A contentious battle between Apple and part of the music industry is set be decided today (Oct. 2), when a panel of judges appointed by Congress is expected to rule whether Apple (AAPL) and other online music distributors should pay higher royalty fees to music publishers.

The ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board affects not only Apple but also Amazon.com (AMZN), EMusic, RealNetworks' (RNWK) Rhapsody, and Best Buy's (BBY) Napster. Music publishers, who represent creators of song lyrics and sheet music, want an increase in royalty payments while Apple and the other companies are pushing for a reduction.

Their dispute underscores the larger debate over the best methods for distribution and how to divide the proceeds from online music sales. As more consumers access music over the Web and eschew compact disc purchases, a cross section of companies led by Apple has emerged as a conduit between consumers and the music industry, keeping a share of sales.

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