Emi Music Worldwide

Douglas Merrill remembers driving past the Capitol Records Tower at Hollywood and Vine and wishing he could stop in and look around. Now he's getting an office there, in the West Coast headquarters of EMI Music. On April 28, Merrill will start his new job as president of digital business at the label that's home to artists such as Coldplay and Norah Jones. His hire, announced last week, surprised many in the technology and music industries.

Bertelsmann said Monday that it had settled the last lawsuit filed by a record company over the German media conglomerate's role in funding the original Napster electronic file-swapping service that was once the scourge of the music industry. The deal all but ends years of effort to settle scores over the program that brought file-swapping to the masses, letting more than 40 million users download music without paying for it.

EMI Music has reached an agreement with Google Inc.'s YouTube that lets the website carry music videos and other content from EMI artists and clears the way for users to post videos with select EMI content, the companies said. San Bruno, Calif.-based YouTube now has permission to host videos from all four of the major recording companies.

Warner Music Group Corp. confirmed that it had decided not to make an offer for EMI. The two music companies have held talks off and on for years.

The company behind the defunct Qtrax online file-swapping network has signed a licensing deal with Britain-based EMI Music and aims to relaunch this year as an ad-supported recording-industry-friendly music service. Qtrax was among several peer-to-peer file-sharing applications that emerged after the shutdown of Napster, the pioneering service that enabled millions to illegally copy songs stored in other music fans' computers. Creator LTDnetwork Inc.

EMI Music North America on Thursday became the fourth major record company to settle with New York Atty. Gen. Eliot Spitzer over "pay for play" allegations. EMI, a division of London-based EMI Group, agreed to discontinue certain promotion practices and to pay a $3.75-million fine -- the smallest of all the companies to settle. The company acknowledged that some employees pursued inappropriate practices but did not admit or deny Spitzer's allegations.

Camilo Lara leads a double life in the Mexican music industry. By day he's the successful top executive of one of his country's leading record labels, EMI Mexico, known for discovering and developing acts that get both big sales (the teeny-bopper group RBD) and critical raves (alt-rockers Plastilina Mosh).

A financial advisor for Warner Music Group contacted major shareholders of EMI Group this week offering to increase its bid for the London-based company, but the two music rivals are no closer to striking a deal, according to sources familiar with the discussions who asked not to be named because negotiations are ongoing. At least one Warner Music advisor contacted EMI shareholders on Wednesday to inquire whether a deal could be struck at a purchase price of 340 pence, or $6.

A top-ranked executive who was charged with mapping EMI Group's global strategy has left the recording giant, marking its second high-level departure in two months. The departure of Adam Klein, executive vice president of strategy and business development for EMI's music division, comes as the company and rival Warner Music Group are exchanging offers to acquire each other. Two people at EMI said Klein had been pushed out by senior management.

One of the world's leading music publishers struck a deal Tuesday with the estate of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and will work to bring the civil rights leader's words to a wider audience by encouraging their use in songs. EMI Music Publishing will also use its copyright expertise to police the use of King's name, image, likeness and recorded voice in recordings and music and in online and digital media. EMI represents songwriters and licensing for media as diverse as CDs and commercials, but this is the first time it has taken on the licensing of a non-music-based intellectual property catalog.