BUSINESS BRIEFS
Sony will sell music without copy restrictions
Advertiser Staff and News Services
CHICAGO — Sony BMG Music Entertainment said yesterday its music will be available in MP3 downloads from Amazon .com later this month without digital rights management restrictions.
Sony BMG becomes the last of the four major music labels to offer DRM-free music at Amazon, joining Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and EMI.
Sony BMG is a 50/50 joint venture between Sony and privately held Bertelsmann AG.
"We are constantly exploring new ways of making our music available to consumers in the physical space, over the Internet and through mobile phones, and this initiative is the newest element of our ongoing campaign to bring our music to fans wherever they happen to be," said Thomas Hesse, president of global digital business and U.S. sales for Sony BMG, in a statement.
CONSUMER INDEX TAKES A TUMBLE
WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence fell as worries about jobs, energy bills and home foreclosures darkened people's feelings about the country's economic health and their own financial well-being.
According to the RBC Cash Index, confidence tumbled to 56.3 in early January. That compares with a reading of 65.9 in December — and a benchmark of 100 — and was the worst since the index began in 2002.
"People are anxious because everything sounds pretty awful these days," said Bill Cheney, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services Group.
Over the past year, consumer confidence has eroded as housing and credit woes took their toll. Last January, confidence stood at a solid 95.3. The index is based on the results of the international polling firm Ipsos.
The White House is exploring a rescue plan, possibly including a tax cut. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, criticized for not doing enough, pledged on Thursday to keep lowering interest rates.
APPLE READY TO UNVEIL LATEST IDEAS
SAN JOSE, Calif. — As one of Silicon Valley's most innovative companies, Apple has created a virtual industry around making consumers guess what its next move will be.
Fans of Apple products follow, praise and criticize the company the way they would a local sports team. Part of the buildup is Apple's knack for keeping secret its direction.
The suspense ends Tuesday morning when Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs takes to the stage at the 24th Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco to unveil his company's latest gadgets and gee-whiz announcements.
"The real holiday season starts," joked Michael Gartenberg, a vice president and research director for Jupiter Research.
About 50,000 people are expected to fill up Moscone Center — 10,000 more than last year. It's the greatest PR show on earth as 800 members of the media will be on hand to witness the next big small thing from Apple.
DIRECTORS, STUDIOS TO DISCUSS DEAL
LOS ANGELES — The union representing Hollywood directors said it would begin contract talks today with studios in a move that could affect the ongoing strike by writers.
The announcement was made in a brief joint statement by the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. No further details were released. Both sides said they would have no further comment.
A quick deal by directors could undercut the bargaining power of writers by serving as an industry template for the central issue of new media compensation.
The directors guild said late last year that it would delay the start of talks to give writers a chance to come to an agreement with studios.
But directors, known for conducting early and efficient talks, clearly lost patience after negotiations between the writers and studios broke off Dec. 7 and the strike dragged on.
