Relationship Type "Rename"
Link Phrases
label was renamed into label
label is the later name of label
Description
This describes the fact that a label has changed its name, be it for purely aesthetic reasons, or following a buyout/sellout/spin-off.
This AdvancedRelationshipType of LabelLabelRelationships is part of the BusinessAssociationRelationshipClass and LabelRelationshipClass.
Relationship Attributes
"period of time" (DateRelationshipAttribute)
Of course, you should use only one date (eg: the same date in both "begin" and "end" input fields), as a label is not "renamed" over a period of time.
Style
You should be extra careful with cases were complicated merge/split/restructure financial operations are done. For example, it's not a good idea to rename the label Verve into The Verve Music Group, as Verve continued its existence thereafter as an imprint.
Furthermore, you shouldn't abuse this link trying to follow companies' existences too closely. A company slightly altering its name (without any significant change to its imprint(s)) is not enough to justify creating distinct entities in the database (please keep in mind that MusicBrainz doesn't aim at keeping track of the economic and financial aspects of the record industry).
Examples
* Satellite was renamed into Stax in 1961
FAQ
What happens when a record company first changes the company name, then decides to create a subsidiary using the first name (yes that happens! See New Jazz).
the former and the later are two different entities, they should be two different label entries in the system
When a label changes its name, what should we do with the other links it had (eg: LabelReissueRelationshipType, LabelOwnershipRelationshipType)
if the links are still true for the "new" label, they should be duplicated, using as a begin date the rename date (obviously, the links to the former name ought to be "ended" at the same rename date)
Discussion
There are a number of open questions.
It's unknown what happens to a LabelCode when a label changes its name. Is the LabelCode kept, or does it have to change? If it does, is it a problem to have different labels with the same LabelCode in the database?
What to do if a label changes its name, and then "silently" reissue (or more exactly reprint the sleeves) its catalog under its new name, with the same catalog numbers (and possibly barcodes)? We may end-up with somewhat duplicated entries in the system. Do we care?
CategoryRelationshipType CategoryLabel