The New York Times needed an infusion of cash recently as their stock price has not been doing so great.  Harbinger Capital, a company that owns about 19% of NYT stock wanted to unload it to Hollywood exec David Geffen and Google.

Last winter the New York Times decided to get more money out of Mexican telecom billionaire Carlos Slim instead of David Geffen, $250 million to be exact.  They did this for a reason.  Geffen even offered the same terms for the loan.

The New York Times Chairman told Geffen that the company would rather work with Slim because he already owns a major amount of shares in the company and that “he was reportedly also worried about Geffen’s ambition to take over the company.”  Geffen made an offer to completely buy out The New York Times this past September.

Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and his family are the major shareholders in The New York Times.  His family has controlled the newspaper since 1896 and the company was founded in 1851.  Their family said that they were not interested in selling the company outright, but this is the same sentiments that the Bancroft family had with The Wall Street Journal and the Dow Jones.  Both Dow and The WSJ are now owned by News Corp.

[via AllThingsD]

“I hope he rots in jail,” stated Slash, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist. “It’s going to affect the sales of the record, and it’s not fair. The Internet is what it is, and you have to deal with it accordingly, but I think if someone goes and steals something, it’s theft.”

Kevin Cogill is a music blogger that resides in Culver City, Calif. Cogill leaked 9 unreleased tracks from the upcoming Guns N’ Roses album, “Chinese Democracy.” Cogill will either go to jail for 3 years or pay up to $250,000. Five FBI agents arrested Cogill at his apartment after he published the leaked tracks.

After Guns N’ Roses’ lawyers complained about the leaked tracks, Cogill immediately removed it this past June. Cogill was charged under with a 3 year old anti-piracy law that states that copyright work cannot be distributed on a computer network before the release.

Cogill used to work at Universal Music and currently works on a site called Crave Online. Cogill published the leaked songs on Antiquiet. Antiquiet published the news about their blogger’s imprisonment here.

The FBI questioned Cogill about where he got the music from. After Cogill asked the FBI whether his case would be closed, they told him that his troubles have not even begun.

Guns N’ Roses have been working on the “Chinese Democracy” album for over 10 years. Guns N’ Roses is currently signed with Geffen Records.

Related Link:
1. The L.A. Times

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI[/youtube]

I spotted Numa Numa, Diet Coke & Mentos, crazy beaver, GI Joe parody, guy takes a picture of himself for 365 days, Chris Crocker, All you base belong to us, Miss South Carolina, Soulja Boy, Evolution of Dance, Chocolate Rain guy, Kevin Federline, Daft Hands, and Peanut Butter Jelly time.  Spot any that I missed?

Weezer’s label is MCA Music, Inc./Geffen.