The Wall Street Journal reports some more details on the dispute over the Sirius S50 with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. If you're not caught up on it, essentially four major music companies have a bit of a problem with the Sirius S50 and it's ability to "disaggregate" and manage individual songs from satellite radio broadcasts. As a result, these companies felt that Sirius should pay a higher broadcast licensing fee.
Sirius has reached an agreement with both Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Sirius will pay both UMG and Warner a fee for each device sold (though the exact fee was never disclosed). In addition, the manufacturing run of the Sirius S50 is to be capped at a number that also was not disclosed.
Sirius is in still talks with EMI Group and Sony BMG, according to sources familiar with the matter, but it is unclear how close they are to an agreement.
The good news is, this is only limited to the Sirius S50 - the agreement does not apply to future devices (like the live Sirius portable receiver coming this summer).
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