I wonder if this move will help clear up the royalty dispute between Green Linnet and some of their artists..
Settled last year.
I know 2 Scottish musicians who would disagree with that.
DMGI intends to release portions of the Green Linnet catalog through ringtone, mastertone, and over-the-air download sales channels
So I’ll be able to have the Tulla Ceili Band as my cell phone ringtone.
How have I managed without this for so long? 
The litigation was settled. When a company buys another company, they buy it entirely with its obligations. Someone may submit a bill for cardboard or some such item from a six month old invoice. It would be investigated and likely paid by the new owner, for instance. So, if there is open litigation, most try to get that resolved before change of control. The seller can also put in escrow the amount in question (at the buyer’s request, usually), proceed with the sale, then the case works toward a resolution by the new entity but the overwhelming preference is to settle all court cases before change of control. Both buyer and seller usually want to have a ‘clean’ slate and a smooth deal. Aside from that, no one knows though what involvement anyone from the old operation might have to do with the new operation. Sometimes owners get positions or consulting deals to help the new concern bridge the acquisition gap.
If someone is owed money for any reason, they can still sue the new owner and there are time considerations for getting those in there. People like to get their litigation in before a pending sale to put pressure on the seller before the deal happens. Even a complaint can be taken up with the new owner as just because a change of control has occurred, it really is business as usual even though the new concern is likely to change a bunch of policies - sometimes immediately, sometimes months later, sometimes never. Complaints are directed to the business not the owner.
Would’ve had to have been late last year since mid-December, Joanie had told me that they had made no progress.
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=454555
My personal preference would be to still write Joanie or the Ladies before venturing to buy anything from them.
“The litigation was settled” - “last year”. That’s nearly 5 months ago. Given the amount of discussion there’s been on this issue here and elsewhere, I’m surprised we haven’t heard that before now. You seem to know much more than anyone else about this , Jim. Can I ask the source of your information, please ?
And even if “the litigation has been settled”, I can guarantee that there are traditional musicians out there who still feel that Green Linnet owe them money, and that’s a fact.
That’s the way it was reported in the press and consistent with the way companies change hands. Sometimes it is impossible to clear up that type of litigation but most try to ‘clean it up’ before change of control.
What’s the saying in the People’s Court (on TV)? paraphrase If you feel that you need a wrong righted, take it to court.
GL must have come up with a ‘formula’ or the facts to settle those cases. If anyone is owed, now’s the time to get in there.
Sometimes, firms stagger payments to the Seller for that very reason: to see if any crazy deals or litigation turns up, effectively creating an escrow fund. Sometimes the Seller is still on the hook with the new owner as to the obligation(s) post-sale. The Seller may also be on royalties, too. If you get Japaneses people downloaded Seamus Ennis’ Bucks of Oranmore - ca ching! ca ching!!
Great 
So now we can only get these albums in crummy, compressed, digital format (maybe with DRM) or on compilations?? This doesn’t seem to be a good thing at all. The recordings under the Green Linnet label definately constitute a treasure trove. As much as I disliked the business practices of the record label and their treatment of musicians, I think it’s a real shame that the business was sold to this group. I would have loved the rights to be sold to Shanachie or Compass, or some other good label, but not some digital and compilations only outfit.
Didn’t GL just sell their distrubting rights to Compass not too long ago?
In 2003 Green Linnet had a buyer who was going to re-launch the “Green Linnet” label and fulfil the financial obligations to all the artists signed to them. This should have happened by January 2004 so I suspect it wasn’t DMGI as they have only been on the scene from 2005.
On the strength of this Green Linnet ‘settled’ with some artists and agreed to pay a “token” royalty to try and clear up some of it’s historical obligations in order for the deal to go through (ie. get rid of bad debt). They more or less told them if they didn’t accept the payment, and the deal with the new owner did not go through, they would rececive nothing.
Some of those artists have only very recently (last few weeks) received that “token” royalty.
Super - sounds like the two parties worked to finality on the agreed arrangement.
Concerning their settlement discussions proposal. Artist(s) were still free to assert their rights through litigation. Settling a dispute is often an accomodation by both parties.
I think the important word above is “token”.
The way I read that is: “We’re going to rip off our artists for years, cash out with a big pay day, and throw them a bone so they don’t make waves”..heh
And the poor artists are between a rock and a hard place…take less than they’re due, or take nothing at all and risk the court system and the big expense invovled. It sucks.
It sounds like in this instance the group of artists were able to find agreeable terms and a dollar amount that allowed both them and Green Linnet to focus on the future.