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Pryor Cashman represented ABP Investments ( ABP), the world’s third largest pension fund and the largest such fund in the Netherlands, in connection with ABP’s acquisition from Universal Music Group (UMG) of certain music publishing catalogs for the European Economic Area (EEA). The catalogues acquired include Rondor, Zomba UK, BBC Catalogue, 19 Music, and 19 Songs.

As part of the acquisition, ABP entered into a sub-publishing agreement with UMG pursuant to which UMG will sub-publish the catalogs outside of the EEA. In addition, ABP and UMG entered into a sub-publishing agreement with Zomba Enterprises, Inc. (Zomba) whereby ABP will sub-publish the Zomba U.S. catalog in the EEA.

Pryor Cashman partners Arnold J. Schaab and Frank P. Scibilia advised ABP with respect to the transaction, including the sub-publishing agreements.

The acquired catalogs contain the music publishing rights to nearly 90,000 copyrights and include rights to some of the greatest pop songs of all time. Songs in the catalogue include:

• Oops! . . . I Did It Again and Hit Me Baby One More Time (Britney Spears)
• I Want It That Way and Tearing Up My Heart (Backstreet Boys)
• Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
• You're Still the One (Shania Twain)
• Everything I Do, I Do For You (Bryan Adams)
• Karma Chameleon (Culture Club)

The catalogs also include rights to the works of great songwriters such as Buddy Guy, Imogen Heap, Iron Maiden, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Mark Knopfler, Mutt Lange and 30 Seconds to Mars, and current hit makers (including rights to future songs) such as Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park and T-Pain. In addition, the catalogues contain some of the most important television themes, including the themes from American Idol and Teletubbies.

About Pryor Cashman

Pryor Cashman LLP is an independent, full-service law firm with offices on Park Avenue in New York City and in Los Angeles. With broad and sophisticated transactional and litigation practices, Pryor Cashman provides a wide range of services to meet the varying legal needs of businesses and individuals. The firm has well-established relationships with firms throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world to serve its national and international clients.

Pryor Cashman is a global leader in the area of Intellectual Property. For many of Pryor Cashman’s clients, their greatest asset is their intellectual property, and the attorneys in our Intellectual Property Group are devoted to maximizing the value and security of each client’s IP portfolio. Regardless of whether we are assisting in establishing, acquiring, valuing, maintaining, managing or protecting their intellectual property, we are highly familiar and highly skilled in handling every type of intellectual property matter, including transactional, litigation, prosecution, registration, and counseling services.

The IP Group includes attorneys from many of the firm’s different practice areas, including the Litigation, Entertainment and Corporate groups, all experienced in every type of intellectual property matter, including those relating to copyrights and trademarks; entertainment and intellectual property litigation; false advertising; branding and licensing; privacy and publicity rights; life scienes; patents; music; and trade secrets.

Pryor Cashman’s IP Group also works closely with the firm’s Corporate Group and Banking and Finance Group in connection with mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, licenses and agreements, joint ventures, asset-based financing, valuations and e-commerce issues. We assist and counsel our clients in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of intellectual property assets being sold or acquired as well as identifying and assessing potential liabilities.