After reading all the posts today, I think nothing has changed with scmi, no funding for merger yet, no apple and it now seems that everything for scmi depends on apple.
Like I said before nothing changed, they are working hard (on what), they are confident (why) apple didn't blink.
If the labels get the $1.29 per track, they will go along with apple and forget protection. They will all make a ton and will not have to worry about giving a slice to us. imho.