IN PRACTICE Bill Ackman's Pershing Square made a $64 billion takeover bid for UMG at €30.40 per share - a 78% premium. Bolloré's specific objection: the bid was mostly debt. Ackman was offering to buy UMG largely using UMG's own future earnings to finance
IN PRACTICE Knockdown launches today. This newsletter covers legal strategy and negotiation for the international creative industry. No academic theory. No generic legal updates. Each issue is built around a real case, a real problem, or a real clause that matters to people who make things for a living. If
"Never let the other side define the problem. Whoever frames the issue controls the outcome." - William Ury, Getting Past No. Deals can collapse for numerous reasons, but what is often forgotten is that a deal is closer to the edge of the cliff if a party 1) doesn’
An accident waiting to happen we’d call this one. Sting is being sued after 42 years for alleged unpaid royalties to bandmates Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums), on several songs including the iconic hit ‘Every Breath You Take’ (EBYT). It is a public secret the wretched threesome
The judgment in Case C-590/23 (Pelham II), delivered by the Grand Chamber on April 14, 2026, provides the definitive interpretation of the pastiche exception under Article 5(3)(k) of Directive 2001/29/EC. Nearly three decades of litigation on a two-second rhythmic loop have finally reached
How bifurcation in the music industry paves the way for independents The music industry is a whirlwind moving at breakneck speed, with fundamental technological developments, each in rapid succession, reinforcing major changes in its ecosystem. For example, the steady continuation in catalogue sales is driving the interests of creators and