As opposition to the $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Virgin Music Group heats up, Downtown CEO Pieter van Rijn says the controversial deal has attracted more attention because of the buyer’s owner, Universal Music Group (UMG), than it has for the benefits musicians would enjoy from the combination.

In an open letter obtained by Billboard, which arrived as the European Commission investigates the acquisition’s potential effect on competition, van Rijn took aim at what he called “misinformation” aimed at “undermin[ing] our longstanding and trusted client relationships….It’s disappointing to see how quickly some parts of our industry closed the door to rooms we — and others — helped build.” He added that the debate about the acquisition, announced on Dec. 16, and its i

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