Four bidders left for EMI's 'Rosetta' publishing catalogue

Sony/AT, last June, bought EMI Music Publishing for $2.2 billion, but to win regulatory approval for the acquisition agreed to put on auction part of the assets - dubbed the Rosetta catalogue, which contains Virgin Music Publishing and Famous Music U.K. songwriters.
The auction is being run by entertainment lawyer John Branca and Baltimore-based Shot Tower Capital

After a first round of bids, the auction is now down to only four suitors - with one bid still pending. The remaining buyers are BMG Rights Management, France's Because Music and a partnership of Kobalt Music Group and G2 Investment Group. The Warner Music Group is expected to turn in its second round bid - which were due November 19 - by the end of week.

The publishing assets of Rosetta catalogue, according to inner sources, have a net publisher's share of $12.5 million and include song catalogues of Duffy, Matt Cardle, Bullet For My Valentine, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's Andy McClusky, Bryan Ferry, Culture Club, Devo, Fine Young Cannibals, Iggy Pop, Lenny Kravitz, the Prodigy's Liam Howlett, Martha and the Muffins, Guru Josh AKA Paul Walden, Richard Ashcroft, Robbie Williams, Soul II Soul, Stereo MCs, Tears For Fears, Terence Trent D'arby, Texas, the Beloved, the Human League, Ben Harper, the Goo Goo Dolls, Ozzy Osbourne, Kurt Cobain, John Barry, Jim Steinman, the Crystal Method, Tool, Warrant, Mark Ronson, Ian Dury and Chaz Jenkel, Placebo, the Kooks, Take That's Gary Barlow, Jason Orange and Howard Donald.

The first bidding round saw nine buyers and those eliminated  are ole, Imagem, Bicycle Music, Saban Capital and Primary Wave.