EMI Digital label code conundrum

MusicBrainz
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I have this release.

The Label currently selected for this release is “EMI Digital,” which clearly agrees with the label logo on the artwork. But I just noticed that the label code for the selected label is LC 00110. However, on the back cover, at the lower right corner, the label code “LC 0542” is printed.

Searching MB for this LC using the following parameters, I get a list of 23 labels, many with variations of “EMI,” but none with “EMI Digital.” :
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Searching for LC 00110, I get four results, including “EMI Digital.” I realize how convoluted the history of labels can be, and I’m not sure what to do here. I could add yet another label to the list of LC 0542, but that would leave us with two labels with the same name and different LCs. I could edit the “EMI Digital” label and change its LC to 0542, but that would affect every release currently attached to that label.

Discogs says LC 0542 is EMI, and LC 00110 belongs to “Angel Records,” which seems to be part of the EMI mess, but there’s no mention of “Angel Records” on this release.

So I don’t know what to do here. It seems like there’s nothing to do that won’t just add to the mess.

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The idea that EU label codes correspond to imprints (rather than record companies that use dozens of mutually exclusive imprints) is probably defective in the first place.

Luckily, EU label codes don’t even exist in the US or Japan.

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Well, here I have two label codes using the exact same imprint, described as “the “EMI” name above an angel sitting on a disc, with the word “DIGITAL” below.” So they don’t appear to be mutually exclusive. Hence the conundrum.

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There are often times many logos (imprints) and just one LC on the release artwork, right? So LC can’t be trusted to tell the label.
A LC is really just a German thing, if I’m not mistaken. For the current code assignments, you can check GVL.

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It’s not “just a German thing”, it’s also an IFPI standard, but I have to admit it’s hardly used outside of Europe. :slight_smile: