The Imagem Music Group has announced it has bought back the worldwide administration rights to the catalogue owned by The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organisation, the US-based publishing firm Imagem acquired last April.

Although taking ownership of the late music theatre greats' publishing company last year, many of the exploitation rights outside the US for songs and shows in the RHO catalogue were held by EMI under a long term administration deal. But Imagem announced this morning that they had now bought RHO out of that deal, giving them complete rights over the firm's songs.

Imagem UK CEO John Minch told CMU: "I am extremely grateful to EMI for their help and flexibility in putting this agreement together. They have been involved in developing these rights for many years and have done a first class job with them. But ever since we acquired RHO last year it's been a bit frustrating not being able to let our synch team and trackers loose to maximise the potential of this great company and to channel the rights through the Imagem network worldwide".