London-based Cooperative Music of V2 Music. The intent was to enhance expansion through international agreements, and so independent labels from Europe under Cooperative Music would gain access to the independent American marketplace through Fontana International's diverse connections in independent marketing, promotion and distribution support. Cooperative Music has had significant success with various acts such as Fleet Foxes, Phoenix and The Black Keys. In 2013, [PIAS] has acquired Cooperative Music (including V2) from Universal Music Group. V2 Benelux V2 Benelux was founded by Richard Branson in 1997 as part of the V2 International group with affiliates in USA, UK, Scandinavia, Germany, France, Italy and Benelux. In February 2007 the directors of V2 Benelux, Chris Boog and Tom Willinck, rounded off a successful management buy out together with their distributor, Bertus Distribution. Since September 2014 V2 Music offers full in-house label services in Benelux, France, and also Germany, Switzerland and Austria through Bertus Music Vertrieb GmbH. V2 North America In 2006 Branson sold V2 North America to Sheridan Square Entertainment LLC (SSE) for $15 million. SSE then merged its label Artemis Records into V2 North America. The new label was effectively divested from the Virgin Group. Sheridan Square was later acquired by IndieBlu, which itself was acquired by Entertainment One. On 12 January 2007, V2 North America announced that it was undergoing restructuring to focus on its back catalogue and digital distribution. As a result, their employees were let go and their roster of artists left as free agents. Current & past artists 12 Girls Band 12 Rods Acoustic Ladyland Alex Gold Alkaline Trio A.M. Sixty Amusement Parks on Fire Antique At the Drive-In Ben Christophers Benedict Cork Billy Crawford Brendan Benson Best Fwends Better Than Ezra Birthmark The Black Crowes The Black Keys Blaudzun Bloc Party The Blood Brothers Blood Meridian Blood Red Shoes Ane Brun Carla Bruni CSS Burning Brides Isobel Campbell Cold War Kids Cornershop The Cribs The Crocketts The Crystal Method Ray Davies The Datsuns N'Dea Davenport dEUS Dogs Die In Hot Cars Dope Doug E. Fresh Duke Special Jesse James Dupree Elbow Every Move a Picture Mary Fahl Fixkes Grandaddy Gosling Gravediggaz The Greenhornes Paul Hardcastle Maximilian Hecker The High Llamas Hundred Reasons Michael Hutchence iamamiwhoami The Icarus Line InMe Intwine Jaimeson Jape The Jesus and Mary Chain John Coffey Tom Jones Jungle Brothers Kings of Infinite Space Ed Kowalczyk Mark Lanegan Langhorne Slim Lethal Bizzle Liberty