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January 23, 2004 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o FBI Arrests Suspected Hollywood Movie "Screener" Pirate
o Judge Says Kazaa Can Sue Record Labels for Copyright Infringement
o Chief Commentator for MarketWatch.com Resigns Amid SEC Probe
o FBI Raids Programmer's House in "Half-Life 2" Code Theft Investigation  
o Google Tests Online Social Networking Waters with Orkut.com
o XM Satellite Radio to Sell 20 Million Shares
o Internet Portal Yahoo to Decamp from Nordic Region


 > DMW Announcements
 --DMW Events - Digital Music Forum -Confirmed Speakers
 --DMW Publications
   -Digital Media Law Report - December Law Report Available Now!

 > Featured Advertisement:
 --MIDEMNET
 

o Briefly Noted: Macrovision CDS-300, AOL - CBS - Super Bowl ads, SunnComm Technologies - Quiet Tiger, Interplay Entertainment - "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II," Eidos - Ion Storm - "Thief: Deadly Shadows," Gaming Open Market

 
> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
 
--Best Cities, Best Job Growth Performers: Where should you be?
 --
Director of Corporate Marketing Communications - Fort Collins, CO
 --
Software Engineer
 --
HireStrategy- COO
 --
Video Production Services
 --Obtain Maximum Value for Your Excess Used Technology Equipment
 --Tech Executive Meeting - Harnessing Metrics to Drive
 --IT Service Management Forum Government Conference & Expo
 --Complete Information for Department of Homeland Security
 --Artisan Quality Handbags and Jewelry
 


o FBI Arrests Suspected Hollywood Movie "Screener" Pirate

Los Angeles -- FBI agents have arrested an Illinois man they believe was responsible for posting several "screener" copies of Academy Award-nominated movies to the Internet, the Associated Press reported. Russell Sprague, 51, was scheduled in court Friday to face criminal copyright infringement charges, after a search warrant executed at his house Thursday turned up hundreds of copies of screeners, for films including "The Last Samurai" and "Shattered Glass." The FBI told AP these screeners have been traced back to Academy member and actor Carmine Caridi, who it was revealed several weeks ago was the source of the copy of "Something's Gotta Give" that was found online by Sony Pictures. Caridi, who has not been charged as of yet, told investigators he has mailed his screener movies to Sprague the past three years, believing he was simply a film buff. Caridi's attorney Richard Millard told the Los Angeles Times that Caridi, "was embarrassed to learn that his name was associated with the film that was being improperly distributed." The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) declared a ban on the distribution of screeners late last year, citing piracy concerns, but that ban was later overturned by a federal court order.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-arrest23jan23,1,4614018.story
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A35313B27
http://www.salon.com/ent/wire/2004/01/23/oscar/index.html
_____________________________________________

o Judge Says Kazaa Can Sue Record Labels for Copyright Infringement

Los Angeles -- A federal judge has cleared the way for file-sharing network Kazaa to pursue its own copyright infringement suit against the same record labels that have sued the company in an attempt to shut the service down. U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson said last week that Kazaa parent Sharman Networks may pursue its claims, which allege that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) used unlicensed versions of Kazaa to monitor the network for infringers; and also violated the Kazaa license agreement by sending Kazaa users unsolicited instant messages, and seeding the file-sharing network with bogus music files. "What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander," Michael Friedman, an attorney not involved with the case, commented to the Los Angeles Times.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-kazaa23jan23,1,2476555.story
http://www.kazaa.com
_____________________________________________

o Chief Commentator for MarketWatch.com Resigns Amid SEC Probe

San Francisco -- MarketWatch.com, a San Francisco-based multimedia publisher of business news and financial information, said on Thursday that Thom Calandra, the company's chief commentator and author of The Calandra Report, has resigned. Calandra is being informally investigated by the SEC relating to his trading practices dating back to October 2002. MarketWatch.com also said that it is conducting its own internal investigation to see if he violated company policy. "Thom was required to abide by our internal trading policies and fully disclose his activities to his readers and subscribers," said Larry Kramer, the chairman and CEO of MarketWatch. The company said that it is fully cooperating with the SEC in turning over pertinent documents and has terminated The Calandra Report. Subscribers will be given pro-rated refunds.
http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=Cqa9y0bKbmdiYyJu4nJe
http://www.marketwatch.com
____________________________________________

o FBI Raids Programmer's House in "Half-Life 2" Code Theft Investigation

San Francisco -- In efforts to find those responsible stealing and posting online part of the code making up the anticipated PC game "Half-Life 2," the FBI raided San Francisco programmer Chris Toshok's home last week, seizing computer hardware and software, the BBC reported. Bellevue, Wash.-based Valve Software, which spent five years developing the game -- arguably the most popular title previewed at last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo -- said that the source code was stolen following an incident in September where the company's own servers were hacked. Toshok, who denied any wrongdoing, told the BBC the agents questioned him about a group called the Hungry Programmers, with whom he previously shared a house.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3414157.stm
http://www.valvesoftware.com
http://www.hungry.com
http://squeedlyspooch.com/blog/archives/000072.html
____________________________________________

o Google Tests Online Social Networking Waters with Orkut.com

San Francisco -- Google quietly launched its own social networking site on Thursday, Orkut.com, in a potential bid to enter the burgeoning space occupied by sites like Friendster, Tribe.net and MySpace.com, CNET News.com reported. The site is an independent project of Google engineer Orkut Buyukkokten, who created it during the past several months utilizing the one day per week that Google asks its engineers to spend working on personal projects. However, the company said that Orkut.com is only affiliated with Google, and not an official Google feature at this time. "We're always looking at opportunities to expand our search products, but we currently have no plans in the social networking market," Google spokeswoman Eileen Rodriquez told News.com.
http://news.com.com/2100-1026_3-5146006.html 
http://www.orkut.com
____________________________________________

o XM Satellite Radio to Sell 20 Million Shares

Washington -- XM Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, said on Friday that it and certain of its shareholders will raise a total of $520 million through an offering of 20 million shares. The company, which is selling 7 million of the shares, with the remainder being sold by current stockholders, said that it will sell the shares for $26.50 each. In addition, one of the selling shareholders has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to 3 million additional shares. The offering is expected to close on Jan. 28. Washington-based XM had more than 1.36 million subscribers at year's end.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040113/dctu061_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040123/dcf012_1.html 
http://www.xmradio.com
____________________________________________

o Internet Portal Yahoo to Decamp from Nordic Region

Stockholm -- AFP reported on Friday that Internet portal Yahoo plans to shut its branch in Copenhagen and pull out of the Nordic region by month's end. The news echoes a similar report published in Danish daily Jyllands-Posten, which says that Yahoo has decided to lay off its 20 employees in Copenhagen and shut down operations there because the Nordic branch -- which covers Denmark, Norway and Sweden -- has been losing money. Yahoo's Danish branch reported a $3.6-million loss in 2002, twice the losses reported the year previous, Jyllands-Posten reported.
http://www.jp.dk/itogc/artikel:aid=2228352/

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 > DMW Events:

4th Annual Digital Music Forum

March 1, 2004 | New York City
www.digitalmusicforum.com

 

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Amy Bernstein - Senior Editor, Business 2.0
David Del Beccaro - President & CEO, Music Choice
Derek Broes - EVP, Worldwide Operations,
Altnet
Ted Cohen - SVP, Digital Development & Distribution, EMI Music

David Card - VP & Research Director, Jupiter Research
Peter Csathy - COO, MusicMatch
Maureen Dorney - Partner, Gray Cary
Roy Elkins - CEO & Founder, Broadjam
Mark Frieser - CEO & Founder, Consect
Brian Garrity - Senior Editor, Billboard Magazine
Jim Griffin - CEO, Cherry Lane Digital
Ellie Hirschhorn - GM & EVP, MusicNet
Jeff Howe - Contributing Editor, Wired Magazine
John Kilcullen - President & Publisher, Billboard Magazine
David Kusek - Associate VP, Berklee College of Music
Steven Marks - SVP, Legal and Business Affairs, RIAA
Tim Nilson - VP, Mobile Technology, Sony Music
Jonathan Potter - Executive Director, Digital Media Association
Sean Ryan - VP, Music Services, Real Networks
Ned Sherman - CEO & Founder, Digital Media Wire
Howie Singer - Chief Technology Officer, Warner Music Group
Steve Schnur - Worldwide Executive of Music & Audio, Electronic Arts
Perry Solomon - Founder & VP, Strategy, Peppercoin
Bob Struble - President & CEO, Ibiquity Digital
Nikke Slight - SVP, New Media, Atlantic Records
Don Teague - VP, Sales & Marketing,
PaymentOne
Jim Van Huysse - Executive Director & GM, The AOL Radio@ Network
Jon Vlassopulos - Sr. Dir., Bus. Dev., AT&T Wireless Mobile Multimedia
more to come......

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
This year's forum focuses on the following questions:

- Is there a viable business model for selling music online? 
- Can licensed services compete with free downloads from file-sharing networks? 
- Who will be the winners and the losers in the world of online music sales? 
- What is the status of pending lawsuits and legislation concerning digital copyrights? Can the music industry profit from legitimate uses of P2P?
- How are consumers reacting to new formats for music delivery?
- Will new formats generate the kind of success that the industry experienced with CDs during the '80s and '90s? 
- What are the challenges and opportunities for music industry executives seeking to maximize the potential of the mobile market?
- What does the future hold for satellite and Internet radio?

For complete agenda and event details, please go to: www.digitalmusicforum.com

REGISTRATION
Early Bird Special: $195 (until January 20)
Pre-Registration: $295 (until February 20)
Registration: $395 (after February 20)


> DMW Publications:

> Digital Media Law Report
Must-read publication on legal and policy matters related to digital media. Law Report includes case summaries, news and analysis, policy updates, court filings, and exclusive interviews with legal counsel and business leaders. Published monthly. Subscriptions - Order

Available Now - December Law Report - 31 pages - Order

> G
ame Industry Quarterly
- Subscriptions - Order
The Game Industry Quarterly features news about key business, legal and finance developments impacting the game industry. Each issue includes sections on current industry research, financings, law and policy matters, game releases, business deals and other industry events.

Available Now - Q3 Game Industry Quartertly - 105 pages - Order

Past Events | Sponsorship Materials | Partners & Clients
 

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> Featured Advertisement:


 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Santa Clara, Calif.) Macrovision, a developer of CD and DVD copy-protection and other digital rights management technologies, has announced the release of the latest version of its CD copy-protection system, which now allows users to burn a limited number of digital tracks to CD and transfer them to portable devices. Unlike previous versions, which included one session of tracks playable on any CD player and another set intended for playback only on the PC, Macrovision's new CDS-300 system uses a feature in Microsoft's Windows Media format that allows content providers to determine the usage rights for the digital versions of the tracks on a CD. "With the flexible usage rights permitted with the Windows Media DRM, the average consumer should not even notice that their CD is copy protected," said Adam Sexton, Macrovision's vice president of music marketing.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040122/216111_1.html 
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5145961.html 
http://www.macrovision.com

(Dulles, Va.) America Online announced on Friday that it has partnered with CBS on a Super Bowl commercials promotion. AOL members and AOL.com visitors will be able to view online and vote for their favorite past Super Bowl ad, with the winners announced during a CBS special, "Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials," airing on Jan. 31. Past Super Bowl ads featured will include Apple's "1984" ad, "Jordan vs. Bird," and "Mean Joe Greene." AOL and CBS will also co-host an online vote for the best ad from the current year, offering streaming replays of ads immediately following the game.
http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55253737

(Phoenix, Ariz) SunnComm Technologies, a developer of CD copy-protection and digital rights management technologies, announced on Friday that it has entered into a marketing agreement with Quiet Tiger, an international sales and marketing group for digital content security products. Under the terms, Quiet Tiger will become the sales and marketing arm for SunnComm's MediaMax M4 suite of products that provide copy-protection and enable added content features for CDs. Additionally, SunnComm board member William H. Whitmore Jr. has been named president and CEO of Quiet Tiger.
http://www.quiettiger.com 
http://www.sunncomm.com

(Irvine, Calif.) Game developer Interplay Entertainment has released its "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II" for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Developed under a license from Atari and Hasbro, and based on the "Dungeons and Dragons" role-playing game created by Wizards of the Coast, the game will be co-published by Vivendi Universal Games.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040122/deth020_1.html 
http://www.interplay.com 
http://www.wizards.com 
http://bgda2.blackisle.com

(San Francisco) U.K.-based video game publisher Eidos said on Friday that it will publish Austin-based developer Ion Storm's "Thief: Deadly Shadows" for Xbox and the PC in the spring of 2004. The game is the third installment in the action stealth series originally created by Looking Glass Studios.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040122/sfth076_1.html 
http://www.eidos.com 
http://www.ionstorm.com

(San Francisco) Wired News on Friday reported on the Gaming Open Market, a recently launched website that allows players of online games like "The Sims Online," "Ultima Online," "Second Life" and others to trade the game currency used in the online virtual worlds for actual U.S. dollars. While such transactions have become common on eBay, Gaming Open Market hopes to draw users by providing purchase protection for buyers, and eventually enabling trading of virtual currencies across different online games.
http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,61999,00.html
http://www.gamingopenmarket.com

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> Director of Corporate Marketing Communications - Fort Collins, CO

Exciting opportunity with a leader in the semiconductor equipment industry! You will need to have demonstrated experience in branding and positioning, e-marketing, advertising, public/investor relations, trade shows, and sales collateral development. Prefer 10+ years of leadership experience in a corporate marketing role. Need to have big picture thinking and advanced business judgment. MBA preferred. Full relocation provided. Contact: heather.blagg@aei.com
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> Software Engineer

Helps design, prototype, develop, and maintain innovative newsroom automation software and systems integrating text, graphics, audio, video, and machine control for broadcast stations and networks. Manages functional specifications for enhancements/updates, interfacing with development partners. Requires programming in Microsoft Visual Studio and Visual Studio.NET; computer sciences degree or related; PCs and MS Windows products; data communication and LANs, and broadcast news production systems. Travel. Email: apbnchr@ap.org
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> Tech Executive Meeting - Harnessing Metrics to Drive

Burlington, MA - FEB 10: What's in a number? Come meet our esteemed set of panelists for an interactive discussion and case examples of how to harness metrics to drive greater sales results. NETSEA is the premiere not-for-profit organization designed to provide learning and networking opportunities to New England tech executives. Visit: (www.netsea.org)
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> IT Service Management Forum Government Conference & Expo

February 2-7, 2004 - Washington, DC. A Framework for Achieving Operational Excellence in Govt. Information Technology<< An event for Federal, State & Local government agencies and the industry professionals that work with & provide services to them. Conference includes ITSM Pre-Conference Day & Post-Conference Training Classes. Register today and save! http://www.itsmfevent.com
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> Complete Information for Department of Homeland Security

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Digital Media Wire, Inc. is a news organization, publisher and events company serving the digital media industry since May 2000. Our daily newsletter delivers original briefings on business, legal and financial developments shaping digital media and read by over 30,000 executives and professionals. To subscribe for free, please click here.

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