So, Warner and EMI, respectively the 4th and 3rd of the big four music companies, are trying to alternately buy each other out.

Latest dirt... Warner offers $3.7 billion.

3 point seven.

Billion.

Dollars.

Thats a lot of money for those poor guys who've been just about bankrupted by the hordes of music pirates out there, forcing them to sue grandma's and little girls for the three songs they downloaded " illegally " just so they can put food on their family's table.....

Yeah.

3.7 Billion.

Countless hours of wasted court time, thousands of lawyers getting rich, declining profits for the record companies who have the thankless task of....

Wait, I'll think of it...

Hmmm,

Still thinking.

Oh yeah. Signing new bands and promoting their music. Profiting obscenely for doing so for many years. ( 25 bucks for a CD!!!??? ) Screwing those same bands over at every turn.

If you like a band, go see them. Buy their album. Check out Indie stuff, Myspace and Youtube are great ways to discover new talent. Support who you like, tell your friends. Tell RIAA to go away.

P.S. here's the Reuters news story re.

the offer...