EX-5.3 4 a2150827zex-5_3.htm EXHIBIT 5.3

 

Exhibit 5.3

February 9, 2005

 

 

WMG Acquisition Corp.

75 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10019

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

                We have acted as special counsel for Warner/Chappell Music (Services), Inc., a New Jersey corporation (the “Excluded Guarantor”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-4 (No. 333-121322-90) (the “Registration Statement”) filed by WMG Acquisition Corp., a  Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the additional guarantors listed on Schedule 1 hereto (the “Covered Guarantors”; the Covered Guarantors together with the Excluded Guarantor, referred to as the “Guarantors”), under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to (i) the issuance by the Company of $465,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 73/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014, and £100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 81/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014 (collectively, the “Exchange Securities”) and (ii) the issuance by the Guarantors of guarantees (the “Guarantees”) with respect to the Exchange Securities. The Exchange Securities and the Guarantees will be issued under an indenture dated as of April 8, 2004 (the “Indenture”) among the Company, the Guarantors and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”).  The Exchange Securities will be offered by the Company in exchange for $465,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 73/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014 and £100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 81/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014.

 

In connection with the Registration Statement, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such corporate records, documents and such questions of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion.  On the basis of such examination, we advise you that, in our opinion, when (a) the Exchange Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture upon the exchange and (b) the Guarantee of the Excluded Guarantor has been duly issued, such Guarantee will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of the Excluded Guarantor enforceable against the Excluded Guarantor in accordance with its terms.

                This opinion is not rendered with respect to any laws other than the laws of the State of New Jersey and New York and the federal laws of the United States.

 



 

                We express no opinion herein as to the applicability or effect of (i) any bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, or (ii) general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of reasonableness, materiality, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

                To the extent that matters of fact are involved in the conclusions expressed in the opinions set forth above, such opinions are based upon certificates and statements of public officials and of officers of the Excluded Guarantor, without independent investigation by us.  In rendering the foregoing opinions, we have also assumed the genuineness of all signatures on documents not signed in our presence, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity with the originals submitted to us as copies, and the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee.

                We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.  We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ McCarter & English, LLP

 



 

Schedule 1

 

Subsidiary

 

Jurisdiction

A.P. Schmidt Company

 

Delaware

Atlantic Recording Corporation

 

Delaware

Atlantic/143 L.L.C.

 

Delaware

Atlantic/MR II INC.

 

Delaware

Atlantic/MR Ventures Inc.

 

Delaware

Big Beat Records Inc.

 

Delaware

Big Tree Recording Corporation

 

Delaware

Bute Sound LLC

 

Delaware

Cafe Americana Inc.

 

Delaware

Chappell & Intersong Music Group (Australia) Limited

 

Delaware

Chappell And Intersong Music Group (Germany) Inc.

 

Delaware

Chappell Music Company, Inc.

 

Delaware

Cota Music, Inc.

 

New York

Cotillion Music, Inc.

 

Delaware

CPP/Belwin, Inc.

 

Delaware

CRK Music Inc.

 

Delaware

E/A Music, Inc.

 

Delaware

Eleksylum Music, Inc.

 

Delaware

Elektra Entertainment Group Inc.

 

Delaware

Elektra Group Ventures Inc.

 

Delaware

Elektra/Chameleon Ventures Inc.

 

Delaware

Fiddleback Music Publishing Company, Inc.

 

Delaware

Foz Man Music LLC

 

Delaware

Inside Job, Inc.

 

New York

Intersong U.S.A., INC.

 

Delaware

Jadar Music Corp.

 

Delaware

Lava Trademark Holding Company LLC

 

Delaware

LEM America, INC.

 

Delaware

London-Sire Records Inc.

 

Delaware

McGuffin Music Inc.

 

Delaware

Mixed Bag Music, Inc.

 

New York

MM Investment Inc. (fka Warner Music Bluesky Holdings Inc.)

 

Delaware

NC Hungary Holdings Inc.

 

Delaware

New Chappell Inc.

 

Delaware

Nonesuch Records Inc.

 

Delaware

NVC International Inc.

 

Delaware

Octa Music Inc.

 

New York

Penalty Records L.L.C.

 

New York

Pepamar Music Corp.

 

New York

Revelation Music Publishing Corporation

 

New York

Rhino Entertainment Company

 

Delaware

Rick's Music Inc.

 

Delaware

 



 

Rightsong Music Inc.

 

Delaware

SR/MDM Venture Inc.

 

Delaware

Super Hype Publishing, Inc.

 

New York

T-Boy Music L.L.C.

 

New York

T-Girl Music L.L.C.

 

New York

The Rhythm Method Inc.

 

Delaware

Tommy Boy Music, Inc.

 

New York

Tommy Valando Publishing Group, Inc.

 

Delaware

Tri-Chappell Music Inc.

 

Delaware

TW Music Holdings Inc.

 

Delaware

Unichappell Music Inc.

 

Delaware

W.B.M. Music Corp.

 

Delaware

Walden Music, Inc.

 

New York

Warner Alliance Music Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Brethren Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Bros. Music International Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Bros. Publications U.S. Inc.

 

New York

Warner Bros. Records Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Domain Music Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Music Discovery Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Music Distribution Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Music Group Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Music Latina Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Music SP Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Sojourner Music Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Special Products Inc.

 

Delaware

WarnerSongs Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner Strategic Marketing Inc.

 

Delaware

Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corporation

 

New York

Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

 

Delaware

Warprise Music Inc.

 

Delaware

WB Gold Music Corp.

 

Delaware

WBM/House of Gold Music, Inc.

 

Delaware

WBPI Holdings LLC

 

Delaware

WBR Management Services Inc.

 

Delaware

WBR/QRI Venture Inc.

 

Delaware

WBR/Ruffnation Ventures, Inc.

 

Delaware

WBR/Sire Ventures, Inc.

 

Delaware

We Are Musica Inc.

 

Delaware

WEA Europe Inc.

 

Delaware

WEA Inc.

 

Delaware

WEA International Inc.

 

Delaware

WEA Latina Musica Inc.

 

Delaware

WEA Management Services Inc.

 

Delaware

WEA Rock LLC

 

Delaware

WEA Urban LLC

 

Delaware

WMG Management Services Inc.

 

Delaware

WMG Trademark Holding Company LLC

 

Delaware

 



 

Berna Music, Inc.

 

California

FHK, INC.

 

Tennessee

Foster Frees Music, Inc.

 

California

Rodra Music, Inc.

 

California

Sea Chime Music, Inc.

 

California

Summy-Birchard, Inc.

 

Wyoming

Warner Custom Music Corp.

 

California

Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

 

California

WB Music Corp.

 

California

Wide Music, Inc.

 

California