How does it work with old music? ESPN Classic can show hockey games with old music playing. Do they pay royalties, or does it not matter because the music is a passive component rather than an active one, as it is for entrance music?
I think ECW payed the royalties so that they could have liscensed music on all home video releases along with the ability to use it in the arena.
However, when Pioneer released the DVD's, they only acquired the rights to the actual wrestling footage, not all the ECW liscensing that went along with it.
So I believe WWE assumed the rights of both ECW liscensing and video distribution, so they should be ok to release the currently recorded footage with the audio.
Heyman used to bitch in interviews all the time about having to shell out a fortune for "Enter Sandman".
Yeah, I think you're right, since WWE owns it.
Heck, on the 1998 re-release of the WrestleMania 1 video, they had the original songs on it ("Another One Bites The Dust", "Born in the USA", "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", and "Eye of the Tiger")...so I don't see why they wouldn't with the ECW stuff.