AaronLancs wrote: Sat Dec 19, 2020 11:43 am
Second, anyone know who handles Mute's (Records and Artists) stuff in the US? Just wondering.
I think
currently it's Mute themselves - although I'm not certain of that without investigating! One of our US fans could maybe tell us.
However, with a release like this one it's not important who it currently is but who it used to be, as they are the owners of the copyright in that territory.
My understanding is that the problem with a release like this is that Mute don't own the copyright and publishing rights to a large portion of Erasure''s back catalogue. In the USA, all of their classic back catalogue is owned by Warner Music Group. Erasure originally signed a publishing deal with Sire, then Elektra and then Maverick, all of which were subsidiaries of WMG.
All of which means Mute doesn't have much control over what they can do with the recordings in the USA. Not without it being complicated anyway- and possibly more costly. That at least is my understanding of the issue.
As an aside, ever since Mute was bought out by EMI, they also no longer own the publishing rights to most or Erasure's back catalogue in the UK either. And since EMI folded, BMG are the new copyright owners, but Mute have a much closer working relationship with them than they do with Warner in the USA.
ETA: By 'back catalogue', I mainly mean at least everything from 'Wonderland' through to 'Cowboy'. WMG don't own anything after then I don't think.
