The Newspaper Shop -- Tuesday edition

[JackSpratts]

Ranked as the world's fourth- and fifth-biggest music companies, Warner Music and BMG are under pressure to make a deal in an industry ravaged by piracy and grappling with what some consider an outdated business model.

A deal would cut out rival EMI Group, which has held talks with both companies in recent months. However, some sources said EMI could still try to revive talks.

It's unclear whether regulators, who have ruined similar music deals in the past, would approve a merger of any of the labels.

depending on who controls the merged ccompany, this could very well spell the end of america's ownership of any record company conglomerate.

universal/mca/geffen - french

columbia/epic/cbs - japanese

rca - german

capital - english

warner bros/electra/atlantic - german?

we know the riaa doesn't represent american file sharers, there's plenty of evidence it doesn't represent american musicians and after the proposed merger it won't represent american record companies either.

it keeps harder and harder to justify a us congress writing laws beneficial to foriegners that send american citizens to jail.

- js.