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	In the News: Owen Sloane Owen Sloane, a prominent entertainment lawyer who specializes in music and the digital transmission of entertainment content, is featured in four recent articles involving business entertainment news. Detroit News, June 9, 2006 -- Owen was quoted in an article on the high price of concert ticket prices and alleged monopoly pricing by the ownership of the U.S. radio and concert promotion industry. "I think most people in the business feel that the prices are too high, and you're basically cutting out a lot of people, " he said. Owen noted that Live Nation, which produced nearly 30,000 shows in 2005, controls major venues and has the financial clout to pay top dollar to buy entire tours. Even the perception of a powerful monopoly can have an impact, he said. A class action lawsuit filed in Detroit federal court on May 26 alleges in part that Clear Channel has used its ability to control radio airplay and advertising to severely curtail competition in concert promotion. Reuters, June 1, 2006 -- Owen was quoted in Reuters on the management shakeup at Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Sony BMG, the world's No. 2 recording company and a joint venture between Germany's Bertelsmann AG and Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp, has been shaken in the past year by an executive power struggle. "Clive was Ienner's mentor and then when Ienner left, they became competitors. The rivalry goes back a long time," Owen said. "It's been a power struggle in the U.S. between the two companies. I think the powers that be wanted to consolidate the company and had two massive legends competing, with Clive Davis on one hand and Don Ienner on the other." Owen currently represents Chris Daughtry, an American Idol finalist who recently signed with a Bertelsmann label. San Francisco Chronicle, May 9, 2006 -- Owen spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle about the recent United Kingdom trademark ruling involving the Beatles and Apple Computer. He noted that the Beatles were likely holding out making their songs available digitally on the iTunes Music Store in order to strike a deal with Apple so it would charge more than 99 cents to download Beatles songs. "A lot of people in the music business think that the 99-cent (price) is devalued," he said. San Diego Union, April 9, 2006 -- Owen was one of several music experts quoted in an article on the changing business model, technology and the demise of the album. "The economics of the business are such that the major record labels are not developing artists who would make albums where every song was great and you would want to play and replay it. The major labels are just going for the hit records, not albums, and taking the easy way out. Acts like U2 and the Rolling Stones were developed over a long time and their first albums weren't necessarily successful. Today, there is no long-term objective. Major labels just want to have quarterly sales success and artist development is getting short shrift," he said. "The labels have a vested interest in the old system, because they own pressing plants and their whole economic model was based on selling CDs at high prices. So the majors will have to devise an economic business model where they can make money selling downloaded singles." Back
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