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February 18, 2005 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o New York Time's Buys Primedia's About.com for $410 Million
o Hollywood Board Rejects Blockbuster Bid, Recommends Movie Gallery Merger
o Italian Police Fine Club DJ $1.8 Million for Playing Pirate MP3 Files
o Report: Broadband Services Disappointing U.K. Consumers
o Onstream Media Raises $2 Million in Convertible Debt

o Note to Readers: Presidents Day Holiday

> DMW Announcements:
--Digital Music Forum - March 2, 2005
--Games & Mobile Forum - April 21, 2005

> Featured Advertisement:
--Billboard Music & Money Symposium - March 3, 2005
 

o Briefly Noted: Firefox - 25 million downloads, TiVo - 3 million subscribers, Shazam Entertainment - SDC, Gesturetek - Sony Computer Entertainment America, MTV Japan - Shazam, Archos - 100GB portable video recorder, Jakks Pacific, FCC - consumer digital TV website
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> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--Director, Technology
--Online Marketing Manager
--Vice President of Sales
--Technical Marketing Manager
--Director, Product Management/Marketing
--Senior Manager, Business Development Digital Media
--Account Manager
--Sr. Information Architect
--Director of Sector Marketing
--Media Manager
--Director of Online Marketing
--New Business Marketing Analyst
--PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2004-2008
 


o New York Times Buys Primedia's About.com for $410 Million

New York -- The New York Times Company announced late Thursday that it has agreed to acquire About.com, a unit of publisher Primedia that provides online consumer information, for about $410 million in cash. New York-based About.com offers a database of information, produced by a network of 500 amateur editors, on topics ranging from finance to health and travel that is viewed by 22 million visitors monthly. Primedia paid $690 million for About.com in 2000, but was unable to successfully integrate the Web company into its stable of niche magazines. The Times said that the purchase adds a fast-growing, profitable website to its portfolio, and strengthens its online advertising base. In a separate announcement, The New York Times Company also named Martin A. Nisenholtz senior vice president of digital operations, charged with overseeing sites including About.com, Boston.com and the company's flagship NYTimes.com. Nisenholtz was named CEO of New York Times Digital in 1999, after serving as president of the paper's electronic media unit since 1995.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050217/175849_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050217/175817_1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/business/media/18times.html
http://www.about.com 
_____________________________________________

o Hollywood Board Rejects Blockbuster Bid, Recommends Movie Gallery Merger

Portland, Ore. -- Hollywood Entertainment, the nation's second largest movie rental chain, has announced that its board of directors has rejected rival Blockbuster's takeover bid for the company, and advised its shareholders to do the same. The board said "the uncertainties and possible delays inherent in Blockbuster's offer outweigh the approximately 9.4% premium being offered by Blockbuster" over the merger proposed by Alabama-based Movie Gallery, the nation's third-largest chain. The Federal Trade Commission has given its approval to a potential Movie Gallery-Hollywood merger, while it continues to investigate antitrust concerns with Blockbuster's bid. "We are pleased that Hollywood's board has rejected the exchange offer proposed by Blockbuster and reaffirmed its recommendation that Hollywood shareholders vote to approve the merger with Movie Gallery," Movie Gallery said in a statement. The rejection of Blockbuster's bid seemingly paves the way for Movie Gallery, which operates mainly in rural markets, to acquire Hollywood's 2,000 Hollywood Video and 720 Game Crazy stores.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050217/nyth137_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050217/clth071_1.html
http://www.hollywoodvideo.com 
http://www.moviegallery.com 
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o Italian Police Fine Club DJ $1.8 Million for Playing Pirate MP3 Files

London -- An Italian DJ has been served with a record $1.8 million fine after being discovered by the Italian Fiscal Police of Rieti to have been performing hundreds of pirate music files in a Roman nightclub. The unnamed DJ was found to have in his possession "2,000 music files suspected to be illegal downloads and 500 pirated video clips;" authorities also seized "a large quantity of audiovisual material and software." "This DJ was touring clubs and making money out of the music he played -- while those who had invested time, talent, hard work and money into creating the music in the first place did not get a cent," said Enzo Mazza, director of the Italian recording industry association (FIMI). "We hope this precedent will serve as a deterrent for those who are thinking of doing the same." The announcement indicated the DJ may also be subject to further criminal sanctions.
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20050216.html 
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o Report: Broadband Services Disappointing U.K. Consumers

London -- According to a new survey of 2,000 broadband users in the U.K., a growing number of consumers are dissatisfied with their Internet services. PC Pro Magazine said slow speeds, high prices and poor customer service were the chief complaints, leading about 17% of the respondents to switch Internet providers and another 16% to consider a similar move in the near future. The top three broadband suppliers people are abandoning are BT Group Plc, NTL and Pipex, in that order. PC Pro Editor Tim Danton said he expected customer dissatisfaction to leap in 2005, as every month prices drop and increasing numbers of people try to switch providers. The survey found that as many as 12% of respondents have been unable to the switch. "We discovered a huge variety of problems, but one of the biggest issues is the current supplier withholding the information that people need to give to their new supplier," Danton said. "This breaks the code of practice, but because that code is voluntary, there's nothing we or Ofcom can do to help."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G1082328A 
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o Onstream Media Raises $2 Million in Convertible Debt

Pompano Beach, Fla. -- Onstream Media, a Florida-based business services provider of video and rich media communication, webcasting and digital asset management services, has raised $2 million in convertible debt from a group of previous investors, which exercised an option to invest more in Onstream. The company provides media encoding, editing, indexing and querying services.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050217/nyth127_1.html 
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o Note to Readers

Digital Media Wire will not be published on Monday, Feb. 21, in observance of the Presidents Day Holiday. The next edition will arrive on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

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>DMW Events:

 



5th Annual Digital Music Forum
March 2, 2005 | New York City
www.digitalmusicforum.com

Digital Music Forum is the premier event for music industry decision-makers focused on business models and legal issues impacting music. The annual event brings together decision-makers from records labels, music publishers, producers and distributors, technology companies, wireless companies, rights organizations, industry bodies, radio, advertising, attorneys, artists investors and venture capitalists to examine the role of digital technologies in the future of music.

FEATURED INTERVIEW:
Shawn Fanning - Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Snocap
with Chris Anderson - Editor-in-Chief, Wired
Mike Conte - General Manager, MSN Marketplaces, Microsoft
with
Paul Brindley - Managing Director, MusicAlly

KEYNOTES:
Terry McBride - CEO, Nettwerk Productions
David Goldberg - VP & General Manager, Music, Yahoo!

PANELISTS:
Craig Palmer - President & CEO, Gracenote

Brad Duea - President, Napster
Jeffrey Bronikowski - VP, Bus. Dev., eLabs, Universal Music Group
Ted Cohen - SVP, Digital Development & Distribution, EMI Music
Thomas Gewecke - SVP, Digital Business Group, Sony BMG
Mike Gaumond - VP & General Manager, Motorola Media Solutions
Brian Garrity - Senior Editor, Billboard
Shahid Khan - Managing Director, BearingPoint
David Kusek - VP, Berklee Media, Berklee College of Music
Gerd Leonhard - Co-Author, "The Future of Music" /
Senior Advisor, Sony Net Services
Phil Corwin - Chief Lobbyist, Sharman Networks (owner of Kazaa)
Martin J. Elgison - Partner, Intellectual Property, Alston & Bird
Mark Levy - Vice President, Content, InfoSpace Mobile
Steve Marks - General Counsel, RIAA
Jim DeLong - Senior Fellow, The Progress & Freedom Foundation
Jonathan Potter - Executive Director, Digital Media Association
Robert Acker - VP, RealPlayer & Music Services, Real Networks
Gary Cohen - President, MusicNow
Peter Diemer - VP Sales & Marketing, Musicrypt.com
David Card - VP & Senior Analyst, Jupiter Research
John Kilcullen - President & Publisher, Billboard
Ned Sherman - CEO, Digital Media Wire
Nancy Beaton - GM, Wireless Music & Personalization, Sprint
Don Teague - VP of Sales & Marketing, PaymentOne


PANEL TOPICS INCLUDE:

  • THE STATE OF THE DIGITAL UNION: The Outlook for Online & Mobile Music Markets
  • LAWYERS, GEEKS & MONEY: The Clash Between Technology & Copyright Law
  • THE ONLINE MUSIC MARKET: Competition, Business Models & Courting Consumers in a Crowded Market
  • THE MOBILE MUSIC MARKET: What Does the Future Hold for this Booming Market?

For more information click here
To register click here.

REGISTRATION
Registration rate: $395
Register online at http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1092

Phone registration: 323-822-0936


 



3rd Annual Games & Mobile Forum
April 21, 2005 | New York City
www.gamesandmobile.com

Games & Mobile Forum is the leading executive forum focused on online and mobile games. The annual event brings together decision-makers from online and mobile game publishers, developers, marketers, retailers, content creators, technology providers, advertisers, investment bankers, lawyers and venture capitalists.

FEATURED INTERVIEW:

Scott Hunter Smith - Director, Global Brand Team, The Coca-Cola Company

KEYNOTES:
John Smedley - President, Sony Online Entertainment
Mitch Lasky  - Chairman and CEO, JAMDAT Mobile

PANELISTS:
Eric Albert - Director, Business Development, Gameloft
Matthew Bellows - VP, Mobile Entertainment, GameSpot, CNET Networks
Jill Braff - Vice President, Marketing, Sorrent  
Kenny Dinkin - Vice President & Executive Producer, PlayFirst
Anders Evju - Vice President & GM, North America, Digital Bridges
Eric Goldberg - Managing Director, Crossover Technologies
Daniel Hart - VP, Online Games Strategy and Operations, MTV Networks
Mark Jacobstein - President & COO, Digital Chocolate
Victor Penev - Vice President, Online, Playboy International
Don Ryan - Studio Manager, Microsoft's Zone.com
Mika Salmi - CEO, AtomShockwave
Ned Sherman - CEO, Digital Media Wire
Craig Priddle - Director, Marketing, BioWare Corp.
Brian Taptich - Dir., Marketing & Bus. Dev., EA Sports & EA Games Online
Eric Zimmerman - Co-Founder & CEO, gameLab

PANEL TOPICS INCLUDE:

  • ONLINE GAMES: The State of the Industry
  • ONLINE GAMES: Developers' & Publishers' Roundtable
  • MOBILE GAMES: The State of the Industry
  • MOBILE GAMES: Developers & Publishers Roundtable

For more information click here
To register click here.

REGISTRATION
Pre-registration rate: $295 (until March 31st)
Registration rate: $395 (after March 31st)

Register online at: http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1093

Phone registration: 323-822-0936


To submit speakers for or request information about exhibiting or sponsoring at the 2005 conferences, please contact Tinzar Than, VP, Marketing & Events, Digital Media Wire, Inc. at: tinzar@digitalmediawire.com.
 

Past Events | Sponsorship Materials | Partners & Clients


 

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> Featured Advertisement:
                                               
> Billboard Music & Money Symposium - March 3, 2005

 

The 4th annual Music & Money Symposium will take place Thursday, March 3, at The St. Regis Hotel in the heart of midtown Manhattan. As in past years, The Symposium will attract thought leaders from the music, legal, management and Wall Street communities for a thorough examination of trends and opportunities in music and digital entertainment.

This year's Symposium will include a candid, one-on-one discussion between Loeb & Loeb co-chairman John Frankenheimer and Sony BMG Music Entertainment CEO Andrew Lack. These two giants of the biz will explore the challenge of merging Sony and BMG, while providing an aerial view of music's future. Additionally, the event will feature all-star panel discussions that will explore a host of crucial topics and networking opportunities such as a breakfast, lunch and cocktail hour.

For more information and to register online, please visit: www.billboardevents.com or contact Kelly at kpeppers@billboard.com or (646) 654-4643.

Attendees of the Digital Music Forum will receive 25% off the registration rate for the Billboard Music & Money Symposium.
 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Mountain View, Calif.) The Mozilla Foundation announced this week that its Firefox Internet browser software has now been downloaded more than 25 million times, since its release in November. Firefox competes with Microsoft's juggernaut Internet Explorer, which is installed on around 90% of all computers but has lost a bit of market share recently, according to data from WebSideStory and OneStat. The open source programmers who developed Firefox say the browser is averaging 25,000 downloads a day, and is being promoted on over half a million websites.
http://www.mozilla.org/press/mozilla-2005-02-16.html 
http://tinyurl.com/67rrx

(Alviso, Calif.) TiVo, a provider of digital video recorder hardware, software and services, announced on Friday that it has surpassed 3 million subscribers for its service, having added 698,000 net new subscribers during the fourth quarter of 2004. Of these, the company said 447,000 came as a result of consumers signing up for TiVo through partner DirecTV.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050218/sff008_1.html

(London) Shazam Entertainment, provider of a mobile music recognition service, this week announced a partnership with SDC (Secure Digital Container), a provider of mobile music digital rights management. The deal will enable cell phone users to purchase and download a song to their cell phones without knowing the artist or song name, using Shazam's service that can identify a song if a cell phone is pointed near any music source. Switzerland-based SDC's digital rights management will also allow for songs to be transferred from phone to PC. Shazam will offer the service to customers including O2, Vodafone, SFR and T-Mobile.
http://tinyurl.com/4sut8 
http://www.shazamentertainment.com 
http://www.digicont.ch

(Toronto) GestureTek, a developer of motion-sensitive gesture technologies, announced this week that Sony Computer Entertainment America has licensed its patents for use with the EyeToy USB camera accessory for the PlayStation 2. Toronto-based GestureTek's video gesture interface technology uses a camera to capture a player's movements, projecting them onto the screen in real-time and enabling the player to control a video game using gestures alone. Toymaker Hasbro also recently licensed GestureTek's technology for use in its ION EGS, an interactive TV game system for children.
http://www.gesturetek.com 
http://www.eyetoy.com/English

(Tokyo) MTV Japan and mobile partner Yamaha said this week that they have made U.K.-based Shazam Entertainment's music identification service available to KDDI mobile subscribers in Japan. The MTV Music Finder service will allow users to dial a number and hold their phone near any music source to have the song identified by comparing its audio fingerprint with Shazam's database. The service is also available to Japanese Vodafone subscribers.
http://www.shazamentertainment.com

(Irvine, Calif.) Consumer electronics firm Archos this week shipped what it says is the first 100GB personal video player and recorder device. The $799 Archos Pocket Video Recorder AV4100 features a 3.8" color LCD display and the capacity to hold up to 200 full-length movies or 400 hours of video content recorded directly from a TV, VCR, cable or satellite TV set-top box. The device can also store and playback music, photos and data.
http://www.archos.com/products/prw_500698.html

(Malibu, Calif.) Toymaker Jakks Pacific on Friday introduced the Gamekey expansion pack for its TV Games standalone plug-and-play video game system. The packs will cost less than the TV controller, and add extra game titles to each respective TV Games product -- which have been embedded with a suite of games from publishers including Namco, Atari and Midway Games. Malibu, Calif.-based Jakks said the expansion packs will ship in North America this fall and elsewhere in the spring of 2006.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050218/laf003_1.html 
http://www.jakkstvgames.com

(Washington) Facing pressure from lawmakers to accelerate the transition to digital television, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken it upon itself to launch a consumer education campaign to provide information about the impending switchover from analog to digital broadcasting. "We understand that any transition can raise questions and be confusing to consumers. What is DTV? How is it different from HDTV? Why are we transitioning to DTV? How will it affect me? For answers to those questions, and more, we've launched dtv.gov," said Dave Snowden, chief of the FCC's consumer and governmental affairs bureau.
http://www.dtv.gov 
 
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> Classifieds -- Advertise

> Director, Technology - Mid-Atlantic Online Media

Manage web development, system administration, infrastructure operation and multi-media design to create and maintain online publishing operation. QUALIFICATIONS: 10 years experience in applications development from an online media, services or e-commerce company; 5 years management experience in a 24x7 Web operation, competence in Web technologies, including JAVA, HTML, XML, Bachelors degree in Computer Science or related field. 
Contact: fsltd@earthlink.net
_________________

> Online Marketing Manager

We are currently seeking an Online Marketing Manager to manage Search Engine Marketing Channel and perform Marketing Analysis. Require: 3 plus years on- line marketing experience, with specific, in-depth experience in paid search marketing, Excellent relationship management skills, Strong verbal and interpersonal communication skills, Attention to detail, analytics/problem solving ability, ability to learn quickly, Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel (familiarity with Access and/or SQL a plus). Undergraduate degree. Marketing or Business preferred, MBA a plus. Please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@buyerzone.com
_________________

> Vice President of Sales

Blue Canopy, a pioneer in aligning Business and Information Technology is looking to hire a VP of Sales. The primary responsibilities of this position are to drive marketing and selling of strategic sourcing engagements and assist in the continued development of Blue Canopy's sourcing solutions. Qualifications: 10 plus years experience selling strategic sourcing consulting services, extensive practical experience in structuring and execution of outsourcing engagements, and ability to present at a board room level or group of senior executives. Send resumes to vpsalesposition@bluecanopy.com
_________________

> Technical Marketing Manager

As a Technical Marketing Manager, you will serve as an internal subject matter expert on our XML Business Integration Portfolio, responsible for a wide variety of strategic and tactical marketing activities. Require: Degree level qualification in a technology or marketing related discipline is a plus, Min. 7 plus years exp. in a solution marketing role with a technology company Demonstrated understanding of solution marketing and positioning, Knowledge of the software technology sales and purchase processes, Experience working in a team-based environment, strong formal and informal presentation skills. Send resumes to maureen.brennan@softwareagusa.com
_________________

> Director, Product Management/Marketing

This is a key role reporting to the Sr. VP of Products. You will be a vital player in helping define and execute the overall product business strategy. Require: Significant exp. in financial services, online fraud management, or information security technologies. At least 8 years hands-on exp. with all aspects of Product Management and Product Marketing of internet/enterprise software and service products. Proven ability to define and manage enterprise software products, including API's, operating environments, etc. Entrepreneurial drive and small company experience mixed with the knowledge of how to grow organizations and businesses. Send resumes to jobs@quova.com
_________________

> Senior Manager, Business Development Digital Media

We are looking for Senior Managers within our Business Development, Digital Media area in Products and Services. We need qualified candidates in 3 functional areas, to include messaging, Digital Media (games, ringtones, music) and in our boost area. Must have previous digital media experience in some capacity. Must have previous business development, product management, or partnership experience within the telecommunications and wireless industries. Positions located in Reston , VA. Send resumes here.
_________________

> Account Manager

Axis Marketing & PR (www.axismarketingpr.com) is a San Francisco based PR boutique specializing in the mobile technology and consumer industry. To date, Axis Marketing & PR has represented industry leading brands across the technology sector as well as some of the industry's leading-edge conferences, trade shows and industry affinity groups. Axis is looking for an experienced and talented Account Manager with a passion and drive for commitment and hard work in a fast paced agency. Contact: info@axismarketingpr.com
_________________

> Sr. Information Architect

As a member of our User Experience community, you would work with our strategy, creative, and technology teams to create smart, innovative solutions for our clients. Qualifications: 5 plus years exp. developing interactive products. 2-3 years exp. as an information architect, interaction designer, or experience designer. Demonstrated expertise in consumer or B2B eCommerce, software application interfaces, and/or interactive marketing. Experience leading and/or observing user research and usability testing and translating results into design decisions. Degree in a related field, such as technical communications, human-computer interaction, visual design, graphic design, or industrial design. Submit a resume, cover letter, and sample URLs via email.
_________________

> Director of Sector Marketing - Media & Technology

Duties include: growth strategy development, research and analysis, marketing and selling strategy/execution, business analysis and reporting, sales tools, Training, and In-cycle support, communications program development and execution, budget management Corporate planning. Skills: 5 plus years exp. working as a mgmt. consultant. MBA preferred; Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree required, Detail-oriented, with ability to manage multiple projects, teams and vendors, Strong marketing communications skills (written and verbal), Strong interpersonal skills, Advanced skills in Excel-based modeling and PowerPoint presentations. Send resumes to denise@iconstaff.com
_________________

> Media Manager

Burson-Marsteller (http://www.bm.com), is looking for a manager in the Media Practice, which specializes in media strategy development and program execution for our clients. Qualified candidates should have a proven track record of media results, managing client programs and developing client relationships. Candidates should be excellent writers capable of developing press materials, white papers, bylined articles and op-eds, as well as managing announcements, editorial placement and speaking opportunities. Requires a bachelor's degree and at least 7 years of PR exp. Send resumes to Kay_Fynmore@nyc.bm.com
_________________

> Director of Online Marketing

Seville Marketing is an aggressive online marketing company focused on the financial services industry. Required experience: 2 years experience managing online advertising campaigns for the mortgage industry, including Search Engine, Ad Network campaigns and other marketing partnerships. Must have experience managing over $1,000,000 of annual online mortgage related campaigns. Candidate must be well versed with the CPC and CPM marketing metrics and be able to meet CPA campaign goals, Strong creative skills and experience, Compensation is highly competitive. You must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. No Relocation Assistance is offered for this position. Send resumes to mortgagerecruiter@gmail.com
_________________

> New Business Marketing Analyst

As a New Business Marketing Analyst, you will be responsible for successfully assisting our supplier acquisition and buyer marketing efforts. Your daily activities include managing a variety of marketing programs, supporting our sales team, participating in client development activity, and analyzing the ROI of these efforts. Requirements: Recent college graduate with up to 3 years work experience, preferably with a major in business, economics or marketing. Strong communication and interpersonal skills Exceptional analytical and research skills, Strong ability to write clearly, Ability to learn quickly and complete projects accurately in a fast-paced environment. Send resumes to jobs@buyerzone.com
_________________

> PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2004-2008

PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2004-2008 is the leading global entertainment and media industry forecast, including in-depth global analyses and five-year growth projections for 14 industry segments covering every major global region. The complete 550-page book, is available in print or electronic format. The 50 page "Global Overview" (available in print or electronic format)or any of the 14 individual industry segment chapters (electronic format only) can be purchased separately for $95. For sample content and to order, click here.
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About Us
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.

Digital Media Wire, Inc. is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international network of publications that includes Digital Media Law Report, Potomac Tech Wire, New England Tech Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire, Tri-state Tech Wire and European Tech Wire. The network reaches more than 70,000 individuals from over 70 countries each business day.

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Executive & Editorial Team
Chief Executive Officer: Ned Sherman
VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than
Editor: Mark Hefflinger


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