Sony EMI-Toshiba Avex Victor raided by anti-monopoly agency

[Taro Toporific]

Japanese firms raided over ringtone feud
Sony, Universal among music companies targeted
The Associated Press 3:10 p.m. ET Aug. 26, 2004
TOKYO - Japan's anti-monopoly agency raided several top record companies Thursday on suspicion they illegally blocked other firms from offering music ringtone services to mobile phone users.
Fair Trade Commission official Toshihiko Oizumi said investigators suspect more than 10 companies violated Japan's fair trade laws by preventing the Japanese mobile phone operators from offering the service. Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music, EMI-Toshiba Ltd., Avex Inc., Victor Entertainment Inc. and Label Mobile Inc. were among those raided...

[kotatsuneko]

finally crappy are:

[Caustic Saint]

FG wins again! This story made it to Slashdot 2 1/2 days after appearing on FG.

[Mulboyne]

Cellular News: Japan Watchdog Warns Companies For Unfair Moves In Ringtone Market
Japan's antimonopoly regulator on Thursday ordered five major Japanese record label and software companies to stop an illegal attempt to dominate the domestic market in mobile phone ringtones. The Fair Trade Commission warned Sony Music, Avex, Toshiba EMI, Victor Entertainment and Universal about unfairly blocking new entrants by exclusively selling the rights to songs to their joint venture, Label Mobile Inc., according to a statement on the commission's Web site. Sony spokesman Yasushi Ide said commission's decision was "not based on fact" but that the company was still considering its response. Victor Entertainment and Toshiba EMI also said they were mulling a response. Avex and Universal couldn't be reached for comment.

Music on mobile phones is popular in Japan, where the ringtone market was estimated to be worth US$100 million in 2004. The service, provided by companies that pay royalties to record labels and artists, is expected to comprise a bigger chunk of record company revenues in coming years, though analysts worry that disputes over music royalties could hamper growth.

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: 4 labels enter legal battle with FTC over ring tones

Four major music labels have jointly filed a lawsuit against the Fair Trade Commission at the Tokyo High Court demanding the FTC withdraw its judgment that they obstructed other firms in their business operations involving cell phone ring tones. Sony Music Entertainment Inc., Victor Entertainment Inc., Universal Music K.K. and Avex Marketing Inc. filed the lawsuit rejecting the FTC's allegation that the four companies jointly obstructed other firms from distributing ring tone data. The FTC's decision said that the four companies, which distribute chakuuta data via a jointly established distribution service firm, refused to offer permission to other companies that wanted to distribute data from original music whose copyright belonged to the four companies via a different distribution firm.