11.   Both own a movie studio, cable channels, an online music service and even a ticket agency.

12.   A bill filed this week in the U.S. House could make the world a much easier place to do business for some beleaguered online music companies.

13.   A bill introduced in August, the Music Online Competition Act, would make the royalty and licensing process friendlier to online music sites.

14.   A federal appeals court dealt Napster Inc. a potentially fatal blow Monday, upholding a lower court ruling that said the tremendously popular online music service violated copyright laws.

15.   A Ninth Circuit panel ruled the Redwood City startup violated copyright laws with its popular online music sharing program.

16.   Advisers to the transaction do not expect any antitrust problems because online music sales still represent a small portion of the overall market.

17.   All-Music Guide, www.allmusic.com, is one of the largest online music reference books, including artist biographies, record reviews and daily music news updates.

18.   All of the major record companies and scores of Internet start-up companies are struggling to develop online music services that make money but seem free to consumers.

19.   Also Thursday, Listen.com Inc., a San Francisco online music syndicator, bought TuneTo.com Inc. of Redwood City for an undisclosed price.

20.   All of the participants stressed that the deal was not exclusive, and Microsoft executives said they were planning online music announcement for later this week.