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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- February 5, 2003
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o Vivendi Closes $205M Sale of Canal Plus Technologies Stake to Thomson
o Nintendo Sets Aggressive Sales Goals for Game Boy Handhelds in 2003
o WSJ: German Patent Office Wants Copyright Levy On New PCs
o TiVo Exiting U.K. Market for Digital Video Recorders
o Jupitermedia Computer Digital Expo to Compete With Struggling Comdex
o Video Game Portal IGN Reports First Profitable Quarter
o Hotel VOD Provider On Command Delisted from Nasdaq
> DMW Publications: January Law and Policy Report
> DMW Presents: Digital Music Forum | March 3 | NYC
> Featured: Game Developers Conference Mobile, I.D. Magazine
o Briefly Noted: Nokia - N-Game publishing partners, Overture - AOL
Europe, Verizon Wireless - NBA All-Star Game, THQ - new titles, Cox -
personal video recorders, Kasenna - patent, Verance
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> Events: Games & Mobile Forum: April 28 | NYC, Global Entertainment
& Media Summit
> Marketplace: Multimedia production firm, 2000 Honda Accord,
Entertainment & Corporate Legal Services, Game Industry Report,
iTV Chronicle, Interest-Based Navigation
Full Classifieds located beneath "Briefly Noted" section below.
To post a Classified Ad:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/mainpostingpage.html
or contact Tinzar Than at tinzar@digitalmediawire.com
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o Vivendi Closes $205M Sale of Canal Plus Technologies Stake to Thomson
Paris -- Debt-laden Vivendi Universal announced on Wednesday that it has
completed the sale of its 89 percent stake in interactive TV firm Canal
Plus Technologies to Thomson Multimedia. Vivendi will receive a total of
$205 million for its stake in the company -- with $182 already tendered
and the remainder to be paid after post-closing adjustment. Paris-based
Vivendi Universal has also reportedly been looking to sell off its video
game unit to suitors including Microsoft and Electronic Arts to alleviate
its debt load.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030205/52172_1.html
http://www.canalplus-technologies.com
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o Nintendo Sets Aggressive Sales Goals for Game Boy Handhelds in 2003
Tokyo -- As cell phone maker Nokia announced its entry into the handheld
video game market, Nintendo, whose Game Boy Advance products currently
dominate the market, on Wednesday increased its sales goal for handheld
games from 15 to 20 million for the coming year, Reuters reported.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told a news conference that the company
hopes to sell 2 million of its new Game Boy Advance SP handhelds within
six weeks of the device's launch, on Feb. 14. The new handheld, which
features a brighter display and more sleek design, is targeted at a more
mature demographic than its Game Boy, whose "Pokemon" game titles have
been top-sellers in the youth market.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=2171829
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o WSJ: German Patent Office Wants Copyright Levy On New PCs
Brussels -- The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the German
Patent Office has asked PC makers to pay a $13 levy to copyright holders
on each new computer they sell, to compensate for private digital copying.
No similar levies exist on PCs, although the U.S. and other countries have
explored taxing the cost of recordable CDs, paying the extra fees to
copyright holders. The German Patent Office will likely face a court
battle from the PC industry. "Fujitsu Siemens and the rest of the industry
presumably will reject the suggestion," and the case will head to court,
Thomas Vinje, a Brussels lawyer who represents German PC maker Fujitsu
Siemens Computers, told The Journal. Fujitsu Siemens is also currently
involved in a dispute with German reprography rights society VG Wort over
copyright issues.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1044385225838491533,00.html
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o TiVo Exiting U.K. Market for Digital Video Recorders
San Jose, Calif. -- TiVo, a developer of digital video recorders that let
viewers pause and record live television, said that it will no longer
supply its products to the U.K. market. Products at retail will remain on
shelves and current owners will still receive service and repair, but TiVo
will ship no new devices to the U.K. "Unfortunately we no longer have any
stock of the Thomson Digital Video Recorder. This is as a result of
Thomson's contract to manufacture the units for the U.K. market coming to
an end," TiVo said in a statement. TiVo currently claims around 500,000
subscribers in the U.S., and has licensed its digital video recorder
technology to firms including Sony and Toshiba.
http://www.tivo.com
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o Jupitermedia Computer Digital Expo to Compete With Struggling Comdex
Darien, Conn. -- The bankruptcy of Comdex, once the mother of all computer
trade shows, has provided Jupitermedia Corp. with an opening, and the
trade show and Internet analyst firm created from the now-defunct Jupiter
Media Metrix has wasted no time in announcing its Computer Digital Expo.
The fall show will run Nov. 17 to 21 in Las Vegas, in the same city and at
the same time that Comdex runs. Jupitermedia's event will consist of four
days of exhibits and five days of seminars at the new 1.8 million square
foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center and hotel campus. "The computer and IT
industries require a dynamic exhibition and conference that covers the
expansion of technology from computers to the numerous digital devices
that are driving today's information technologies," said Alan Meckler,
chairman and CEO of Jupitermedia.
http://www.internet.com/corporate/releases/03.02.04-compdigitalexpo.html
http://www.comdex.com
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o Video Game Portal IGN Reports First Profitable Quarter
San Francisco -- IGN Entertainment, which operates the IGN.com video game
information and entertainment portal, announced on Wednesday its
first-ever profitable quarter, reporting revenue of $4.2 million and net
income of $204,000, or $0.09 per share. For the full year, San
Francisco-based IGN reported revenue of $11.4 million, a 17 percent
increase over fiscal year 2001 revenue of $9.7 million, and counted 73,000
paying subscribers as of Dec. 31. The company currently anticipates that
its 2003 revenue will increase by approximately 45 to 50 percent over 2002
revenue, and will range between $16 million and $17 million.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030205/50128_1.html
http://www.ign.com
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o Hotel VOD Provider On Command Delisted from Nasdaq
Denver -- On Command, a provider of in-room high-speed Internet,
video-on-demand and other entertainment services to the hotel and cruise
ship industries, announced on Wednesday that its shares will be delisted
from the Nasdaq National Market effective tomorrow. Denver-based On
Command's shares -- which have traded below the Nasdaq's $1 minimum since
November -- will now be listed on the OTC Bulletin Board. "Given the
financial stability the company achieved during 2002, we are disappointed
that we will no longer be trading on the Nasdaq National Market," said On
Command president and CEO Chris Sophinos.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030204/latu111_1.html
http://www.oncommand.com
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DMW Publications: January Law & Policy Report
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Contact tinzar@digitalmediawire.com or call 323-464-0793 to order your
copies. To purchase directly, go to:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.htm
Digital Media Law & Policy Report - New Issue
Must-read publication on legal and policy matters related to digital
media. 35+ pages of case summaries, news and analysis, policy updates,
court filings, and exclusive interviews with legal counsel and business
leaders.
Published monthly. January issue on sale now!
**Special Reduced Rates available for a limited time**
Price: $19.00 Per Issue | $195.00 Annual Subscription
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.htm
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DMW Presents. DIGITAL MUSIC FORUM
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March 3, 2003 | New York City | 9:00AM - 7:00 PM
Full list of speakers and agenda:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events/MusicForum_030303.htm
A full-day forum focusing on business & legal issues impacting the music
industry today. The agenda includes 2 keynote addresses, 4 moderated
panels and breakout sessions.
Sponsors:
Roxio (http://www.roxio.com)
Gateway (http://www.gateway.com)
Gray Cary (http://www.graycary.com)
BMI (http://www.bmi.com)
ASCAP (http://www.ascap.com)
Audible.com (http://www.audible.com)
Digital Media Law Report (http://www.digitalmedialawreport.com)
Global Entertainment and Media Summit
(http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com)
February registrations: $200 until February 28
At the door: $250.
Pre-Register at: http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1024
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==================
FEATURED SECTION
==================
Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
Make Better Games
Game Developers Conference
March 4-8, 2003, San Jose, CA
Join the world's leading developers to create the next generation of
games. Five days of more than 300 intensive sessions provide information
and inspiration in visual arts, game design, programming, audio, business
and legal, and production. Companies from around the world demonstrate the
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Save $25: Register at http://www.gdconf.com using Priority Code DMWENL
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Briefly Noted:
(Helsinki, Finland) Cell phone maker Nokia on Wednesday announced a list
of game developers that will publish titles for its new N-Game cell
phone/video game hybrid device. Sega, Activision, THQ Wireless, Eidos and
Taito will all create games for N-Gage, while T-Mobile signed on as the
first wireless network operator that will distribute titles for the N-Game
in the European and U.S. markets.
http://press.nokia.com/pressreleases.html
http://www.n-gage.com
(Pasadena, Calif.) Overture Services, a provider of pay-for-performance
search engine listings, announced on Wednesday that it has expanded its
multi-year agreement to provide paid search results to AOL Europe. Under
the terms, Pasadena-based Overture will now supply commercial listings for
AOL search directories in the U.K., France and Germany. Rival Google
provides algorithmic search results for AOL Europe, as well as both
algorithmic and commercial search results to AOL's flagship U.S. service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030205/50107_1.html
http://www.overture.com
(Bedminster, N.J.) Verizon Wireless said on Wednesday that it will offer
its customers with two-way text-messaging capable phones the opportunity
to vote for the MVP of the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. Fans may pre-register
to receive a list of candidates that will arrive on their phones during
the second half of the game, or else sign up while the game is in
progress; votes may also be placed at NBA.com.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030205/nyw014_1.html
(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) Video game developer THQ announced on Wednesday
that it will be among the companies to publish titles for cell phone maker
Nokia's new N-Game cell phone/video game hybrid device. Three titles --
"Moto GP," "MLBPA Players Choice Baseball" and "Red Faction" -- will be
available on memory cards when the N-Game starts shipping. Calabasas
Hills, Calif.-based THQ also announced that U.K.-based developer Climax is
currently at work on "Moto GP 2" for Xbox and the PC, due out this summer;
and that it has shipped "GT Advance 3: Pro Concept Racing" for Game Boy
Advance to retailers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030205/52442_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030205/50227_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030205/50222_1.html
http://www.climax.co.uk
(Atlanta) Cable TV operator Cox Communications on Wednesday announced the
launch of a personal video recorder service for its Gainesville, Fla.
customers. Digital cable customers in the area may pay an additional $9.95
per month to receive a Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8000 digital video
recorder, with 50 hours of TV-recording capacity. Atlanta-based Cox plans
multiple additional deployments of digital video recorder services in
2003.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030205/52061_1.html
http://www.cox.com
(Mountain View, Calif.) Kasenna, a developer of video-on-demand delivery
technology, announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Patent Office has granted
the company a new patent for its "Header Injection" technology. The
technique "enables operators of VOD networks to seamlessly splice together
assets of differing bit-rates without impacting quality of delivery. such
as movies in MPEG-1 at 3 Mbps and advertisements in MPEG-2 at 4 Mbps." In
addition, the technique enables smooth playback of live or multicast
streams over networks traditionally subject to packet losses.
http://www.kasenna.com/news/pressreleases/index.jsp?id="42"
(San Diego) Verance, a developer of audio watermarking technology for
tracking digital content, announced on Wednesday that it named Steven
Saslow as its new CEO. Previously, Saslow headed SJS Entertainment, which
produced and sold network radio programming and services in addition to
live concert programming, and was sold to SFX Entertainment.
http://www.verance.com
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CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
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To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobpostingpage.htm
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====================
CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
====================
To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/eventpostingpage.htm
Digital Media Wire Presents...Games & Mobile Forum
April 2003, New York City
Focusing on games and mobile entertainment opportunities and business
models. Panel topics will include "The Battle to Control the Living Room:
Is the Game Industry Winning?", "Mobile Games: Business Models & New
Opportunities", "Legal & Policy Issues Impacting the Game Industry &
Mobile Entertainment", and "Home Networking: Technology for Modern Living
& Entertainment."
Door Tickets Price: $250. For Early Bird Specials, pre-register at:
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1025
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Global Entertainment & Media Summit, February 28 - March 2, New York City
The Global Entertainment and Media Summit returns to New York City for a
productive three days of conferences, workshops and keynotes all
dedicated to helping to facilitate the growth of our industries. Keynotes
include Danny Goldberg, Dave Marsh, Lee Abrams of XM Satellite Radio and
Jack Healey, of the Human Rights Action Center--formerly of Amnesty
International. The event will feature over 20 productive panel sessions
over the course of the three-day event.
Show dates are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 28, March 1 and March
2. Registration is $75 per person and includes admission to all events.
Details: http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com
Schedule: http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com/schedule.htm
Tickets: http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com/tickets.htm
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==========================
CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
==========================
To Post Marketplace:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplacepostingpage.htm
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Digital Media Wire, Inc. leverages its integrated media network to provide
exceptional value to individuals and companies determined to capitalize on
the convergence of media, entertainment and technology. Digital Media
Wire, the first in a series of business-intelligence publications,
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Digital Media Wire is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international
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Editor: Mark Hefflinger
Chief Executive Officer: Ned Sherman
VP, Marketing and Events: Tinzar Than
Copyright 2003 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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