From Rhino’s web site:
GRATEFUL DEAD PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE GROUNDBREAKING DEAL WITH RHINO ENTERTAINMENT
Under Continuing Creative Direction From Grateful Dead Productions, Rhino To Exclusively Manage Grateful Dead’s Intellectual Property
July 07 2006
LOS ANGELES —
In an arrangement that redefines the relationship between artist and label, Grateful Dead Productions (GDP) has appointed Rhino Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, the exclusive manager of its entire repertoire of intellectual property.
Under the landmark license agreement, Rhino assumes the primary responsibility for the full range of Grateful Dead assets, recorded and otherwise, including the vast archive of unreleased live concert recordings, the band’s official website (dead.net), all related direct-to-consumer and merchandise businesses, the growing variety of digital initiatives, and select band-related name and likeness licensing. The agreement does not include Grateful Dead music publishing, which will continue to be managed exclusively by Ice Nine.
The arrangement also ensures that Grateful Dead Productions, the band’s renowned production company, will continue to be principally involved in all creative decision making.
GDP released this official statement: “Rhino, our current and most recent partner in recorded music, offered to us an inventive new arrangement that is very accommodating and sensitive to the way we like to conduct business. The Rhino license maintains our role in the creative decision making process, ensures that Rhino will continue the high quality of our releases and products, and respects the years of relationships we’ve developed with our audience, our fellow artists and our licensees. We’ve worked with Rhino for years, and with Warner, their parent company, for decades, and they care about Grateful Dead. It feels good that they will now administer these important day-to-day matters for us and work to bring us new opportunities to expand the Grateful Dead universe.”
“Grateful Dead has always shown tremendous vision,” says Scott Pascucci, President of Rhino Entertainment. “With this deal they have once again placed themselves ahead of the curve.”
“Under continuing creative direction from Grateful Dead Productions, we look forward to working together under this new arrangement to protect and extend the artist’s dynamic legacy,” says Gregg Goldman, Executive Vice President at Rhino. “With this expanded relationship, we’ll be able to look at the bigger picture and proceed in ways that make the most sense for the long-term success of Grateful Dead.”
“With Grateful Dead it all begins with the music and the fans,” says Jimmy Edwards, Senior Vice President at Rhino. “They truly have one of the most knowledgeable and devoted followings in popular music. We are very excited about this opportunity to preserve and nurture this special relationship through releases and initiatives of the highest integrity.”