Labels pay to settle price-fixing suit. The major record labels will pay out $67.3 million to settle charges that they violated antitrust laws through ad practices that kept the prices of CDs artificially high. [CNET News.com]

When I call the giant record labels "the entertainment oligopoly," this is what I'm talking about.  I'm disappointed this was settled, but not surprised.  This is how they handle most problems resulting from their illegal, reprehensible behavior.  For example, they regularly screw over artists on royalty payments.  They know how much it costs to litigate royalty disputes, and routinely refuse to pay out until the royalty payment due exceeds the artist's legal fees.  They're a bunch of thugs, really.

They've done the same thing here.  Rest assured they made way more than $67 million illegally fixing prices.

8:37:43 PM