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Vivendi Bids Au Revoir To Entertainment
News Faltering French media giant Vivendi Universal plans to unload most of its US entertainment business but will not immediately sell its Universal Music Group division, chief executive Jean-Rene Fourtou said.
[May 1, 2003, 11:44]
Vivendi Presses Play On Music Site
News Its technology will be powered by MP3.com, the online music service that Vivendi Universal acquired earlier this year for $350m. Pressplay is a partnership between entertainment giants Vivendi Universal and Sony, both of which own record companies.
[December 19, 2001, 16:39]
Vivendi Gets Rid Of Its IT Press Business
News The publishing branch of Vivendi Universal has announced that it is putting an end to its professional press business, including Groupe Tests (number one in French IT publishing). This purchase will mostly be made possible thanks to the selling of...
[June 4, 2001, 10:31]
Vivendi Exec Shuffle Raises Net Questions
News Reports on Monday that Jean-Marie Messier is stepping down from his post as Vivendi Universal's chief executive cast a shadow over the future of the French media conglomerate's Internet unit. Messier, who has been embroiled in a boardroom backlash...
[July 2, 2002, 8:25]
Scoot.com Sees Bright Future With Vivendi
News Information provider Scoot.com (quote: SCO) says it will be able to substantially boost subscriber figures after France's Vivendi promised to increase its investment. Vivendi said it will increase its investment in Scoot to £110m over three years...
[January 18, 2000, 12:39]
Handsets Hold Key To Vivendi Vote 'piracy'
News An alleged episode of vote 'piracy' at the Vivendi Universal general meeting is to be investigated by the Tribunal de Commerce de Paris, the body that presides over corporate legal disputes in France.
[May 8, 2002, 15:56]
A Year Ago: Scoot.com Sees Bright Future With Vivendi
News Information provider Scoot.com (quote: SCO) says it will be able to substantially boost subscriber figures after France's Vivendi promised to increase its investment. Vivendi said it will increase its investment in Scoot to £110m over three years...
[January 18, 2001, 6:02]
Listen.com Strikes Deal With Vivendi
News Listen.com has signed a licensing agreement on Monday to offer songs from Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group through its Rhapsody online music service. With the Listen deal, Rhapsody becomes the first online music company to offer song...
[July 2, 2002, 7:57]
New Vivendi Buyout Rumours Boost Scoot
News Shares in Scoot (quote: SCO), the UK-based directory service, soared for a second day Wednesday morning as rumours of a takeover by France's Vivendi Universal resurfaced. Shares were rising on the back of newspaper reports citing market rumours...
[January 10, 2001, 10:29]
MP3 For Sale Online In Industry First
News In what may be a first for the recording industry, Maverick Records and Vivendi Universal's online division are asking listeners to pay just under a dollar for an unprotected MP3 version of a new single.
[May 24, 2002, 11:10]
Scoot.com Denies Takeover Rumours
News UK online directory service Scoot.com has denied it is in takeover talks with France's Vivendi, throwing cold water on a rumour that has contributed to a surge in dot-com shares this week. After first refusing to comment on the takeover report...
[September 6, 2000, 7:50]
Apple Denies Universal Music Bid
News Countering speculation that it is close to buying Vivendi Universal's record label, Apple Computer said Wednesday that it has never offered to make such an investment or purchase. In a statement, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said there was no...
[April 17, 2003, 8:37]
Apple May Buy Universal Music
News Shares of Apple Computer fell on Friday after a report that the company was in talks to buy the music company of Vivendi Universal for as much as $6bn, or about £3.7bn. The Los Angeles Times reported that Apple has been in talks for months with...
[April 14, 2003, 8:02]
Pressplay Slips Onto MP3.com
News Pressplay, a joint venture between Sony and Vivendi Universal, said MP3.com joins MSN, Roxio and Yahoo! Vivendi, which said in August that it had acquired MP3.com and would use the online music company's technology to digitally distribute various...
[January 23, 2002, 12:02]
CA Confirms Kumar's Replacement
News Before working at Vivendi Universal Games, he served as chief executive of Flipside, which was purchased by Vivendi Universal. Cron, who was previously chief executive of Vivendi Universal Games, will take on chief executive responsibilities...
[April 27, 2004, 9:15]
MovieLink Expected To Use MPEG-4
News Peter Marx, vice president of emerging technologies with Vivendi Universal, told an audience at the National Association of Broadcasters that MovieLink will use MPEG-4, but later clarified that the service has not yet committed to just one format.
[April 9, 2002, 11:15]
MP3.com Wavers On Brink
News The company was bought by media giant Vivendi Universal for $372m (£228m) in May 2001 but has been on rocky ground ever since, with users failing to warm to the idea of paid-for music services while free alternatives such as Kazaa are still...
[July 11, 2003, 13:43]
Rupert Goodwins' Diary
Blog If they do, they'll be one of the few remaining independent MP3 distribution organisations now that mp3.com has been bought by Vivendi. Mp3.com was sued by everyone last year for various copyright capers, but settled with everyone -- apart from...
[May 25, 2001, 17:50]
Apple Tunes Up For Music Service
News There has been much talk of Apple and music of late, including speculation that the company has been in talks with Vivendi Universal to buy Vivendi's music business. Apple has scheduled a media event for 28 April, at which the company may debut a...
[April 22, 2003, 10:29]
Rupert Goodwins' Diary
Blog An odd story escapes from the newly-bought MP3.COM, which shortly before announcing its sale to Vivendi went through a process of telling some of its top-selling acts that they were no longer welcome.
[June 22, 2001, 17:32]
