Editing Nine Inch Nails (section)

===Universal Music Group===
In May 2007, Reznor made a post on the official Nine Inch Nails website skeptical of [[Universal Music Group]] (parent company of Nine Inch Nails' record label, [[Interscope Records]]) for its pricing and distribution plans for ''Year Zero.''<ref name="RollingStoneKreps">{{cite magazine| last = Kreps| first = Daniel| title = Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor Slams Records Labels for Sorry State of the Industry| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]| date = May 14, 2007| url= https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/14/nine-inch-nails-trent-reznor-slams-records-labels-for-sorry-state-of-the-industry/| access-date = April 12, 2011| url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406103223/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/14/nine-inch-nails-trent-reznor-slams-records-labels-for-sorry-state-of-the-industry/|archive-date=April 6, 2008}}</ref> He labeled the company's retail pricing of ''Year Zero'' in Australia as "ABSURD", concluding that "as a reward for being a 'true fan' you get ripped off". Reznor went on to say that he hated Interscope, and in later years the "climate" of record labels may have an increasingly ambivalent impact on consumers who buy music.<ref name="UMG">{{cite web| url = http://www.nin.com/tr| access-date = August 22, 2007| last = Reznor| first = Trent| title = Updates from Trent| date = May 13, 2007| publisher = Nine Inch Nails| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070517041353/http://nin.com/tr/| archive-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> Reznor's post, specifically his criticism of the recording industry at large, elicited considerable media attention.<ref name="Reznor Smashes UMG">{{cite web| title = Reznor Smashes UMG, Websites Write About It| publisher = The NIN Hotline| date = May 17, 2007| url = http://www.theninhotline.net/news/archives/backissue.php?y=07&m=5#1179461909| access-date = May 19, 2007| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071128011751/http://www.theninhotline.net/news/archives/backissue.php?y=07&m=5#1179461909| archive-date = November 28, 2007}}</ref> In September 2007, Reznor continued his attack on UMG at a concert in Australia, urging fans there to "steal" his music online instead of purchasing it legally.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.smh.com.au/news/web/steal-away-steal-steal-and-steal-some-more/2007/09/18/1189881482912.html| title = Nails frontman urges fans to steal music| work = [[Sydney Morning Herald]]| publisher = [[Fairfax Media]]| date = September 18, 2007| access-date = September 18, 2007| last = Moses| first = Asher| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011201345/http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/steal-away-steal-steal-and-steal-some-more/2007/09/18/1189881482912.html| archive-date = October 11, 2007}}</ref> Reznor went on to encourage the crowd to "steal and steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealing".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.theninhotline.net/news/archives/backissue.php?y=07&m=9#1189989696| title = Trent follows up on Universal AU| publisher = The NIN Hotline| date = September 16, 2007| access-date = September 18, 2007| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071128011811/http://www.theninhotline.net/news/archives/backissue.php?y=07&m=9#1189989696| archive-date = November 28, 2007}}</ref>

Reznor announced on October 8, 2007, that Nine Inch Nails had fulfilled its contractual commitments to Interscope Records and was now free to proceed as a "totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label".<ref name="BBFreeAgent">{{cite magazine| last = Cohen| first = Jonathan| url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1048419/nine-inch-nails-celebrates-free-agent-status| title = Nine Inch Nails Celebrates Free Agent Status| access-date = October 20, 2017| magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher = [[Nielsen Company]]| date = October 8, 2007| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180423152622/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1048419/nine-inch-nails-celebrates-free-agent-status| archive-date = April 23, 2018}}</ref> Reznor also speculated that he would release the next Nine Inch Nails album online in a similar fashion to ''[[The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!]]'', which he produced.<ref>{{cite web| work = [[New York (magazine)|New York]]| publisher = New York Media| author = Westhoff, Ben| url = https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/10/trent_reznor_and_saul_williams.html| title = Trent Reznor and Saul Williams discuss their new collaboration ...| date = October 30, 2007| access-date = October 31, 2007| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071031021032/http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/10/trent_reznor_and_saul_williams.html| archive-date = October 31, 2007}}</ref> Reznor later released the first nine tracks of ''[[Ghosts I–IV]]'' and the entirety of ''[[The Slip (album)|The Slip]]'' in 2008 for free download.

In another post on his website, Reznor again openly criticized Universal Music Group for preventing him from launching an official interactive fan remix website. Universal declined to host the site just days before its scheduled launch, citing the potential "accusation", in Reznor's words, "that they are sponsoring the same technical violation of copyright they are suing [other media companies] for".<ref>{{cite magazine| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]| author = Kreps, Daniel| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/11/20/trent-reznor-puts-new-nin-site-on-hold-warns-of-apocalyptical-lawsuit/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122163426/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/11/20/trent-reznor-puts-new-nin-site-on-hold-warns-of-apocalyptical-lawsuit/ |archive-date=November 22, 2007| title = Trent Reznor puts new NIN site on hold| date = November 20, 2007| url-status=dead| access-date = November 21, 2007}}</ref> Reznor wrote in response that he was "challenged at the last second to find a way of bringing this idea to life without getting splashed by the urine as these media companies piss all over each other's feet".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-11-22 |title=nin.com [the official nine inch nails website] |url=http://nin.com/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122224318/http://nin.com/ |archive-date=November 22, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://gizmodo.com/gadgets/music-industry/universals-legal-tangles-with-youtube-kill-official-nine-inch-nails-fan-remix-site-326634.php| work = [[Gizmodo]]| publisher = [[Gawker Media]]| title = Universal's Legal Tangles With YouTube Kill Official Nine Inch Nails Fan Remix Site| date = November 26, 2007| access-date = January 29, 2008| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080211180410/http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/music-industry/universals-legal-tangles-with-youtube-kill-official-nine-inch-nails-fan-remix-site-326634.php| archive-date = February 11, 2008}}</ref> Despite these obstacles, the remix website was launched in November 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-22 |title=Nine Inch Nails - Remix.nin.com |url=https://www.nin.wiki/Remix.nin.com#about |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=nin.wiki |language=en}}</ref>