The National Music Publishers’ Association has negotiated a far-reaching licensing deal with Universal Music Group on music videos, the group announced on Tuesday.

It is the first major-label deal to pay royalties to songwriters and music publishers for videos. 

The pact also could end up providing additional royalties for songwriters and music publishers in emerging platforms like ringtones. 

It comes as many musicians have grown more frustrated about the lack of financial compensation they receive for use of their work in new media services like Vevo and YouTube. 

As a sign of how tense the relationship has become, last February in TheWrap, Matt Pincus, founder and CEO of Songs Music Publishing, slammed Vevo for earning $150 million in revenue without cutting independent publishers in on the money. 

"Are record companies to blame for relying on shoddy language to withhold royalties, or is it Vevo's responsibility to insure that the songwriters that helped it pull in $150 million this year share in their success?" Pincus wrote. "Whatever the case, this issue of fairness must be addressed."

Also read: Time for Vevo to Pay Up?

Vevo is a joint venture music video website operated by Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media, making Universal's participation key. 

"The agreement announced today is an important first step in resolving industry-wide music video issues,"  David Israelite, NMPA president and CEO, said in a statement. "UMG deserves credit for being the first record label to partner with the entire songwriting and music publishing community through this model licensing deal.”

Under this license deal, music publishers will grant the rights necessary for the synchronization of their musical works with music videos, and, in return, receive royalties from these videos based on a percentage of Universal's receipts.

The agreement also enables songwriters and music publishers to receive retroactive compensation for past use of their musical works in UMG’s music videos. In addition to music videos, the agreement provides songwriters and music publishers compensation for additional UMG product offerings including ringtones, dual disc, multi-session audio and locked content products.

SEE ALSO: Charlie Sheen says he's retiring after 'Anger Management' >

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This past weekend, 5,000 celebrity chefs, foodies, wine-os, and fans gathered at the sold-out Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado.

And this wasn't just any old foodfest, it was the festival's 30th anniversary—and no expense was spared, including the $1,225 pass to attend the event in the first place. [We were granted a press pass.]

But if you were lucky enough to be able to drop that kind of dough, it allowed access to three days of cooking seminars, cocktail-making demonstrations, and of course, the grand tasting tents.

Every day, there were two grand tastings, where one can roam two massive tents trying glass after glass of wine from 300 exhibitors and countless nibbles of food from restaurants and brands all over the world.

If you're not hungry yet, you will be after this.

It is always best to get to the venue early, as people line up for blocks to get inside the tasting tents.

But the line moves quickly

Once inside, it's like an adult theme park for foodies.

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Justin Bieber is a grown man and his music isn't for 12-year-old girls anymore and you need to take him seriously.

That's the consensus today as the Biebs drops the first meaningful album of his life, Believe.

This album is Bieber's entrance into the area of pop music where people like Pitbull, Rihanna, and Usher live.

He has abandoned Disney pop, and adopted the R&B/dance-pop sound that currently dominates the music landscape. The move implies a certain amount of ambition — he's consciously evolving, after all — and that's why people are so excited about it.

But that doesn't mean he's any good.

People are calling this Bieber's "Cry Me A River" moment — where the beloved teeny-bopper evolves into an interesting R&B/pop artist.

But "Cry Me A River" wasn't a big deal just because Justin Timberlake decided to make a heavier, more serious piece of music. It was a big deal because it was a straight-up pop masterpiece. Have you listened to "Cry Me A River" recently? THAT SONG IS FREAKING INFECTIOUS.

Comparing Believe or any song on Believe to "Cry Me A River" is borderline offensive.

Yes, this is a new Justin Bieber. And relative to the empty bubble-gum pop of the My World series, it's a better Justin Bieber.

But Believe is still generally terrible.

The album is a mix of Pitbullian club bangers, imitation R&B songs, and inspirational tween-bait that would fit right in with his earlier albums. And the whole thing is plagued with an endless succession of cameos that (with the exception of Drake on "Right Here"), feel completely out of place.

There are a handful of really good songs here (more on that later). And Biebs' new grown-up voice is actually really smooth and fits the genre well.

But if you're looking for a comparison, it's not Timberlake's Justified, it's Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded — an album by an artist in transition that's impossible to listen to in one sitting because there are so many godawful songs.

(Appropriately, Nicki Minaj's verse on Believe's "Beauty And A Beat" is the worst thing she's done in her life.)

Don't worry, Bieber people, there's enough good stuff here to make it a pretty safe bet that the Biebs will be around for a long time. But for now, make a Spotify list of just these awesome songs, and ignore the rest of Believe:

• "Right Here"
• "Out Of Town Girl"
• "Take You"
• "As Long As You Love Me"
• "Fairytale"

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People are still criticizing LeBron James for the hour-long TV special in the summer of 2010 when he announced he would leave Cleveland and "take his talents South Beach."

But was it really such a bad decision?

Click here to vote in our poll >

Nearly two years later, James is more popular than ever.

So is the NBA.

Ratings of this year's NBA Finals between James' Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder are averaging 16.1 million viewers, the highest viewership since 2001, when LeBron was 16 years old. Ratings on TNT are up 44 percent since James went to Miami, and the four highest rated games on the network involved the Heat. Regular season ratings on ABC and ESPN are also at all-time highs. Meanwhile Miami's average home and road attendance went from 11th (at 17,898) to first (19,667) since James came to town.

James's had the top selling jersey in 2011, the year after The Decision.

He is killing it on social media too. He leads active NBA players with 4.9 million Twitter followers and is second only to Kobe Bryant with 10.76 million "likes" on Facebook.

James is more powerful than before The Decision too, according to Forbes' composite ranking of earnings and media exposure. James was the 15th most powerful celebrity in 2012, up from 28th in 2010.

He's also raking in more money. Including salary and endorsements, James pulled in $53 million in 2011 according to Forbes, fourth among athletes. That's $5 million more than he made in the pre-Decision year of 2009, according to Forbes, despite taking a salary cut to go to the Heat.

Searches for his name on Google went nuclear during the summer of The Decision, and they remain elevated now.

So was "The Decision" really a mistake? Click here to vote in our poll >

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Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, José Andrés, Rick Bayless, John Besh, Danny Meyer, Mario Batali, Ming Tsai, Jacques Pépin and Marcus Samuelson are just a few of the recognizable celebrity chef names who made the trek to Aspen, Colorado this weekend to take part in the 30th annual Food & Wine Classic.

While the chefs were busy cooking for patrons and pass-holders during the day, at night they were able to let off some steam at one the many non-stop parties.

And with sponsors like Belvedere, Patrón, Casa Dragones and Stella Artois, everyone had more than a good time—including one late night dance circle that included at least three famous chefs.

The festival kicked off at a "wines from Spain paella" fiesta hosted by celebrity chef José Andrés in a $27 million mansion on Buttermilk Mountain.

Andrés, who took a moment to pose with fellow chef Andrew Zimmern, was working in the kitchen preparing food for guests even more than he was partying.

Bravo host Gail Simmons was in attendance with her friend Nilou Motamed, an editor at Travel + Leisure magazine who frequently makes TV appearances.

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Octomom is at it again.

Nadya Suleman, the fame-hungry woman who gave birth to eight children in 2009, has reportedly reneged on her deal with a Florida strip club to bare her breasts.

And the strip club has announced plans to sue, TMZ reported Sunday.

Suleman was scheduled to go topless at T's Lounge in West Palm Beach, Fla., but cancelled her appearance after a club employee called her "a little crazy," on television, according to TMZ.

But the club won't let her off the hook that easily.

In a letter to Suleman's attorney, a lawyer for the strip club claimed the club will sue Octomom if she doesn't perform at her scheduled time.

In response, Octomom's representative told TMZ she won't be appearing at the club, either at her scheduled time or in the future.

"Nadya felt defamed and was in fear for her life to step into a club where they have already set a negative tone," her rep told TMZ.

DON'T MISS: Yale Is No Longer Being Investigated After 'No Means Yes' Frat Scandal >

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Chinese state-run newspaper People's Daily has a long article today about a new scourge for Chinese society — teenage dating.

Of course, we're being hyperbolic, but its true the article does give an interest insight into a society that was perhaps once more prudent than Western culture (for example, the minimum age for marriage is 22 for males and 20 for females), uncomfortably butting into more Western style-dating cultures.

Data found by reporter Zhou Wenting that the average age of dating has dropped to 12 last year, from 14 in 2009, and even bigger drops

Perhaps more worrying to Chinese parents is the practice of "hotel dates", where by young boys and girls spend a few hours together in a budget hotel. Most of these hotels require ID cards, which are usually not given out until minors reach 16, but can be borrowed from older teenagers.

Curiously, the practice is apparently taken from a US teen drama:

A 15-year-old girl in Shanghai, surnamed Guan, said minors are following the rage for hotel dates because they think it's an international practice, something they've learned from US TV series.

"The free and open life in Gossip Girl - a US-based teen drama - seems fancy and we yearn for that," she said. "When we see how open they are, we believe that we behave too conservatively. We should learn from the West," she added.

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Walt Disney has just released the very first photo of their upcoming remake of "Sleeping Beauty," featuring none other than actress Angelina Jolie. 

Jolie plays the evil queen Maleficent, and judging from the photo above, she fits the part (and her horns) perfectly.

Joining her is the young but veteran actress Elle Fanning (she's been in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Super 8"), who will play the Princess Aurora. It is reported that the film will focus more on the backstory of Maleficent, before she became the evil queen we all know today.

Jolie told fans that the movie wasn't "anti-princess but it’s the first time they’re looking at this epic woman…. I hope in the end you see a woman who is capable of being many things, and just because she protects herself and is aggressive, it doesn’t mean she can’t have other [warmer] qualities. You have to figure out the puzzle of what she is.”

The film is being directed by Robert Stromberg and is set to hit theaters March 14, 2014. 

SEE ALSO: What we learned from the new 'Dark Knight Rises' trailer >

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• Johnny Depp, 49, and his French actress girlfriend Vanessa Paradis have split after 14 years together. The couple, who lived in France, have two children together: Lily-Rose, 13, and Jack, 9.

• Model mama Molly Sims welcomed her first child, a boy, with her producer-husband Scott Stuber.

• And another model, Marisa Miller, is going to be a mom. The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and her husband are expecting their first child due this fall.

• Mary-Kate Olsen, 26, steps out with her older, much taller boyfriend, Olivier Sarkozy, 42, and his young daughter. Check out the creepy pics here.

• Jim Carrey has exited stage right out of the Farrelly Brothers' "Dumb and Dumber" sequel. According to Entertainment Tonight, "Carrey grew increasingly frustrated by New Line and Warner Brothers, who he felt showed a lack of enthusiasm regarding the project." Now the entire project is up in the air.

• The first teaser trailer for "Monsters University," has just been released. Watch below.

SEE ALSO: 5 Things We Just Noticed In The New "Dark Knight Rises" Trailer >

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When we last chatted with New York City comedian Mark Malkoff, he was just a few weeks off a 30-day Netflix instant video binge.

It was the latest in a stream of part-challenge-part-stunts Malkoff has become notorious for, including the time he occupied an IKEA store for a week in 2009 and tried to crowd-surf the entire length of Manhattan.

This time around, he holed up in his Queens, N.Y. apartment and managed to squeeze in 252 Netflix movies in just 30 days–for a total of 404.25 hours. Not bad for $7.99. 

Malkoff wasn't on Netflix's payroll at all, but the company obviously didn't mind the good press. Not only did they invite Malkoff out to screen the 4-minute documentary he made about the experience but he got to rub elbows with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings himself.

"I totally freaked out when I met Reed Hastings," Malkoff said in an email to BI. “I had no clue I’d be face-to-face with the man himself.”

That wasn't all. The company also declared June 11 "Mark Malkoff Day" at its Los Gatos, Calif. headquarters. 

See how it all went down: 

SEE ALSO: 11 pop culture icons who had millions and blew it all >

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Vampires, wolves and an overly protective Kristen Stewart go to war in a just-released first trailer for the final "Twilight" film.

So what's all of this fighting over?

The Volturi (the all-powerful vampire authority) believe the Cullen clan (Edward, Bella and the lot) have turned a child into a vampire. This is against vampire law, so naturally, the vamps are coming down to reign all sorts of terror.

In actuality, Bella and Edward's newborn daughter Renesmee is half-human, half-vampire, and growing at a ridiculously rapid pace (creating other problems). 

The first trailer offers up a lot more action than the previous films that have relied mostly on the series' romance. 

Best part of this trailer? Getting to see little Dakota Fanning back as part of the Volturi. 

You got us "Twilight," we'll bite. 

"Breaking Dawn — Part 2" opens in theaters November 16.

Watch the trailer below:

SEE ALSO: 5 things we noticed in a new "Dark Knight Rises" trailer >

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MTV will air every episode of "The Hills," selected episodes of "Daria" and the first two seasons of "Laguna Hills" on weekday mornings over the next six weeks, the network said Wednesday.

The 9-to-noon airings -- dubbed "Retro Mania" -- will feature guest stars hosting and providing commentary. Stephen Colletti will handle "Laguna Beach" while Audrina Patridge, Lo Bosworth, Stephanie Pratt and MTV's Layla Kayleigh will weigh in on "The Hills." Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer, hosts of the upcoming "Nikki & Sara Show," will provide "Daria" commentary.

The revival of "Beavis and Butt-Head" sparked hope among some fans that its spinoff, "Daria," might be revived as well. The show about an acerbic, bespectacled teen with zero tolerance for trendiness aired for five seasons, beginning in 1997. For now, she's only back in repeats.

MTV is also promoting the re-airings with the hashtag #RetroMTV.

Here's the schedule:

June 25 – June 29

"Laguna Beach" (Seasons 1 and 2)

July 2 – July 27

"The Hills" (Seasons 1 – 6)

July 30 – August 3

"Daria" (Selection of MTV’s favorite episodes from the series)

SEE ALSO: Angelina Jolie dressed up as Disney's Maleficent >

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Forbes has just released their list of  highest-paid actresses.

The list gathered numbers from May 2011 to May 2012, and includes the ten actresses who are receiving the biggest paychecks.

While some on the list are usual suspects like Cameron Diaz, many are young newcomers. And being a part of a film franchise doesn't hurt, either.

Let's just say it pays to be funny.

10. Jennifer Aniston - $11 million

Aniston earned some of the best reviews of her career for her surprising turn in last summer's "Horrible Bosses" and followed it up with the disappointing "Wanderlust." Couple those paychecks with the money from "Friends" repeats, and her bank account is just fine. 

9. Kristen Wiig - $12 million

In addition to last summer's breakout smash "Bridesmaids," which earned $288 million on a $32 million budget, Wiig concluded her run on "Saturday Night Live" and appeared in the low-budget film "Friends With Kids."

8. Meryl Streep - $12 million

The reigning Oscar winner (and most nominated of all time) continues to average a film a year, and with her pedigree, she doesn't work for cheap.

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A vehicular manslaughter case against a star of popular 90s drama "Melrose Place" will reportedly test the reliability of "black box" data from automobiles.

Amy Locane is accused of broadsiding a sedan with her SUV in June 2010 while driving drunk, killing a passenger and seriously injuring a driver, the New Jersey Law Journal reported Wednesday.

Locane was indicted for vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving, and a judge recently gave prosecutors permission to use data from the vehicles' "black box" devices as evidence against her.

Car makers have been installing these devices since the 1990s – when Melrose Place aired – but there's little case law on whether lawyers can use their data in the courtroom, the Law Journal reported.

The devices record data about speed and vehicle maneuvering, the Law Journal reported.

On the night of Locane's crash, she claims that she was fleeing a motorist who was chasing her after a separate crash when she rammed into the sedan.

DON'T MISS: This Former Stanford Exec Who Allegedly Duped Investors With Her Ex-Lover Is Going To Prison >

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Ashton Kutcher's production company, Katalyst Media, is suing the California Department of Motor Vehicles for more than $1.44 in damages. The lawsuit claims the DMV backed out of a deal to film the daily grind of life at the DMV.

 "The series was conceived and designed to capture the variously humorous, emotional, dramatic, moving, humanizing and entertaining situations that arise on a daily basis at DMV's more than 170 offices across the state of California," according to the suit, a copy of which was obtained by "The Hollywood Reporter."

Katalyst is seeking damages for the thousands of hours spent developing the series. DMV agreed to film an initial four episodes, with the possibility of up to six seasons, before backing out. Katalyst made a deal to air the show on TruTV.

The "Two and a Half Men" star is far from the only one frustrated with the DMV. Where to we sign up to get compensated for our wasted time?

SEE ALSO: Who's Hollywood's top-paid leading lady? >

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The fifth season of AMC's "Mad Men" wrapped up June 10. The season finale, appropriately titled "The Phantom," was full of uncertainty and new beginnings (and endings, for one character in particular).

It seems reality is no exception as Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, and Christina Hendricks have yet to confirm their returns for season six.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, all four are still finalizing a deal with Lionsgate TV that will see them returning to the show for two more seasons.

We all but know Moss will be returning to the show after Matt Weiner, uncharacteristically revealed to TVLine that Peggy will return in the upcoming season after leaving Sterling Cooper for a job at another agency.

"I will spoil that one tiny piece of anticipation and tell people that Elisabeth will be showing up to work," Weiner told TVLine. "I can't say how much...but she has not left the show." 

Meanwhile the fate of Joan Harris, played by Hendricks, is still uncertain. The Hollywood Reporter reports Christina Hendricks is still hashing out the details for a new contract. 

So far AMC has only renewed "Mad Men" for season six but Weiner is confident there is a seventh season in "Mad Men"'s future. 

If there is a seventh season, Don Draper, played by the dapper Jon Hamm, is a sure bet. His record-breaking eight figure contract was renewed in 2011. 

Filming of season six will be begin in October.

SEE ALSO: The most memorable winners and losers from "America's Next Top Model" >

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When Lua Technologies took the stage at TechStars Demo Day in New York last month, it already had a big vote of confidence.

Just minutes before, it had signed its first term sheet. Ultimately, it received $1 million worth of commitments from TechStars mentors.

Today it's announcing the completion of a $2.5 million seed round of financing led by Roger Ehrenberg's IA Ventures. The Dark Knight Rises producer Charles Roven, Strauss Zelnick, former Tumblr president John Maloney, and Aaron Stone participated.

Lua Technologies is a mobile collaboration software company.  It believes that over the next few years, more people will be using their mobile devices than computers to get work done. Cofounder Michael Keoni DeFranco says there are already about 1.3 billion people who are a part of the mobile workforce.

Since Demo Day, Lua has been approached by companies across all sorts of industries, from entertainment to hospitality.

Cisco, GE, and even a small island were interested in using Lua Technologies to help wrangle their employees and communities under its mobile network. Currently 10 to 20 companies are using Lua in beta.

Lua charges a $20 subscription fee for the group organizer. All group members who use Lua under the organizer can do so for free.

Organizers can set up calendar events, group chats, and one-to-one messages over Lua. They can also upload documents and share them easily. DeFranco says the goal is to help businesses do everything they need with just six screens and 2 clicks via Lua's interface.

Lua will use the $2.5 million to grow its team of 13 to more than 20 people. It will also open up a west coast office, most likely in LA, to be in the heart of the entertainment industry. It recently moved into a new office on 20th and Broadway in Manhattan.

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Brian and Dawn Peterson have sued legendary rocker Bob Dylan (aka Robert Zimmerman) and Ashes & Sand over a 40-year old guitar allegedly used by the musician, according to a civil action suit in Morris County Court of of New Jersey. 

The guitar and sheet music came into Dawn's possession by way of her father, Victor Quinto, a pilot "often used by folk musicians for charter flights" in the mid-60s. 

After one particular flight, Mr. Quinto realized Dylan left behind his guitar and sheet music. Taking it home, he then tried to contact Mr. Dylan's camp in order to return the missing items.

The suit claims, "despite the request, neither Zimmerman nor anyone on his behalf ever made any attempt to obtain the equipment or music."

Over the years Mr. Quinto gave away the sheet music to friends and family as gifts, while keeping the guitar for himself. 

Unfortunately, Mr. Quinto died in 1977 of a brain aneurysm, where upon his passing, the guitar was handed down to his daughter, Dawn Peterson.

The Peterson's claim that in 2005, they attempted to contact the Zimmerman camp to explain the curious case of Mr. Dylan's guitar. This time they received a response, stating "the described guitar, case and lyrics, 'if genuine,' were the 'sole property' of Zimmerman and 'were stolen' from Zimmerman."

Now the Peterson's have brought the case to trial, seeking legal declaration that they are indeed the rightful owners of the guitar, guitar case, and sheet music.

You can read the court case HERE.

SEE ALSO: Guess who hasn't signed on for the new season of "Mad Men" >

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Recently, one Project Runway contestant's unusual eating habits caught our attention.

"I'm Freegan," said Fabio Costa, a Brazilian-born designer from Brooklyn, N.Y. Simply put, he's a dedicated dumpster diver.

Freeganism has been on the rise in the U.S. over the last few years, but now the sustainable living philosophy is hitting the mainstream.

"Many freegans consider dumpster diving to be a great way to save money on groceries. Others do it because they want to live more simply," says Investing Answer's Michael Snyder.

What is Freeganism?

Beyond the dumpster diving stigma, Freegans take a hard line against capitalism and rally for sustainable living standards. There are dozens of Freegan groups around the country.

Manhattan is home to its own Freegan network, which hosts frequent meet-ups and dumpster diving sessions for followers. Here's how the site defines the Freegan philosophy: 

"As workers and potential consumers, we view participation in this economy as a form of complicity in practices like sweatshop labor, rainforest destruction, and factory farming. Freegans believe in living ethical, free, and happy lives centered around community and the notion that a healthy society must function on interdependence."

Is it legal?  

We've encountered our far share of dumpster divers here at Your Money. Like cave-dweller Daniel Suelo and the money-free Heidemarie Schwermer, much of the controversy Freegans encounter has to do with the legality of their lifestyle.

For the most part, yes––once food's tossed out, it basically becomes public property––so long as shopowners don't mind anyone digging through their trash afterhours. Residential bins are probably out, unless you ask for permission. And of course, any trespassing laws apply as well. Some grocers, as Freegan Info points out, will even tell freegans when to drop by to pick up food ready to be tossed out. 

The drawback

Notes Snyder:  "One of the biggest issues facing dumpster divers is safety. Crawling around in back alleys and side streets in the middle of the night is not exactly the safest thing to do. But the lure of large amounts of free food is enough to keep some people coming back over and over again."

Looking for more on the Freegan way of life? Check out these lists of Freegan "meet-up" groups around the world. 

DON'T MISS: This couple built a sustainable treehouse village in Costa Rica >

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The Fancy, a Pinterest-like photo site founded by Joe Einhorn, is getting a lot of celebrity love these days.

It's backed by Square's Jack Dorsey; recently Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO TIm Cook created accounts.

Today Kanye West tweeted about the startup, "Working on the future with Joe Einhorn."

Here's a picture of Einhorn and West kicking it.

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