Constructive Discussions at the Oral Hearing on Sony BMG

Bertelsmann and Sony had two productive days at the Oral Hearing in Brussels. The companies have provided arguments addressing all the issues raised in the "Statement of Objections" (SO) issued by the European Commission earlier.

Legal and economic experts, officials from 13 national competition authorities and interested third parties listened to the explanations. Those presentations supplemented extensive detailed written responses that have been submitted last week. Discussions at the Oral Hearing were constructive. Bertelsmann and Sony are confident that their presentations on the business environment of the music industry and the nature of music as a cultural product are understood. The companies will continue their proactive engagement with the European Commission in the future until the final decision is made.

The Sony BMG joint venture is the response to long-term change in the economic viability of the recorded music industry. It enables the creation of a focused recorded music business which can sustain higher levels of investment in A&R (artists and repertoire) than would otherwise be possible, thereby safeguarding and promoting cultural diversity in Europe. The creation of the joint venture will benefit consumers of music in this rapidly changing market environment.

For further questions, please contact:
Oliver Herrgesell
Senior Vice President Media Relations
Phone: 49 - 52 41 - 80 24 66
oliver.herrgesell@bertelsmann.com

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BMG_Sony_Hearing_engl.pdf	60 kB