Digital sales are a significant part of an artist's survival in 2011, and they can make all the difference for older performers with popular back catalogs of music. According to The New York Times, Eminem has won a lawsuit against Universal Music Group.
The Supreme Court denied to hear an appeal from UMG, leaving the current verdict by a lower court stand. The decision makes selling music on digital platforms a "license," in which an older artist makes about 50% of the profit, as opposed to a "sale." Newer artists will not be affected by the decision, because record labels have gradually restructured contracts for the digital age.
