Vivendi Universal, the troubled French entertainment conglomerate that bought Seagram in 2000, has been selling off the art collection.

Those assets were put up for sale by Vivendi Universal, the entertainment company that acquired them in buying Seagram.

Vivendi, the entertainment conglomerate that bought Seagram two years ago, is now in financial trouble and is disposing of some of its assets.

But that was before he began negotiating to buy Seagram and its Universal movie and music studios.

Vivendi, which acquired Universal when it bought Seagram last year, wants to add TV production to its media operations.

And later, in 2000, the French water company Vivendi agreed to buy Seagram, acquiring both Universal's film studio and music recording company.

Vivendi inherited Universal Pictures when it bought Seagram in 2000, and owned the studio for just three years before deciding to sell it to NBC.

The Bronfman family owns about 6 percent of Vivendi, worth $1.8 billion, less than half its value when Vivendi bought Seagram in late 2000.

What's more, I sometimes buy Seagram's 7, so I would be helping the whole thing along in my small way.

Vivendi, the French media conglomerate that bought Seagram, is selling the liquor and keeping Seagram's Universal film, music and entertainment businesses.