Contracts

Music videos from Green Day, Jay-Z and Linkin Park will begin reappearing on YouTube as soon as December, the result of a multiyear agreement reached with Warner Music Group Corp. The Internet's dominant video site and one of the world's largest music companies had been locked in a dispute over the value of music videos, some of the most popular content on YouTube, whose young viewers are coveted by advertisers. Licensing talks reached an impasse late last year, resulting in Warner's videos being pulled from the site.

The Beverly Hills financial advisory firm at the center of the investigation that derailed New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's hopes of becoming commerce secretary has had a series of run-ins with federal and state agencies -- and a growing list of former clients is now suing it for allegedly bilking local governments. CDR Financial Products Inc.

Is the table being set again? A week after the Lakers pulled a pair of contract offers to Lamar Odom off the table, the sides resumed talks Wednesday. The discussions were labeled productive, but there was nothing to report "at the moment," according to a source familiar with negotiations who was not authorized to comment publicly.

Hollywood's largest actors union strongly endorsed a new film and TV contract, closing the chapter on a yearlong dispute with the major studios. The vote, which was expected to be close, drew a stronger show of support than anticipated from the membership of the Screen Actors Guild, with 78% voting for the deal and 22% opposing it. Turnout was unusually high by SAG standards, with 35% of 110,000 union members casting ballots.

The state's ethics enforcement agency has found no wrongdoing in its review of a complaint made four years ago against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in connection with a consulting contract he reached with a muscle magazine publisher days before he took office in 2003. The Fair Political Practices Commission, in a letter earlier this month, told a lawyer for the Republican governor that the complaint filed by the California Democratic Party is now closed. The contract with American Media Inc. was estimated to be worth up to $8 million over five years.

Where next, Landon Donovan? The Galaxy's goal scorer extraordinaire -- 66 goals in 118 games since he arrived in Los Angeles in 2005 -- might be moving on. That's might with a capital M. In the last week or so, Internet chat rooms, message boards and blogs have buzzed with rumors about a possible Donovan move to Paris Saint-Germain of France's Ligue 1. On Thursday, after Galaxy training at the Home Depot Center, Donovan, 27, was...

When the Boston Red Sox offered Curt Schilling $8 million to pitch for them next season it might be assumed they did so with the expectation that he would stay in good enough shape to, you know, actually pitch. Apparently not. Because the Red Sox also included a "conditioning bonus" that could earn the right-hander an additional $2 million if he stays trim enough all summer. But even that didn't seal the deal.

For 10 years, Judge Alex E. Ferrer decided criminal cases in the Florida courts. Now, as "Judge Alex," he arbitrates petty disputes on his syndicated television show -- and his decisions are final. Sometimes, though, people who agree to arbitrate disputes do not like the result. Ferrer is one of them.

Conceding that the current television season cannot be salvaged, four major studios canceled dozens of writer contracts Monday. The move signals that development of next season's crop of new shows also could be in jeopardy because of the 2-month-old writers strike. Typically, January marks the start of pilot season when networks order new comedies and dramas. But with writers not working, networks do not have a pool of scripts from which to choose.

Television's "Judge Alex" and his former manager may be headed to arbitration after all. The Supreme Court gave a rough hearing Monday to a lawyer for Alex E. Ferrer, a former judge in Florida who rules on petty disputes in a syndicated television show, "Judge Alex," where his decisions are final. In 2002, Ferrer signed a contract with Arnold M. Preston, a Los Angeles lawyer who said he could help the judge find work in television. The contract said disputes would be handled through arbitration.