Apple Hires Key Digital Music Industry Legal Executive
Eliott Peters (center) at Columbia Law School event
Billboard reports that Apple has hired Elliott Peters, a senior vice president and head of digital legal affairs at Warner Music Group, to manage the company's legal team overseeing iTunes and MobileMe services in Europe.
According to an internal memo obtained by Billboard, Peters is taking on the role of corporate attorney director for iTunes Europe and Internet services, based in Luxembourg, where he will manage the European legal team for iTunes and MobileMe services. He's been with WMG since 2000.
According to the memo, Peters has "had a hand in almost every major WMG digital deal" since his appointment as the company's first digital lawyer in 2003.Apple will almost certainly be able to draw on Peters' experience and connections as it reportedly continues to work toward a cloud-based iTunes, allowing users the ability to store their iTunes libraries on Apple's servers and stream them to a variety of Internet-connected devices. Major music labels have reportedly balked at Apple's plans, arguing that such a use is not permitted under current licensing deals and maintaining the position that cloud-based music hosting should come with an increase in the compensation they receive from Apple for iTunes Store sales.
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20 months ago
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/03/top_music_industry_legal_executive_leaves_warner_for_apple.html
Top music industry legal executive leaves Warner for Apple
By Sam Oliver
Published: 08:15 AM EST
Apple's legal team for iTunes and MobileMe services in Europe will be run by someone with a great deal of expertise on the digital music industry -- a senior vice president with Warner Music Group.
Billboard reported this week that Elliott Peters, Warner's senior VP and head of digital legal affairs, will leave the company in the next month to work at Apple. There, he will be the corporate attorney director for iTunes and Internet services, based in Luxembourg.
Peters has been with Warner since 2000, where he eventually became the company's first digital lawyer. A memo sent to Warner employees noted that Elliot "has had a hand in almost every major WMG digital deal."
Those negotiations, undoubtedly, involved Apple a great deal, as iTunes is the top music retailer in the U.S., and is expected to eclipse CD sales entirely by the spring of 2011.
Elliott was credited with his involvement in a range of "important corporate transactions," including Columbia House Music and Video Clubs, Word Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Publications. He also helped to build Warner's Digital Legal Affairs team.
Apple has been working behind the scenes in an effort to launch a cloud streaming music service that would allow customers to access their iTunes library from any connected device. It is believed that those plans have been delayed by legal hold ups with the music industry.
Top music industry legal executive leaves Warner for Apple
By Sam Oliver
Published: 08:15 AM EST
Apple's legal team for iTunes and MobileMe services in Europe will be run by someone with a great deal of expertise on the digital music industry -- a senior vice president with Warner Music Group.
Billboard reported this week that Elliott Peters, Warner's senior VP and head of digital legal affairs, will leave the company in the next month to work at Apple. There, he will be the corporate attorney director for iTunes and Internet services, based in Luxembourg.
Peters has been with Warner since 2000, where he eventually became the company's first digital lawyer. A memo sent to Warner employees noted that Elliot "has had a hand in almost every major WMG digital deal."
Those negotiations, undoubtedly, involved Apple a great deal, as iTunes is the top music retailer in the U.S., and is expected to eclipse CD sales entirely by the spring of 2011.
Elliott was credited with his involvement in a range of "important corporate transactions," including Columbia House Music and Video Clubs, Word Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Publications. He also helped to build Warner's Digital Legal Affairs team.
Apple has been working behind the scenes in an effort to launch a cloud streaming music service that would allow customers to access their iTunes library from any connected device. It is believed that those plans have been delayed by legal hold ups with the music industry.
20 months ago
This is actually good news for Warner/Chappell though because they have now finally had the excuse to promote the very talented Ron Broitman.
Win-win situation for both Apple and Warner/Chappell I guess.
Win-win situation for both Apple and Warner/Chappell I guess.
20 months ago
Smart move by Apple. Use that mountain of cash to hire the music industries best lawyers, check mate.
20 months ago
how old is he? looks really young to be the lead guy on this. good for him.
20 months ago
I wish there were more to all this effort than just moving your own music around in the "cloud," like something that would combine the iTunes store with a service like Spotify.
One should be able to stream music like a radio and buy the songs one wants to keep, anywhere one is, without worrying about who has what licensing deal with whom.
Why the music industry had to turn music into a legal game rather than coming up with a licensing package everyone could live with that would allow the flexibility people expect in the digital age, is beyond me.
One should be able to stream music like a radio and buy the songs one wants to keep, anywhere one is, without worrying about who has what licensing deal with whom.
Why the music industry had to turn music into a legal game rather than coming up with a licensing package everyone could live with that would allow the flexibility people expect in the digital age, is beyond me.
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