest rather than actually going to jail, while Svartholm has been AWOL for sometime, so much so he didn’t even take part in the first appeal hearing, meaning the one year jail term handed to him at the original trial is binding.

One of the early music-focused digital locker services, MP3tunes.com, has filed for bankruptcy, its founder, Michael Robertson, has confirmed. The announcement brings to an end the latest venture from Robertson who, as the creator of the original MP3.com, has been innovating in digital music for years, though usually in a way that aggravates the big record companies.

And, Robertson argues, it was the actions of one such aggravated major label that drove his latest company into the ground. As previously reported, EMI first sued MP3tunes.com in 2007 and, although in the main the arguments put forward by Robertson’s lawyers prevailed in court last year, the major is appealing and a new round of court hearings are due to kick off this month.

In part the case considered the legalities of services that let users upload their MP3 collections to a remote server and then re-download or stream them to other net-connected devices. In most territories (though not the UK) the upload bit is allowed within copyright law under the user’s private copy right principle, but some rights owners have argued that if a service like MP3tunes.com then lets people stream those MP3s back to another device through a user-friendly bespoke player, then that isn’t covered and a licence is required. MP3tunes.com did not concur, and nor did Google or Amazon who subsequently launched similar services.

However, when the case finally got to court last year, much of the deliberations actually focused on a periphery services offered by MP3tunes called Sideload.com, which let users store and share links to music files online, the majority of which linked to unlicensed content. There was some criticism of MP3tunes from the judge with regard to Sideload.com, though even there, in the main, Robertson’s arguments – that, because his company operated a takedown system to remove links to unlicensed music the service was allowed under US law – prevailed.

Indeed, although neither side won outright, last year’s court rulings did seem to favour Robertson more than EMI, leading the former to accuse the latter of deliberately dragging out its legal assault against his company, knowing that – even though their legal arguments might not stand up in court – there was always the option of draining the smaller defendant’s resources and driving them out of business that way.

Robertson told C-Net: “Four and a half years of legal costs and we’re not even out of trial. MP3tunes has no choice but to file [for bankruptcy]… this is what they do. The labels engage in multi-year legal battles and put small companies through hell for years. EMI went to other companies and demanded that they not work with us. They went to retailers, as one example, and forbid those guys to work with us”.

Meanwhile, according to Music Void, the MP3tunes.com chief added: “At every opportunity EMI dragged out the legal process, making it costly and burdensome. One example is the interrogation of company employees in all-day inquisitions called depositions, where attorneys try to trick people into making admissions. In our case, they deposed not just management but nearly everyone in the company, all the way down to clerical help and customer support personnel. They even paid $25,000 to get an ex-employee to agree to a deposition. From management they deposed everyone – some multiple times – with me getting deposed three separate times”.

For its part, EMI says that Robertson has decided to shut down his locker company now, just before appeal hearings are due to begin, because he fears this time he will lose. But, the major adds, with Robertson himself also a defendant in the case, bankrupting the company will not enable him to avoid liability for the copyright infringement it believes the entrepreneur enabled.

In a statement to C-Net, the major said: “Since November 2007, EMI Music and EMI Music Publishing have been engaged in a lawsuit with MP3tunes and its principal, Michael Robertson, in connection with Mr Robertson’s facilitation of widespread copyright infringement on MP3tunes.com and Sideload.com. These sites have built their businesses on the unauthorised distribution of music, at the expense of EMI’s songwriters and artists”.

“Now on the eve of trial, and after an ongoing press campaign claiming that MP3tunes would fight to vindicate its ‘right’ to infringe, Mr Robertson has filed for bankruptcy protection for MP3tunes in the Southern District of California. After four and a half years of Robertson’s bluster and rhetoric, it is apparent to EMI that Robertson has finally realised that his case has no merit”.

“While Robertson may believe that MP3tunes will be able to escape liability in the upcoming trial through this bankruptcy, Robertson himself is still a named defendant in the case and the court has already determined that both he and MP3tunes have infringed EMI’s copyrights. As such, he is facing personal liability both for infringements that the court has already determined have occurred and for the further alleged infringements that will be addressed at trial. Accordingly, EMI will continue to pursue its case against Robertson, to ensure that its songwriters and artists are properly compensated for their creative work”.

So all in all, while the ending of this story may have already been revealed, the final chapters could still make for interesting readings.

More EMI, and a committee in the US Senate will consider Universal Music’s proposed acquisition of the EMI record companies, according to the Wall Street Journal.

As previously reported, two lobby groups, Public Knowledge and the Consumer Federation Of America, recently called on the Senate judiciary committee’s antitrust panel to give time to considering the proposed EMI takeover, given concerns amongst some tech and consumer rights groups, and in the indie music community, that the deal, that will make the world’s biggest music company significantly bigger, will be damaging for artists, digital music providers and music fans.

Of course the US Federal Trade Commission, like the European Commission, is already considering the competition law implications of the proposed takeover, and the ultimate ruling from said regulator is much more important than any debates that happen within US Congress, though any public airing of the arguments for and against the acquisition could be interesting.

Responding to the news the Senate committee was planning on discussing their EMI proposals, a spokesman for Universal told reporters: “We welcome the opportunity to answer any questions that the subcommittee may have, address the facts and debunk myths. Universal Music is committed to reinvesting in EMI to create even more opportunities for new and established artists, expand the marketplace with more music and support new digital services. We remain confident of regulatory approval”.

One of the main strands of the first day of the CMU-programmed Great Escape convention, which kicked off in Brighton yesterday, was a series of panels looking at the DIY approach and offering advice to artists looking to manage their careers themselves, both creatively and commercially.

The second session of the day saw PR company Create Spark’s Debbie Ball, digital marketing agency Good Lizard’s David Riley, direct-to-fan service Music Glue’s Joe Porn and DIY artist Chris T-T discuss getting noticed without a record label’s marketing budget. Ahead of the session, we asked Debbie Ball and Chris T-T for some of their top tips.

“Be selective”, said Ball. “Figure out how you want to present your act to the public from the off, both aesthetically and ideologically, online and offline”.

She continued: “Build a team that suits you to advise the early stages of your musical endeavours and start off small (you don’t have to have the whole range of promotional people to start with, for instance). Work out a realistic plan together to loosely stick to, to create opportunities to get your music noticed and take advantage of new opportunities that may arise”.

Finally, she emphasised the importance of timing. She said: “Don’t rush into doing things that might be too early in relation to where you’re at in your career and bear in mind that certain opportunities can be come back to further down the line. A considered approach is a good way to building your reputation and letting people know about your music. You can then adjust the pace of when you do things depending on how quickly people start taking notice and a natural momentum occurs”.

On the more creative side of things, Chris T-T said: “Make everything you do beautiful and something you’re 100% proud of. Get the art and craft right first, before you become a marketing guru. Never send out demos that are just roughs – 99% of people, industry or not, can’t hear ‘through’ the rough sound or rehearsal-room performance, even if they claim they can”.

He also emphasised the importance of trying to think differently and come up with ways of making yourself stand out from the rest of the pack: “Don’t be afraid to go outside the norms of the industry – even when you’re first gigging in your home town, build your own shows from scratch outside normal venues and away from regular promoters, so they’re memorable, crazy and different. If you get known for running insane parties, it’ll go a million times further than getting known for being a decent new band”.

Finally, he advised artists to get out of their hometown and tour as soon as possible, saying: “Play away as soon as you can and only ‘come home’ to your hometown friends/fanbase when you absolutely need to. Learn to tour. Learn to behave right on the road and play a great set to three people. Believe in a learning period, so don’t expect yourself to be sorted from the start – even if your music is amazing, you’ll need to learn the language and rhythm of the live world away from your mates”.

Stay tuned to theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape for more updates from this years Great Escape convention.

As part of the stand of sessions giving advice for artists considering going the DIY route on the first day of the CMU-programmed Great Escape convention, which kicked off in Brighton yesterday, the founders of four independent labels gave an insight into what goes into running an independent record label, and what they can offer over an artist self-releasing their recordings themselves.

The panel included Memphis Industries’ Ollie Jacob, Robert Luis from Tru Thoughts, Alex Fitzpatrick from Holy Roar, and Song, By Toad’s Matthew Young. Prior to going on stage, we asked three of the panelists whether they are any pros to artists going down the DIY route versus signing with a label.

“I think artists going the DIY route is a good way to understand how various aspects of the business of music works”, said Luis. “Though, in the long run, running a label is time consuming, so you’ll need someone fulltime working on it. As a label, we offer staff who specialise in different aspects of their jobs (publishing, licensing, PR, distribution, accounts and contracts to name a few) and a set up and contact list that is well established and experienced”.

He added: “My view is if you are a talented artist, keep an eye on the ‘business’ but let someone else concentrate on it and do the work so you can concentrate on the creative side of making great music”.

Fitzpatrick added: “I think a label such as ours offers (I hope) a stamp of validity to an artist’s work. I think labels can act as a filter, can elevate artists onto a pedestal somewhat and help them stand out above the clutter. Labels also offer advice on a variety of topics and help with tours, managers, booking agents, merchandise – everything really. I am very pro bands going down a DIY route, but it is a lot of work and harder than working with a label you trust and respect”.

As for advice for anyone considering setting up their own label, Jacob said: “Manage expectations, both yours and the artists. Make sure, however much you love them and their music, that you don’t let your spend on an artist get out of hand”.

Luis added: “Ask as many people as possible who actually run labels or have released music for advice (no matter what the genre of music). Do not worry about making mistakes, this is an important learning curve. And expect to work hard to get people to pay attention to your music”.

Stay tuned to theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape for more updates from this years Great Escape convention.

Live music major Live Nation has acquired a slice of Cream Holdings Limited, the company behind the Creamfields festivals and other Cream-branded clubbing and dance music ventures.

Live Nation has bought the stake in the clubbing firm previously owned by entertainment investment outfit Ingenious, which recently announced that its involvement in growing the profitable company had reached completion.

The deal is also Live Nation’s latest move into the dance and electronic music space, and as part of the transaction Cream chief James Barton will become President of Electronic Music for the company. The live firm seemingly has ambitions to grow the Cream brand, and especially the Creamfields festival operation, in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.

The festival has already enjoyed some success with spin-offs and franchises in various corners of the world other than the North West of England, but it will be interesting to see to what extent the Live Nation alliance will step that up.

Confirming his company had bought a stake in Cream, Live Nation boss Michael Rapino told reporters: “We are committed to being a leader in electronic music and as one of the most recognisable brands in the electronic community, Cream is at the forefront of the mainstream youth culture today”.

Barton, meanwhile, added: “I am delighted to be a part of the Live Nation team and know that the company is the perfect partner. Our strategies are aligned and through the combined efforts of the Cream and Live Nation teams, we will substantially grow our electronic music offerings across the globe”.

The CMU-programmed Great Escape convention kicked off in Brighton this morning, with two sessions on copyright issues getting the proceedings going. One will look at the government’s current consultation on fair use type issues, while a session presented by PRS For Music is tackling the ongoing debate over piracy, and efforts to crack down on the distribution of illegal content online.

Artists, labels and other rights owners have scored a number of wins in recent years in persuading judges and ministers to crack down on illegal file-sharing, but when it comes to public opinion those who support file-sharing, or at least fear the draconian enforcement of copyright, have generally had the upper hand. And public opinion is everything – the successful anti-SOPA protests in the US earlier this year, led by Wikipedia and other leading web firms, derailed anti-piracy legislation Stateside that had been years in the making.

But what can the music community do to better put its side of the argument to the world at large? CMU spoke to two of the experts taking part in this Great Escape debate just before taking to the stage, and between them the advice is this: give a better voice to artists and creators, try to be less combative, and rethink your corporate PR strategy.

Songwriter and Guardian journalist Helienne Lindvall told CMU: “We need to end the myth that the music industry equals a bunch of big corporations, and that copyright only exists to line their pockets. The way to do it is to help creators and small labels feel safe enough to speak out”.

She continued: “As there’s safety in numbers, let’s start off by using a tool that the anti-copyright lobby has used with great success: online petitions. We need to support creators and smaller labels who dare to speak out, as it’s vital people understand that the erosion of copyright has a much more detrimental effect on creators and small labels than the big corporations. And to get people to understand, we need to explain why in an easy to grasp way”.

Meanwhile PR expert Andy Saunders of Velocity Communications told us: “If the creative industries think that they can put the genie back in the bottle they are wrong. They need to accept that, stop being so combative and take a more consultative approach to these issues”.

He added: “By properly engaging with consumers, ISPs, content licensees and governments, and listening to their arguments and concerns – rather than simply taking a blunt instrument, zero tolerance approach to all issues of copyright infringement – they might find a way through the no-win situation they currently find themselves in. They also need to invest in some decent PR strategy, which takes a more sophisticated, nuanced approach to the issues. This shrill, hectoring approach to external communications will get them nowhere”.

PRS For Music is hosting a whole day of sessions at The Great Escape today, including Brian Molko In Conversation with 6music’s Matt Everitt, and the always essential Will Page keynote, which became even more essential last night with the announcement that Martin Mills, Chairman of the Beggars Group, was joining his panel. Check theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape for more information about the convention and wider TGE festival.

As well as PRS For Music’s sessions, the other big strand taking place at the CMU-programmed Great Escape today focuses on the DIY approach, ie artists going it alone, either in a bid to keep more creative and commercial control over their careers, or simply to make themselves more attractive to future label partners down the line.

The first practical session in this strand will provide insights galore for new acts, and before the experts providing the advice took to the stage, CMU got some top tips from each of them.

First up, DIY artist MJ Hibbett told us: “Don’t wait around for just the right gig or release, get on with it – after all the most important part of ‘Do It Yourself’ is ‘Do It’! Get a diary and use it to plan out what you’re going to do – not just gigs, but notes to yourself to ring people, set up recordings, re-hassle people for gigs – everything”.

He added: “Don’t pay somebody else to do something if you can earn to do it yourself. Learning how to set artwork up into the correct format, for instance, is a colossal pain the first time you have to do it, but once you’ve learnt how it works you can do it forever and save yourself time and money”.

Thinking about the copyrights songwriters create, Simon Pursehouse from Sentric Music says: “As an emerging artist you’ll probably make more money from your music publishing rights than anywhere else – so ensure you’re registered with a performing rights organisation and that you’re claiming what is rightfully yours”.

As for the sync potential of those rights, Pursehouse adds: “Landing syncs isn’t easy and competition is fierce, but get a good representative in this space, and then make sure they have everything they need – WAVs, key information and correct metadata”.

In terms of selling recordings, Mark McQuillan of Brighton-based distributors Republic Of Music advises: “Believe in your product and work as hard as possible to engage your core fanbase to purchase – signed CDs, bonus discs and added value items will help. Don’t just sit back and wait for orders to come in, as it ain’t gonna happen, so be prepared to work for every sale”.

He continued: “Have strong distribution, if possible, as they can open doors into all the key first stage stores (and the best indies, iTunes and the online retailers) and listen to any advice your distributer offers regarding release strategy, release dates, formats and added value. And try not to overspend on promo costs or over budget on initial sales potential – it will leave you no options for phase two and beyond. It takes time to build a release, but small well planned steps can get you there”.

And finally, from a legal angle, Josh Little of ACUMEN told us: “Check the availability of your band name early and register a trademark. Your band is your brand so you need to protect it early on. And as much as possible, don’t enter into agreements on a handshake. They will only cause you pain later on. Oh, and copyright is free and automatic. You don’t need to register it – just able to prove when you created your work”.

So, that’s a lot of tips to be getting on with. Look out for a plethora of useful advice coming out of the Old Courtroom at The Great Escape today. We’ll document a helping of it here at theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape

While plenty of music industry players have hit out at Universal’s plans to buy the EMI record companies – Beggars chief Martin Mills and legendary producer George Martin perhaps most notably – some others have expressed indifference to the acquisition, while others still have given their backing to the proposal that the EMI labels be absorbed by the world’s biggest music firm.

Joining that latter camp this weekend just gone was Jim Beach, manager of Queen, a band signed for most of their career to an EMI label, before moving over to Universal once the private equity twonks at Terra Firma were in charge at the British major. Remembering his experiences of EMI of old, and then under Terra Firma’s leadership, he wrote in a letter to the Times on Saturday: “Today’s music business is very different to that of 40 years ago, when the band I represent, Queen, began its career with EMI Records. Then the company was a hugely influential creative force in the UK and overseas. It gave us extraordinary music across virtually every genre, and its artists shaped the tastes of more than one generation”.

“But”, he continued, “the latter-day EMI Records under private equity proved to be a very different place. Investment was slashed to the detriment of the artists, Queen among them, and we were not alone in jumping ship. I look forward to when EMI Records will again be owned by a music company as there are still great artists and executives there who need more creative people at the top”.

Over in the US, a recent feature in The Tennesean on the EMI acquisition, while noting Warner Music’s opposition to the deal, also quoted three players from the local indie music community who expressed indifference or even a positive attitude to the merger. Tom Baldrica of Average Joes Entertainment told the paper: “Whether you’ve got four majors in town or three – it’s still the same battle for us, but there’s one less Goliath”.

Meanwhile David Robkin of Bigger Picture Group said: “The merger might even help independent labels, which attract artists precisely because they aren’t big, mainstream companies. We’re competing not necessarily based on dollars, but based on time available and creativity and flexibility, and I think that’s something that as companies consolidate and get bigger – it actually creates opportunity for us”.

And Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Records remarked: “Consolidation doesn’t matter as much in a digital world. When the major labels controlled the distribution channels, it was a different deal, but now the barrier to entry is literally turning on your computer. If I continue to make great records by great artists, nobody can stop us”.

In the interests of balance, let’s remember George Martin – a former EMI employee – recently said: “I am saddened that great companies have been swallowed up by the giants, and the domination of the recording and music publishing industry by Sony and Universal can only lead to a virtual monopoly in the European market”.

Meanwhile Beggars chief Mills said: “We fear Universal’s acquisition of EMI. The mere fact that it controls 50% of the artists that media and retail want already gives them leverage other companies don’t have. [Adding EMI's artists] obviously gives Universal more access, but it also gives other people less. When one party has the ability to be so dominant, it’s going to be difficult for anything outside the mainstream to come through”.

Competition regulators in both the US and European Union continue to investigate Universal’s proposed EMI acquisition.

So, The Great Escape showcase festival and music business convention kicks off in Brighton bright and early tomorrow morning, and we’ve just put the full printed-programme for the CMU-curated convention strand online for you to view in a digital fashion. Meanwhile, here’s some updates on things to look out for that we’ve not previously featured in the CMU Daily.

Tomorrow morning copyright issues will be under the spotlight with two great sessions. The first, presented by PRS For Music, will look at piracy, and the battle to win over judges, politicians and, most importantly, the public in the debate on protecting music rights online. Arguably the music industry has done much better at presenting its case to the former two than the public at large, and public opinion is crucial if copyright rules are to work. The Register’s Andrew Orlowski, Velocity Communications’ Andy Saunders and Peter Bradwell from the Open Rights Group will join The Guardian’s Helienne Lindvall to debate those issues.

Next up, around the corner at Komedia, ACUMEDIA at The Great Escape will focus on the copyright consultation currently being undertaken by the government, following last year’s Hargreaves Review. Should UK consumers have a private copy right, and if so should they pay a levy on digital devices for the privilege? Should artists have the right to veto their music appearing on YouTube videos, even if they are being paid for it, and even if the video is a parody? And what about the grand plan for a Digital Rights Exchange? UK Music’s Adam Webb, Cooking Vinyl chief Martin Goldschmidt, comedian Jill Edwards and Darryl Sherbourne from Future Copyright will debate the issues.

Tomorrow afternoon, at the conclusion of a day of sessions focused on the DIY approach, the first ever Great Escape Digital Pitch Party will take place. Representatives from thirteen companies which provide digital tools for artists and rights owners will take to the stage and outline what their services offer in just 90 seconds, then taking question from the floor. Each pitcher will also bring a drink to the party, explaining their choice of beverage as part of their pitch. Once the pitching is done, networking will begin while the drink is drunk. Pitching up will be: Sentric Music, Webdoc, Zimbalam, Music Glue, 7digital, Dizzyjam, Mobile Roadie, Shazam, Bandwagon, Pepper, Rara.com, INgrooves and Mixcloud.

Looking ahead to Saturday, and there’s a great selection of more laid back panels for the weekend, including the Digital Wedding and a session where brand experts will tell it like it is. Plus you’ll get Producers (Lol Crème, Trevor Horn and Ash Soan) and ‘How Soon Is Now?’ author Richard King in conversation, John Robb’s Pop Question Time and the return of Heroes & Villains. Also taking place on Saturday, will be the recording of an edition of Vice’s ‘Noisey Talks’, in which music types debate various issues in front of a live TGE audience, and Noisey’s cameras for later webcasting (food and drink will also be dished out).

Spector’s Fred Macpherson will lead the talking, and he’ll be joined by Klaxons’ Jamie Reynolds, Radio 1′s Jen Long and Peter Jarrett from Record Of The Day. Macpherson told CMU: “Before ‘Noisey Talks’ I didn’t think there was a platform to discuss the minutiae of the music industry with like-minded indie geeks, and at the same time talk about other things I’m fond of, like Princess Diana, One Direction, Colin Firth and Stephen Hawking”.

So, get all those in your diary (or download the official Great Escape app from the Apple or Android app stores and make your own itinerary). But don’t forget the music while you’re at it! Over 300 bands will play Brighton over the next three days. We’ve already tipped some artists playing via three CMU Playlists which you can check out in numerical order here, here and here.

Plus, have some more playlisting action why don’t you? This year’s lead international parter at The Great Escape is Catalan Sounds, showcasing music from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. And the Catalan Sounds team have put together a Spotify playlist of the bands from their region playing at this handy link.

Meanwhile, how about a playlist of tracks from some of the many Canadian bands playing this year? Canadian Blast will host its own venue as part of the proceedings this time. To get you in the mood, you can check out a playlist featuring some of the Canadian acts appearing at TGE here.

And finally, a CMU approved act playing TGE this year, Bleeding Heart Narrative, have announced a competition to mark their performance at Above Audio on Friday at 8.45pm. Via the Great Escape and the band’s own Facebook pages, fans will be asked to list one animal and two objects. The band’s five favourite suggestions will win a copy of the latest BHN EP ‘Bison’. But that’s not it! “In recognition of the fact that ‘Bison’ is almost exactly how you say ‘Brighton’ with a mouth full of drawing pencils” (the band say) the top three will also have there suggestions of animals and things turned into a personalised drawing by BHN frontman Oli Barrett.

Phew. Hey, see you in Brighton. Wear a hat.

Tributes galore were made over the weekend to Beastie Boy Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, who lost his battle with cancer on Friday. The rapper was first diagnosed with the disease just under three years ago, and his treatment had since curtailed the hip hop group’s activities somewhat, though he remained positive he could fight the illness throughout, and the outfit was still able to release 2011 record ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part 2′.

When the rap group were inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame last month it was initially hoped that the three rappers would be able to perform together at the induction show, but at the last minute Yauch had to withdraw from the awards bash because of ill health, and his fellow Beastie Boys decided to simply accept the honour with a short speech rather than perform without their bandmate.

A statement on the group’s official website posted on Friday said: “It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old”.

Meanwhile, writing on the Beastie Boys Facebook page, Yauch’s bandmate Mike Diamond wrote: “I know, we should have tweeted and instagrammed every sad, happy and inspired thought, smile or tear by now. But honestly the last few days have just been a blur of deep emotions for our closest friend, bandmate and, really, brother. I miss Adam so much. He really served as a great example for myself and so many of what determination, faith, focus, and humility coupled with a sense of humour can accomplish. The world is in need of many more like him. We love you Adam”.

Third Beastie Boy Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz, paid his tributes via the group’s blog, writing: “As you can imagine, shit is just fucked up right now, but I wanna say thank you to all our friends and family (which are kinda one [and] the same) for all the love and support. I’m glad to know that all the love that Yauch has put out into the world is coming right back at him. Thank you”.

A plethora of celebrities and music types also paid tribute over the weekend, among them Madonna, who the then fledgling Beastie Boys supported on tour in 1985. She wrote this weekend: “The Beastie Boys were one of a kind! And so was Adam! They were all an important part of my musical history and integral to the musical revolution that was happening at the time. I’m very sad to hear about Adam’s passing. God bless him and his family”.

Coldplay, playing the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night, performed a musical tribute in the form of a chilled out sung version of one of the Beastie Boys’ most famous hits, ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’, with Chris Martin ending the performance with the lyric: “We’re sending all our love to the Beastie Boys”.

Meanwhile Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, one of the first to report on Yauch’s death via his GlobalGrind.com blog, wrote: “One of our heroes, Adam Yauch aka MCA of the Beastie Boys, has passed this morning after a long bout with cancer. Adam was incredibly sweet and the most sensitive artist, who I loved dearly. I was always inspired by his work. He will be missed by all of us”.

And finally a spokesman for the Dalai Lama also paid tribute to MCA, who had long practised Tibetan Buddhism and worked in support of the campaign for Tibetan independence. The Dalai Lama’s spokesman told reporters: “Adam had helped us raise awareness of the plight of the Tibetan people by organising various freedom Tibet concerts and he will be remembered by his holiness and the Tibetan people”.

The exact cause of Yauch’s death isn’t yet clear, though it is thought to be linked to the cancer that was first diagnosed in July 2009.

The CMU Training team today announce a brand new course due to launch later this month, which has been developed based on input provided in a recent readers’ survey.

The new one-day course will focus on social media, and how it can be used to engage and grow a fanbase for both established and new artists. It will look at the key social media platforms available and other useful digital tools, the importance of interaction and content, how to manage an artist’s social media presence on a day-to-day basis, advertising on social media platforms, how to measure social activity, and how social media fits in to a wider marketing and communication strategy.

Confirming the new course, CMU Publisher and Business Editor Chris Cooke says this: “Our Promoting Music course includes a beginners guide to social media, but it’s become clear from both people attending that seminar, and our recent CMU Training survey, that with social media now becoming a crucial part of the marketing mix for all artists, from the biggest to the newest, that many labels, publicists and managers are looking for something more in-depth. This new course will tell you what technologies are worth the time investment, how to get the most out of them, and how social media should be integrated with your other marketing and fan communication work”.

The first edition of Social Media & Fan Engagement will take place on 23 May in Shoreditch, East London, and places can be booked now via theCMUwebsite.com/training. Places are also now available on the next editions of CMU’s acclaimed courses on music rights, promoting music, and music business models and artist deals.