Top Stories
o Wall Street Journal to Combine Print, Online Operations
o Next-Generation DVD Copy-Protection AACS Ready for Licensing
o Judge Rules Google Image Thumbnails Violate Copyrights
o MPAA: Swiss, Belgian Authorities Shutter Large eDonkey Server
o Fuji, Konica Minolta, Kodak Create Standard for Digital Images, Video
o Electronic Arts Slashes Some New Game Prices by 20%
o Midway, MTV Films, Vin Diesel Team on "The Wheelman" Movie, Game
o Professional Video Game League Major League Gaming Raises $10 Million
o Broadband Comprises 64% of U.K. Internet Accounts
o NeoMedia Acquires U.K.-based Sponge for $17.4 Million
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Briefly Noted
o Kansas Latest State to Introduce Violent Video Games Bill
o U.K. Rules Activision TV Ads With Pre-Rendered Graphics "Misleading"
o Hollywood Studios, Fraunhofer Institute to Develop Digital Cinema Tests
o Howard Stern Launches Video-on-Demand Film Festival
o Google Names Larry Brilliant to Head Philanthropic Activities
o Bebo is Top Social Networking Site in the U.K.
o Promo Only MPE System Adapted for Digital Jukeboxes
o Bluestreak, PacketVideo Develop Mobile TV Soccer for Orange France
o Oasys Mobile to Distribute Ringtones from Death Row, Reggaeton Nation
o Midway Games to Release "MLB SlugFest 2006" in the Spring
o Atari Ships "Tycoon City: New York" PC Game to Retailers
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New York - Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, announced on Wednesday that it plans to combine the print and online operations at the paper into a single operating unit. The Consumer Media Group will comprise The Wall Street Journal print and online editions, Barron's, MarketWatch and other consumer sites. L. Gordon Crovitz, formerly head of The Journal's online operations, was named executive vice president of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal. "This new structure and leadership team is a major first step in transforming Dow Jones from a channel-focused publishing company to a franchise, market, and customer-focused media company," said Dow Jones CEO Richard F. Zannino. "By organizing around markets and customers and integrating print, online and other media for each of our franchises, we will enhance our journalistic excellence, increase the value we provide to customers, improve our efficiency, execution and decision-making, reduce costs and be better positioned to exploit growth opportunities in the consumer, enterprise and local media markets." The new structure is expected to save $8 million per year, largely through eliminating about 20 jobs.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060222/20060222005523.html?.v=1
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060222/dow_jones_reorganization.html?.v=2 (AP)
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o Next-Generation DVD Copy-Protection AACS Ready for Licensing

Los Angeles - The entertainment and technology firms developing the Advanced Access Content System (AACS), a technology designed to secure video on next-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD formats, announced on Wednesday the availability of the technology through interim licensing agreements. The release of the content protection specification has been long-awaited, as Blu-ray developer Sony, HD DVD developer Toshiba and their manufacturing partners prepare the first next-generation DVD players for release. Companies involved in the development of AACS include IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Matsushita, Sony, Toshiba, Disney and Warner Bros. The AACS licensing body said that the final license agreement for AACS is expected in the coming months.
http://tinyurl.com/n4ubs
http://www.aacsla.com
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o Judge Rules Google Image Thumbnails Violate Copyrights

San Francisco - A federal judge has ruled that Google's use of thumbnail previews of a pornographer's nude photos in its image search engine likely violate copyright laws, CNET News.com reported. U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz ruled that Google likely infringes the copyrights of California-based Perfect 10, and plans to award an injunction against Google. Judge Matz's ruling stated that Google shared in advertising revenue with sites whose pirated versions of Perfect 10 images appeared in its image index. The ruling also said Google profits from versions of Perfect 10 images formatted for mobile phones that come up through its Google Mobile service -- which compete with a subscription service for mobiles Perfect 10 has created with U.K.-based Fonestarz. Google, which plans to appeal the ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, said it will not affect any images in its archive other than those from Perfect 10.
http://tinyurl.com/z6drw (CNET)
http://www.perfect10.com
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o MPAA: Swiss, Belgian Authorities Shutter Large eDonkey Server

Los Angeles - One of the largest hubs on the eDonkey peer-to-peer file-sharing network has been shut down, in a joint operation carried out by police and prosecutors in Belgium and Switzerland, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said on Wednesday. The "Razorback2" network hosted over 170 million files, and counted an average of 1.3 million mostly European simultaneous users. According to the MPAA, Swiss authorities arrested the site's operator, while Belgian authorities shut down the site's servers in Brussels. In addition to movies, music, games and software, the MPAA said the Razorback2 network offered "child pornography, bomb-making instructions and terrorist training videos." "This is a major victory in our fight to cut off the supply of illegal materials being circulated on the Internet via peer-to-peer networks," said MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman. "By shaving the illegal traffic of copyrighted works facilitated by Razorback2, we are depleting other illegal networks of their ability to supply Internet pirates with copyrighted works which is a positive step in our international effort to fight piracy." The MPAA claims that since November 2004, it has worked with authorities to close down all of the major eDonkey servers in the U.S. and Europe.
http://www.mpaa.org/press_releases/2006_02_21_razer.pdf
http://edonkey2000.com
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o Fuji, Konica Minolta, Kodak Create Standard for Digital Images, Video

Orlando, Fla. - Photography giants Fuji, Konica Minolta and Eastman Kodak announced on Wednesday a new technology standard designed to ensure that digital photos and video can be shared across a broad range of consumer products. The "Everplay" standard addresses differences between methods used to organize and preserve digital images developed separately over the years. The three companies said they will adopt the Everplay standard in their own products, and have begun a free license program to encourage all consumer digital imaging companies to adopt the standard.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060222/nyw112.html?.v=46
http://www.everplay-spec.org
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o Electronic Arts Slashes Some New Game Prices by 20%

Redwood City, Calif. - Video game publisher Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday that it plans to introduce a number of anticipated new titles at a 20% discount off the industry standard pricing for new games. EA's "Godfather" and "Black" will go on sale for PlayStation 2 and Xbox at $39.95, rather than the typical $49.95 price for new titles. A number of game publishers have taken similar steps to discount titles, both in light of flagging sales and in anticipation of the release of next-generation consoles. New games for Microsoft's new Xbox 360 console typically cost $59.95.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060220/20060220005094.html?.v=1
http://www.ea.com
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o Midway, MTV Films, Vin Diesel Team on "The Wheelman" Movie, Game

Chicago - Midway Games announced on Wednesday that MTV Films and Paramount Pictures have purchased the movie rights to its "The Wheelman" game, currently in development by Midway and actor Vin Diesel's Tigon Studios. Diesel is expected to star in the movie, which will be produced by Tigon Studios and MTV Films, and distributed by Paramount. The deal is the second of three titles to be produced under an agreement between MTV Networks and Midway, which will jointly sell in-game advertising and collaborate on soundtrack development. "With the close cooperation of Midway, Paramount and MTV Films, we are putting together a new way to tell a story," said Tigon Studios production executive Cos Lazouras. "Working in tandem with the movie, we envision the video game will introduce 'The Wheelman' in a way that creates a unique connection with the audience that will blend the interactive world with the experience of the motion picture."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060222/20060222005286.html?.v=1
http://www.midway.com
http://www.tigonstudios.com
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o Professional Video Game League Major League Gaming Raises $10 Million

New York - Major League Gaming (MLG), which bills itself as the world's first professional video game league, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $10 million in its first round of funding, from Ritchie Capital. MLG produces an annual seven-city video game tournament tour and championship, augmented by online programming showcasing MLG gamers. New York-based MLG also said that it has hired Matthew Bromberg, former general manager of Moviefone and AOL Games, as its president and COO. "From the very beginning, we've been focused on creating a great competitive experience for players and fans, and a compelling business opportunity for sponsors," said MLG co-founder and CEO Mike Sepso. "This financing will drive rapid expansion of a true media business that will package video game competition for the mass market and provide great upside for everyone who loves this industry."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060222/sfw087.html?.v=46
http://www.mlgpro.com
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o Broadband Comprises 64% of U.K. Internet Accounts

London - According to the latest figures from the U.K. Office of National Statistics (ONS), broadband now accounts for 64% of all Internet connections in the U.K. Just five years ago when the ONS first started compiling Internet data, broadband accounted for less than 1% of all connections. The ONS also found that dial-up connections continued their downward spiral, falling by a third compared to last year. The report attributed the rapid growth of broadband to its widespread availability and increasingly competitive prices.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/intc0206.pdf
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o NeoMedia Acquires U.K.-based Sponge for $17.4 Million

Fort Myers, Fla. - Continuing its streak of recent acquisitions, NeoMedia, a provider of wireless services and technology, has agreed to buy Sponge, a London-based developer of mobile content delivery applications, for $17.4 million. Terms of the deal include $6 million in cash and the remainder in NeoMedia shares. Founded in 2001, Sponge provides mobile applications to agencies and media groups. Earlier this week, NeoMedia announced the purchase of 12snap, a Germany-based provider of marketing and entertainment applications and programs for cellular phones, for $22 million. Last week, NeoMedia acquired Mobot, a Massachusetts-based provider of mobile visual recognition technology, for $10 million in cash and stock and agreed to pay $4.5 million in cash to acquire HipCricket, a Connecticut-based provider of mobile marketing technology for broadcasters and brand marketers.
http://www.neom.com/press_releases/2006/20060222.jsp

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o Kansas Latest State to Introduce Violent Video Games Bill

Topeka, Kan. - Kansas has become the latest state to introduce legislation that would ban the sale of violent video games to minors. The Kansas House Democrats introduced the Child Protection from Violent Video Games Act, which has the support of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Judges have routinely overturned similar laws passed in California, Michigan, Washington, Illinois, St. Louis County and the city of Indianapolis, ruling the bans to be unconstitutional restrictions on First Amendment free speech protections.
http://www.ksdp.org/?q=node/view/1841
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=14889
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o U.K. Rules Activision TV Ads With Pre-Rendered Graphics "Misleading"
 
London - The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that TV ads for Activision video games misled consumers, because game graphics contained in the ads were pre-rendered and of higher quality than graphics found in the actual games, GamesIndustry.biz reported. The ASA ordered Activision to change ads for "Call of Duty 2" and "CoD2: Big Red One," in a finding that could have wider implications for the industry standard practice. The restriction is similar to guidelines enacted for U.S. toy commercials, which may no longer use stop-motion techniques to create the illusion that dolls or action figures are moving on their own.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=14891
http://www.asa.org.uk
http://www.activision.com
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o Hollywood Studios, Fraunhofer Institute to Develop Digital Cinema Tests

Hollywood - Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), a joint venture of Hollywood movie studios, announced on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with the Fraunhofer Institute, developers of the MP3 format, to jointly develop a test to validate compliance with industry digital cinema specifications. The test will be designed to ensure interoperability and also so that manufacturers of equipment like digital projectors adhere to specifications set forth by DCI, which is comprised of Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060221/latu139.html?.v=24
http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de
http://www.dcimovies.com
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o Howard Stern Launches Video-on-Demand Film Festival

New York - Radio shock jock Howard Stern, whose show is now broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio and on the In Demand video-on-demand service, on Wednesday announced plans to hold the first Howard Stern Film Festival. The festival will accept films under five minutes in length that deal with storylines related to Stern's show. Winners will be broadcast on Howard TV On Demand, a video-on-demand service offered by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox and Adelphia that features 40 video episodes of Stern's show and other programming for $13.99 per month.
http://tinyurl.com/ealg3
http://www.indemand.com
http://www.howard.tv
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o Google Names Larry Brilliant to Head Philanthropic Activities

Mountain View, Calif. - Google on Wednesday named Larry Brilliant as the executive director of Google.org, which administers the company's philanthropic activities. Brilliant is a founder and director of The Seva Foundation, a Policy Advisory Council member at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, and a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of Kleiner-Perkins' Pandemic and Bio-Defense Fund.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/brilliant.html
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o Bebo is Top Social Networking Site in the U.K.

San Francisco - Social networking site Bebo announced on Wednesday that it ranked as the largest such site in the U.K. in December, according to data from Nielsen/NetRatings, outpacing MySpace for the first time in the region with a total of 1.5 million unique visitors. San Francisco-based Bebo was launched in July 2005 and has since attracted more than 22 million registered members. In addition to standard social network features, Bebo recently partnered with Skype to offer free instant messaging, voice and video calling services.
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=164528
http://www.bebo.com
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o Promo Only MPE System Adapted for Digital Jukeboxes

Vancouver, B.C. - Destiny Media Technologies announced on Wednesday that its Promo Only MPE technology -- used to securely deliver new singles to radio stations over the Internet -- has been adapted for use in digital jukeboxes. The company partnered with SML Entertainment, which will distribute a line of Max Fire jukeboxes that hold 50,000 songs and can receive music delivered securely over the Internet. Vancouver-based Destiny's Promo Only MPE system is already used by major and independent labels to distribute songs to all the major radio broadcasters.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060222/sfw041.html?.v=43
http://www.smlentertainment.com
http://www.promoonly.com
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o Bluestreak, PacketVideo Develop Mobile TV Soccer for Orange France

Dallas - Bluestreak Networks, a developer of mobile TV delivery technology, said on Wednesday that it partnered with fellow mobile TV developer PacketVideo to create an interactive mobile TV application for wireless network operator Orange France. The service will allow subscribers to follow all French League 1 soccer matches.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060222/sfw069.html?.v=41
http://www.pv.com
http://www.bluestreaknetwork.com
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o Oasys Mobile to Distribute Ringtones from Death Row, Reggaeton Nation

Raleigh, N.C. - Mobile entertainment publisher Oasys Mobile (formerly Summus) announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with The Nickels Group, a digital entertainment production house, to distribute ringtones from Reggaeton Nation and Death Row Records. North Carolina-based Oasys will now offer over 400 reggaeton ringtones and 150 ringtones from Death Row artists including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Kurupt.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060222/20060222005498.html?.v=1
http://www.thenickelsgroup.com
http://www.oasysmobile.com
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o Midway Games to Release "MLB SlugFest 2006" in the Spring

Chicago - Midway Games said on Wednesday that it plans to ship "MLB SlugFest 2006" in the spring of 2006 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The MLB-licensed baseball game will be priced at $19.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060222/20060222005003.html?.v=1
http://www.midway.com
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o Atari Ships "Tycoon City: New York" PC Game to Retailers

New York - Video game publisher Atari, which earlier this week announced it would lay off 20% of staff to cut costs amid weaker-than-expected performance, on Wednesday shipped its "Tycoon City: New York" PC game to retailers. The real-time strategy title was developed by Deep Red Games.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060222/nyw034.html?.v=43
http://www.atari.com/tycooncity

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