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Microsoft Also Wants Universal Music?
rampant mac writes "An article over at the New York Post is reporting Microsoft has expressed interest in buying Vivendi's Universal Music Group, setting up a possible bidding war between the software maker and rival Apple Computer, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Microsoft's interest is said to be at the level of "poking around, kicking the tires," but it has indeed had conversations with Vivendi executives about buying the music division, sources said."
Here is a story from a few days ago about Apple and Universal.
It seems like everyone wants to buy Universal.
This could really give MS quite a bit of leverage if it ever needed it - "Upgrade now, get 50 free songs for Windows Media Player" or some such thing. I could possibly even be tied in to some future service like X-Box live.
It's obvious and clever at the same time.
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It's called driving up the price for your competitor.
is there anything microsoft isn't in? they are beginning to reach pokemon status in saturation, all they need to do now is have pasta noodles shaped like the m$ symbol.
"For some in the beleaguered music industry - which has seen compact disc sales plummet in recent years due to rampant piracy"
Couldn't also be the fact that CDs are still damn
expensive and the recent mainstream music scene has
sucked, could it? Nah, let's blame the pirates!
Still in all, how interested would MS have been if
L'il Stevie hadn't made public his intent to hook up
with a Universal?
Mod me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine...
If they actually buy the company, I'm interested in seeing what stance they will take in the fight against p2p networks and media company's current fight against free sharing of media, knowing M$ can be very rough in the courts.
Obviously, MS isn't really interrested in buying Universal, but its good buisness to make sure that your competitors have a hard time pulling their deals.
MS makes a bid, forces apple to hike up their bid. In the end, MS doesn't buy anything and apple had to spend way more to get what they wanted, wich hurts them and therefore indirectly helps MS.
Is tricky, its devious, its evil...its Microsoft at its best.
You can't take the sky from me...
Look at UM's webpage, there's a (huge) list : Universal Music Group Artists.
If you recall correctly, then Vivendi itself asked Jobs to take up a minority share in Universal. Why? Because Steve's music subscription plan hit a sweet note with Vivendi executives. Steve might be in talks to buy Universal and that is a good thing.
About Microsoft, they have about 45 billion in liquid assets and they can afford to run the competitors out of business. Note that Vivendi has put up Universal on the block. For Microsoft to buy it, it will have to calm the anti-trust flames that will be stoked on both sides of the Atlantic. Also remember that the anti-monopoly enforcers in the EU have not yet announced the punishment for MS. It will be coming in the next few months and MS's lawyers will be advising that bidding for Universal now won't make things easier for them.
But, if MS is really determined to get Universal then it might take a year to complete the deal.
One thing, I will keep my fingers crossed that this does'nt go through.
With the current economy, I'd rather see MS buy Vivendi.
Then they lose 6-7 billion down a hole of crappy music and Apple keeps it's money in the bank.
...start rumors of their interest in buying out insanely large and bloated corporations, then sit back and laugh while the mindless paranoids at Microsoft fall over themselves to beat Apple to the punch, depleting their coffers.
With a power house like Universal, Window's media and it's copy protection is dead.
Go Apple! Free music for everyone!