Main Stories
o Sites Offer Beatles/Jay-Z Remix Album in "Grey Tuesday" Protest of EMI
o Eminem Sues Apple Over Use of Song in iTunes Store Commercial
o SightSound Wins Music Download Patent Settlement Against CDnow
o Google, Yahoo Top January Search Destinations
o French Wireless Firm Alcatel Debuts Gaming, Music Video Services

o Briefly Noted: Gemstar-TV Guide - Mitsubishi, Corbis - Reuters, Sony Music - Intel - Emuzed, LodgeNet - iTV games, T-Mobile - WOM Media Network, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Electronic Arts - KOEI, ValuSoft - Tokyopop, THQ - "MX Unleashed," Logitech - PS2 USB microphone, Intec - World Wrestling Entertainment, TKO Software - Dublin, New P2P services - enhanced user privacy

London -- A coalition of websites are offering an album free for download on Tuesday in protest of major label EMI's efforts to ban its sale or distribution on grounds that it amounts to copyright infringement. The "Grey Tuesday" protest is "a day of coordinated civil disobedience" to distribute artist DJ Danger Mouse's "Grey Album," which samples and remixes elements from rapper Jay-Z's "Black Album" and the Beatles famed "White Album." EMI, which controls rights to the Beatles catalog, has sent cease-and-desist letters demanding that retailers destroy their copies of the album and websites remove them from their sites. Several hundred websites are ignoring EMI's threats and either offering the album for free download on Tuesday, or else turning their websites' pages grey in solidarity. "The lawyers and bureaucrats at EMI have shown zero flexibility and not a glimmer of interest in the artistic significance of this work," Grey Tuesday organizers Downhill Battle wrote on their website. "And without a clearly defined right to sample (e.g. compulsory licensing), the five major record labels will continue to use copyright in a reactionary and narrowly self-interested manner that limits and erodes creativity."
http://www.greytuesday.org 
http://www.downhillbattle.org/grey/emi_cd_letter.html
http://www.djdangermouse.com
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,62372,00.html 
http://www.eff.org
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o Eminem Sues Apple Over Use of Song in iTunes Store Commercial

Detroit -- Rapper Eminem's music publishing company has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Apple Computer, Viacom, MTV and ad agency TBWA/Chiat/Day, over the unauthorized use of one of his songs in a TV commercial for Apple's iTunes music download store, the Associated Press reported. The suit, filed by Eminem's Eight Mile Style publishing company, centers on an iTunes ad that aired multiple times on MTV in which a ten-year-old actor sings part of the rapper's Grammy-winning song, "Lose Yourself." "Eminem has never nationally endorsed any commercial products and ... even if he were interested in endorsing a product, any endorsement deal would require a significant amount of money, possibly in excess of $10 million," according to the lawsuit filed on Friday in District Court in Detroit.
http://www.salon.com/ent/wire/2004/02/24/eminem/index.html
http://www.eminem.com
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o SightSound Wins Music Download Patent Settlement Against CDnow

Pittsburgh -- SightSound Technologies, a company that holds patents on technology enabling the sale of downloadable music and movies, announced on Tuesday that it has settled its patent infringement litigation against online retailers CDnow and N2K, and will receive a total payment of $3.3 million in compensation. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled that Pittsburgh-based SightSound's patents are valid and enforceable. The company claims to have sold the first downloadable music on the Internet in 1995 and first downloadable movie in 1999, and says it now aims to expand its patent licensing activity. "Resolution of this dispute, after six years of vigorous litigation, is momentous," said SightSound attorney William Wells. "SightSound can now look forward with renewed strength to licensing those in the music and movie industry who seek to employ SightSound's patented technology in downloading digital music and movies over the Internet."
http://www.sightsound.com
http://www.cdnow.com
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oGoogle, Yahoo Top January Search Destinations

New York -- Search engine rivals Google and Yahoo continue to rank one-two in the list of Internet search destinations, according to new research by New York-based Nielsen//NetRatings, a provider of Internet audience measurement services. In January, Google held a 39% market share, attracting more than 59 million unique users. That beat out Yahoo (30%, 46 million), MSN Search (30%, 45 million) and AOL Search (15.5%, 23 million). All told, 114.5 million Americans -- or 76% of the actice online U.S. population -- used a search engine during the month.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_040223_us.pdf
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o French Wireless Firm Alcatel Distributing New Mobile Game, Music Video Services

Cannes, France -- Alcatel, a French provider of applications for wireless network operators, on Tuesday announced a number of new wireless multimedia initiatives, including a multiplayer game and music video services. The company partnered with French wireless games firm BeTomorrow to launch "Xploded," which it says is the first Java-based mobile multiplayer game that supports up to 40 simultaneous players. In April, Alcatel and Korean wireless network SK Telecom will launch a photo-music-video service, allowing users to combine their own digital photos with music and video content that they can send to other cell phones or e-mail addresses. Finally, Alcatel partnered with Universal Mobile to jointly develop, promote and market new mobile multimedia services featuring Universal content. The companies said their efforts will result in the creation of video mailbox, video delivery portal and video ring back tone services. 
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040223/lnm015_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040224/uktu004_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040224/uktu001_1.html 
http://www.betomorrow.com 
http://www.sktelecom.com/english 
http://www.alcatel.com

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(Los Angeles) Gemstar-TV Guide International, a provider of electronic program guides for digital TV services, announced on Tuesday a multi-year licensing agreement with Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer Mitsubishi. Under the terms, Mitsubishi will pay undisclosed license fees to include Los Angeles-based Gemstar's program guides along with the digital televisions and digital video recorders it sells in North America. Other Gemstar licensees include JVC, LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Thomson.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040224/245510_1.html 
http://www.mitsubishi.com 
http://www.gemstartvguide.com

(Seattle) Corbis, a provider of online photography licensing services, announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with U.K.-based news organization Reuters, to develop new content, product lines and services. The deal will see Reuters' news photography and Corbis' commercial pictures and rights management services combined to create an online archive of images available for licensing by sports federations, sponsors, corporations and event organizers.
http://www.corbis.com 
http://www.reuters.com

(New York) Sony Music Entertainment announced on Tuesday that it partnered with chipmaker Intel to create a music video application that enables users to access music videos and other content on cellphones and PDAs powered by Intel chips and applications. Developed by Intel, Sony Music Mobile and Fremont, Calif.-based Emuzed, the application will become available in the second quarter on Intel processor-based cellphones running Microsoft Windows Mobile Smartphone software.
http://wireless.sonymusic.com 
http://www.emuzed.com

(Sioux Falls, S.D.) LodgeNet, a provider of in-room video-on-demand and other interactive entertainment services to hoteliers, announced on Tuesday the launch of a TV games channel, that will offer games licensed through agreements with Zone4Play and N2Digital.tv. Some of the TV GameRoom titles, which may be played using the television's remote control, will be stored on an on-site digital server within each hotel, while others will be offered through LodgeNet's TV Internet platform.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040223/cgm063_1.html 
http://www.lodgenet.com 
http://www.n2digital.tv

(Berlin) Wireless network operator T-Mobile and WOM Media Network have partnered to launch a legal music download store for German consumers. The site, which is a branch of the established download store Musicload, will sell tracks from labels including BMG, Edel Music, EMI, Kontor, Sony Music and Warner Music Germany for about $1.26 each.
http://www.t-mobile.de 
http://wom.musicload.de

(Foster City, Calif.) Sony Computer Entertainment America announced on Tuesday that it will release sequels to its "Jak and Daxter" and "Ratchet & Clank" series in the fall of 2004. Sony said that both franchises have eclipsed one million units sold worldwide. The "Jak and Daxter" sequel will be developed by Santa Monica, Calif.-based series creator Naughty Dog, while Burbank, Calif.-based Insomniac Games will once again serve as developer for the "Ratchet & Clank" sequel.
http://www.naughtydog.com 
http://www.insomniacgames.com

(Redwood City, Calif.) Video game developer and publisher Electronic Arts announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Japanese developer KOEI, to publish the company's "Samurai Warriors" title. Redwood City, Calif.-based EA said it will release the game for PlayStation 2 in May.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040224/245529_1.html 
http://www.koei.com 
http://www.ea.com

(Minneapolis) ValuSoft, the value-priced PC game publishing unit of developer THQ, announced on Tuesday the release of "Initial D: Mountain Vengeance." The game is based on a license of the Japanese anime series "Initial D" from Tokyopop, a Los Angeles-based publisher of Japanese manga content in North America.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040224/245588_1.html 
http://www.valusoft.com 
http://www.tokyopop.com 
http://www.geocities.com/go2initiald/main.html

(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) Game developer THQ on Tuesday released its "MX Unleashed" title for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Developed by THQ's Phoenix-based Rainbow Studios, the motocross game will be supported by a nationwide marketing campaign that includes THQ's sponsorship of the THQ World Supercross GP/AMA Series.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040224/245481_1.html 
http://www.thq.com 
http://www.rainbowstudios.com

(Fremont, Calif.) PC and video game accessories manufacturer Logitech on Tuesday released its USB Microphone accessory for Sony's PlayStation 2 video game console. The $19.99 device is designed for use with games such as Konami's "Karaoke Revolution."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040224/245672_1.html 
http://www.logitech.com

(Miami) Video game accessories manufacturer Intec announced on Tuesday that it has secured a license from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to create accessories for WWE's video game-related brands. The company plans to release game controllers branded with WWE properties including "RAW" and "Smackdown!"
http://www.wwe.com 
http://www.inteclink.com

(Dublin) TKO Software, a Santa Cruz, Calif.-based developer of video games, announced on Tuesday that it will establish its first international offices in Dublin, Ireland with the formation of TKO Software Limited. The developer of titles including "Medal of Honor: Allied Assault" also maintains offices in Dallas and Austin, Texas.
http://www.tko-software.com

(San Francisco) CNET News.com on Tuesday reported on a new crop of peer-to-peer file-sharing services that are attempting to provide greater privacy for their users -- mainly against copyright infringement lawsuits from the recording industry -- by "covering the tracks" of those who use the services. A service called Mute makes each individual PC on the network a "proxy" server, passing songs and search queries among them to create a more difficult trail to follow -- with the drawback of severely slowing down the network. Other services like Morpheus, Earthstation V, Blubster and Piolet have also implemented a range of tactics to help protect the privacy of their users.
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5164413.html 

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