MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS
 
WASHINGTON---- Justice Department Names IP Task Force Chiefs

As part of the U.S. Justice Department's committment to agressively enforce intellectual property rights, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today will announce the top two members of the Intellectual Property Task Force.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
WASHINGTON-- U.S. Asked To Probe Music Download Sites

The Federal Trade Commission is being asked to investigate Web sites that claim to offer legal music downloads for a low price but actually sell popular software that is available free elsewhere on the Internet, and is commonly used to steal songs.

                                                                                                                          
  ATLANTA -- Hitmaker Jermaine  Dupri Promoted

Dupri was  named president of Virgin's urban music division and it was announced he's bringing his highly successful So So Def (Kris Kross, Da Brat, Bow Wow)imprint with him.
                                                                                                                          
  PHOENIX--Student Sued over Downloading Music An Arizona university student is believed to be the first person in the country to be convicted of a
crime under state laws for illegally downloading music and movies from the Internet, prosecutors and activists say.

University of Arizona student Parvin Dhaliwal pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit marks, or unauthorized copies of intellectual property.
                                                                                                                           
FOR SALE-- Mastering/Recording Facility

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LOS ANGELES --Usher Gets Five Soul Train Nominations
--The R&B sensation received bids for
best male R&B-soul album for "Confessions," and best male R&B-soul single for "Confessions Part II."
"My Boo," his duet with Alicia Keys, also earned him and the soul diva a nomination. Usher's work with rappers Ludacris & Lil Jon also got him nominations for best R&B-soul or rap music video and best R&B-soul or rapdance cut for the song "Yeah!" Usher swept the American Music Awards with four honors and has eight nominations for the upcoming Grammys.                                                             
                                                                                          
Ring Tone Sales Projected to Skyrocket in 2005
BMI, the U.S. performance rights organization representing more than 300,000 songwriters,
composers and music publishers, released its sales projections for ringtones in the United States ,market in February. BMI predicts that the market will surpass $500 million in retail sales, up from $245 million in 2004.
                                                                                          
ASCAP Reports Record Member Distributions in 2004
ASCAP,(American society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) marked its 91st year
of operation with a 14.9% royalty payment increase to the organization's members. The member distribution total of $610 million was the highest ever in ASCAP's history.
                                                                                          
NEW YORK-- lsland Def Jam Records

acquired the remaining 50% of the Roc-A-Fella label which it did not already own, and named Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) president/CEO of Def Jam Records.