Apple to buy Vivendi ?

stecsstecs
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Interesting report at Ars...



Quote:

In a move that may help a foundering company (Vivendi), add a revenue stream to another (Apple), and benefit many (us), the LA Times is reporting Steve Jobs is in talks with Vivendi to buy the Universal Music Group for up to $ 6 billion._



Any thoughts?
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 143
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Argh! No music company, please...



    [disclaimer: this is my personal, unbelabored, feeling]
  • Reply 2 of 143
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    No Apple is not about to buy Vivendi, but the Vivendi owned UMG - big difference.
  • Reply 3 of 143
    newnew Posts: 3,244member
    Universal sucks!
  • Reply 4 of 143
    gardnerjgardnerj Posts: 167member
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/30209.html



    beat me to it ....
  • Reply 5 of 143
    newnew Posts: 3,244member
    didn't apple solve the issue with Apple records a long time ago?
  • Reply 6 of 143
    gardenofearthlydelightsgardenofearthlydelights Posts: 963member
    I think this could be interesting, as long as it doesn't water down the development of our beloved OS and hardware.
  • Reply 7 of 143
    t'hain esh kelcht'hain esh kelch Posts: 1,274member
    Its not gonna happen... 6 billion dollars? No way..
  • Reply 8 of 143
    naderbynaderby Posts: 131member
    It's AOL-TW all over again!
  • Reply 9 of 143
    low-filow-fi Posts: 357member
    Oh my. M$ could be Apple's beejatch over this one.



    low-fi
  • Reply 10 of 143
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    Jobs's obsession to Be More Like Sony would hit an all time extreme. However, his influence on the RIAA would be hysterical to watch (given his vision on music distribution is a little more forward looking).



    Screed
  • Reply 11 of 143
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Maybe Jobs is looking to buy Universal, not Apple? Where does Apple get the money? Then again, where does Jobs?
  • Reply 12 of 143
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    Huh? Jobs buy Apple? Wha?



    Apple has 4.4 Billion US dollars in the bank. Pixar's contract with Disney will end with the release of Finding Nemo, so some additional money could be had from signing a multi-year deal with Vivendi's movie division.



    Screed
  • Reply 13 of 143
    macsrgood4umacsrgood4u Posts: 3,007member
    Quote:

    Universal sucks!



    Always can count on thoughtful, insightful comments from some members of AI!



    Whatever the price, SJ/Apple doesn't have to put up the cash completely. Stock options and loans can support a purchase.
  • Reply 14 of 143
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by T'hain Esh Kelch

    Its not gonna happen... 6 billion dollars? No way..



    When you buy a company, you don't pay the whole sum in cash.
  • Reply 15 of 143
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Well, it would be interesting to say the least. I just hope that Apple doesn't spend all its cash on it. The interest on that 4bil was the only thing keeping them in the black. But low-fi was right: MS would be in an interesting position should this happen. Surely it would kill the stock price and leave Apple open to hostile take over, unless they made sure they had a majority of the shares bought up themselves. (Anyone have any info on this?)
  • Reply 16 of 143
    snipesnipe Posts: 97member
    It would make more sense if Vivendi bought Apple and made SJ CEO
  • Reply 17 of 143
    rentedmulerentedmule Posts: 38member
    People, people, people,



    Where's the AI vision? The argument against the music companies for years now is that they are stuck in the early 90s, with their high CD prices and lack of Internet distribution incentive.



    In comes Apple, offering not only the best and best-selling MP3 player on the market, but a "Rip.Mix. Burn." slogan and cheaper and cheaper hardware with the sleeping giant that is OSX.



    Can you imagine if this caught fire?



    "High everyone, we're Apple Inc., now you can dl your music by the song for a reasonable price (because we own it all) and you can put it on your virus-free, Windows-free, DRM-free Mac then zip it right over to your iPod. "



    I personally believe people are chomping at the bit for something like this and Apple is the only company out there with the vision to pull it off.



    Now we''l have to see if they have the money...



    (Hey Steve, how about a freebie or two each month for .Mac users?)
  • Reply 18 of 143
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    No one will believe it now, but I told ya something was going on, and that it probably won't happen Apple's way, and that Apple wouldn't break the news, and that it would most likely come as a surprise to them, and that I could say anything because people NOT at Apple might or might not get into trouble.



    Amazing what you hear in Idle chatter at University conferences.
  • Reply 19 of 143
    dogcowdogcow Posts: 713member
    If they get the cash it would be amazing. It would put apple in a very competive spot (with sony esp.) Imagin downloading the songs you want for 10¢ each in a full quality, unrestricted format. They have the vision, do they have the money and the balls to pull it off? I think that between Apple and Jobs they have the money end covered.... now can they pull it off and compleatly change the music industry as we know it....



    imagin artist realeasing all singles... no more albums... no more cds... songs you buy could be advalible on a streaming satellite service so you could listen to them in cars, on iPods, etc..... It goes on from there.





    Lets not forget the Tipper Gore FX?, which, when turned on would automaticly beep out any swears.



    This would also make Jobs on of the more powerful people in the world.. heads of a movie studio, computer company, and music company.. not bad.
  • Reply 20 of 143
    thegeldingthegelding Posts: 3,230member
    i'm confused matsu...so apple thinking of buying Universal Music would be a surprise to them (apple)???



    g



    Quote:

    No one will believe it now, but I told ya something was going on, and that it probably won't happen Apple's way, and that Apple wouldn't break the news, [bold]and that it would most likely come as a surprise to them[/bold],



    elias semual abreha
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