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March 3, 2004 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o Court Debates Law Designed to Shield Kids from Internet Porn
o Universal Music Europe Digitizes Entire Catalog for Online Sales
o Napster to Launch Music Service in U.K. by Summer
o WorldSpace Corp. to Offer Multinational Satellite Radio Subscriptions
o Online Ad Firm DoubleClick to Acquire Marketing Software Firm SmartPath
o Ubisoft Acquires "Shadowbane" Game Developer Wolfpack Studios
o CNET Networks to Acquire Wireless Gaming Review


 > DMW Announcements
 --DMW Events
   -Games & Mobile Forum - Early-Bird Registrations

 > Featured Advertisement:
 --Digital Media Law Report
 

o Briefly Noted: Internet Streaming Media Alliance - DRM, XM Satellite Radio - weather/traffic reports, Cinequest - downloadable movies, TextAmerica - camera phone music video, Independent Games Festival - free game downloads, Buena Vista Interactive - "TRON 2.0: Killer App," Majesco - "Super Collapse II," Vivendi Universal Games - "Ground Control II: Operation Exodus," Mobile Scape, Audible Magic - Washington, South by Southwest - wireless MP3 playlist distribution

 
> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
 --Product Management and Marketing Education Conference 2004
 --
New Business Analyst
 --HireStrategy - Financial Manager
 --Senior Manager, Corporate Public Affairs - Washington, DC
 --
Advertising Services CFO
 --Director of Finance 
 --PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook
 --Reach Federal Contractors Selling Technologies for Homeland Security
 --IT Perm and Contract Placement Services
 


o Court Debates Law Designed to Shield Kids from Internet Porn

Washington, D.C. -- The Bush administration's top lawyer is pushing the Supreme Court to let stand a 1998 law designed to protect children from Internet porn, but assailed by some as a violation of free speech. Solicitor General Theodore Olson told the court that the government has a responsibility to shield children from porn, since it is "persistent and unavoidable," the AP reported. For the second time since the bill was originally signed by President Clinton in 1998, the court is deciding on the legality of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), which has twice been struck down by a federal appeals court on separate constitutional grounds. The law would impose criminal penalties on commercial web sites that fail to make good faith efforts to restrict the access of sexual content to children under the age of 17. The ACLU, however, argues that such a law would inevitably block the access of adults, as well, making it unconstitutional.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X29642A97
_____________________________________________

o Universal Music Europe Digitizes Entire Catalog for Online Sales

London -- The world's largest record label, Universal Music, said on Wednesday that its European unit has digitized its entire catalog of music, and will market the songs for sale by online retailers. The 300,000-song library will initially be available through U.K.-based digital music distributor OD2, which services online retailers including HMV and Microsoft's MSN. The songs will also become available on European versions of Apple's iTunes and Napster, when these services launch in the region.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040303/media_universal_1.html 
http://www.od2.com 
http://www.umusic.com
_____________________________________________

o Napster to Launch Music Service in U.K. by Summer

London -- Music download retailer Napster announced on Wednesday that it plans to launch a service for U.K. music buyers by the end of this summer. The news means that Napster will not beat out rival Apple, which plans to launch its iTunes Music Store in Europe sometime during the second quarter. Napster said its U.K. unit -- which can be reached at napster.co.uk when it is launched -- will feature localized content, genres and promotions. However, the company declined to give details on pricing. The decision to move into the U.K., the third-largest music market outside the U.S. and Japan, comes as part of Napster's country-by-country strategy for Europe, and the London office ultimately will serve as headquarters for its European operations, Napster said.
http://www.napster.com
http://www.silicon.com/networks/webwatch/0,39024667,39118859,00.htm
____________________________________________

o WorldSpace Corp. to Offer Multinational Satellite Radio Subscriptions

Washington -- WorldSpace Corporation, developer of a multinational satellite radio delivery service, announced on Wednesday that it will begin selling receiver equipment and $9.99 monthly subscriptions for its service in mid-April. The company, which has been broadcasting since 1999, said that its initial marketing push will be towards American and British expatriates living in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Radio programming includes shows produced by Fox News, National Public Radio (NPR), Bloomberg, the BBC and Virgin Radio UK. Washington-based WorldSpace also noted that it produces four of the channels available on the U.S.-based XM Satellite Radio service.
http://www.worldspace.com
____________________________________________

o Online Ad Firm DoubleClick to Acquire Marketing Software Firm SmartPath

Research Triangle Park, N.C. -- DoubleClick, a New York-based provider of online marketing technologies, has agreed to acquire SmartPath, a venture capital-backed provider of marketing support software based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. DoubleClick said that the acquisition will allow it to provide planning and operational solutions, in addition to its existing offerings in channel execution, data/analytics and optimization. SmartPath's software supports the management of traditional marketing channels, such as print and television, and is expected to strengthen DoubleClick's position in vertical markets, such as pharmaceuticals and financial services.
http://www.smartpathinc.com/company_pr_20040302.asp
http://www.doubleclick.com
____________________________________________

o Ubisoft Acquires "Shadowbane" Game Developer Wolfpack Studios

San Francisco -- Video game developer and publisher Ubisoft announced that it has acquired Austin-based developer Wolfpack Studios, creator of the "Shadowbane" massively multiplayer online PC game. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The company will remain headquartered in Austin. San Francisco-based Ubisoft currently hosts "Shadowbane" from its servers at Ubi.com. "The acquisition of Wolfpack takes our strategy in the [multiplayer game] segment one step further as it strengthens our internal expertise and it will allow us to develop quality content under our own brands, which we feel is critical to succeed in the long run," said Ubi.com managing director Gilles Langourieux.
http://www.ubi.com/US/Articles/news_2004-03-02_wolfpack.htm
http://www.wolfpackstudios.com ____________________________________________

o CNET Networks to Acquire Wireless Gaming Review

San Francisco -- Technology publisher CNET Networks announced on Wednesday that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire WGR Media, publisher of the Wireless Gaming Review website, and related assets. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Established in 2001, Cambridge, Mass.-based Wireless Gaming Review offers coverage of the mobile games market. The company's co-founders will be relocated to San Francisco, where WGR content will be integrated with CNET's GameSpot.com video game destination.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040303/35393_1.html 
http://www.cnet.com 
http://www.wgamer.com

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 > DMW Events:



2nd
Annual
GAMES & MOBILE FORUM

April 15
, 2004  |  New York City
www.gamesandmobile.com

Overview
Games & Mobile Forum is 1-day executive forum focused on business and technology developments impacting games and mobile entertainment.  In 2003, leading executives from entertainment and technology companies including, Yahoo! Games, AOL Games, Atari,  Acclaim, Warner Bros. Online, AtomShockwave, CNET, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), The Endeavor Agency, Mythic Entertainment and Digital Bridges participated in a series of panels on topics, including "Mobile Games: The Coming Wireless Revolution", "Developing Games Based on Film, Television & Music Properties and Visa-Versa"", and "Advergames: Recent Developments & Opportunities".

REGISTRATION
Early Bird Special: $ 195 (until March 12)
Pre-Registration: $ 295 (until April 9)
Registration: $ 395 (after April 9)

Online :  http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1060 
Phone: 323-464-0793

To submit speakers for the 2004 conference, please send a bio and photo (optional) to 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: 

Digital Media Law Report
New Featured Section - Volume 1 - 2004

We are pleased to announce that we have added a "Featured Section" to Digital Media Law & Policy Report. This month's featured coverage includes reports on the oral arguments held before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in MGM v. Grokster and a "Post-Conference Report" from MidemNet 2004. We will use this section to provide in depth coverage of certain cases, events and policy developments each month. Subscriptions - Order

Available Now - Volume 1 - 2004 Report - 30 pages - Order
 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Mountain View, Calif.) The Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA), a trade group developing open technology standards for the streaming of content over the Internet, on Wednesday announced its first digital rights management specification. The ISMA Encryption and Authentication Specification v.1.0 is the alliance's first content protection specification for secure Internet content delivery, and prescribes interoperability between encoders, streaming servers and players that comply with open, standards-based technologies. ISMA backers include Apple, AOL, IBM, Philips and Sony.
http://www.isma.tv/resources/techspecs

(Washington) XM Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital audio programming, announced the launch of traffic and weather reports for the nation's 21 largest markets. The services launched on Feb. 28 in D.C. and this week in cities including New York and Los Angeles. Rival Sirius Satellite Radio announced similar plans to launch weather and traffic reports in 20 U.S. markets last week.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040301/lam050a_1.html 
http://www.xmradio.com

(San Jose, Calif.) Cinequest, organizers of a Northern California film festival of the same name, announced on Wednesday the launch of a feature-length, DVD-quality online movie distribution service. Cinequest Online will launch in conjunction with this year's Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, using delivery technology from Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Kontiki. The service will initially offer a selection of films and trailers from the festival, along with video coverage of the festival itself.
http://www.cinequest.org

(San Diego) TextAmerica, a provider of software that allows users to post photos taken with their camera phones on a "moblog," on Wednesday posted a music video for the band XFYA that was shot entirely using a Nokia 3650 camera phone. The video is available for free and is streamed using Apple's QuickTime software.
http://ghettron.textamerica.com/?r=455355

(San Francisco) The Independent Games Festival, part of publisher CMP Game Group's Game Developers Conference, announced on Wednesday that the finalist games are now being offered for free download at dlx.gamespot.com. The festival's awards ceremony in March will award cash prizes totaling $40,000.
http://www.gamespot.com/features/6090171/index.html 
http://dlx.gamespot.com

(Burbank, Calif.) Video game publisher Buena Vista Interactive, a unit of Disney, said on Wednesday that it will release "TRON 2.0: Killer App" for Microsoft Xbox in the fall of 2004. Developed by Los Angeles-based Climax Group, the console version of the PC title based on the classic Disney sci-fi film will feature a number of online gaming elements enabled through the Xbox Live service.
http://www.climaxgroup.com 
http://www.tronkillerapp.com

(Edison, N.J.) Game developer Majesco said on Wednesday that it will publish a version of the popular PC game "Super Collapse II" for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance handheld in March. Seattle-based GameHouse, a division of RealNetworks, will develop the handheld version; Majesco said that the PC version has been downloaded by over 15 million users.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040303/35095_1.html 
http://www.gamehouse.com

(Los Angeles) Vivendi Universal Games on Wednesday announced it is taking applications for a beta test of multiplayer capabilities of its upcoming PC title, "Ground Control II: Operation Exodus." Developed by Sweden-based Massive Entertainment, the title is due for release in July; the beta test will begin on March 8.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040303/law031_1.html 
http://www.massive.se 
http://www.groundcontrol2.com

(Los Angeles) Mobile Scape AG, a German publisher of mobile entertainment content, announced on Wednesday the establishment of U.S. operations in Los Angeles. The company named Cathy Tische as senior vice president of sales and marketing for Mobile Scope Inc., responsible for all sales and marketing activities in North America.
http://www.mobilescape.com

(San Francisco) CNET News.com on Wednesday profiled Los Gatos, Calif.-based Audible Magic, a company that claims to have software that can be used to filter and block copyrighted music traded on peer-to-peer file-sharing services like Kazaa. The company has in recent weeks met with lawmakers -- aided by the recording industry's Washington connections -- to demonstrate its software, which is already being used by music publisher SESAC to identify songs played on the radio for royalty reporting. Meanwhile, Kazaa and other file-sharing services have insisted that it would be impossible or infeasible to install filtering software on their networks.
http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-5168505.html 
http://www.audiblemagic.com

(San Francisco) Wired News on Wednesday reported on a wireless music promotion being offered by this year's South by Southwest music festival in conjunction with 30 restaurants and coffee shops in Austin that offer free wireless Internet access. Around 600 bands playing at the festival in March have made a song available for free download; these songs will be available to anyone using Apple's iTunes software who visits one of the 30 locations. "If someone launches iTunes, these 600 songs will pop up in their iTunes," Scott Wilcox, chief technical adviser for SXSW, told Wired News. "Because we have their audio in-house, we're able to -- with the appropriate permission -- make these tracks available for free as part of the promotion for playing South by Southwest."
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,62504,00.html
http://www.sxsw.com/music/showcases/pages/Wed.html

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> Classifieds:

> Product Management and Marketing Education Conference 2004

The Association of International Product Marketing and Management presents a remarkable opportunity on March 21-23 to expand your skills and knowledge plus receive career enhancing certification. This show-how event will cover value proposition creation, best practices, launch, product life-cycle strategies, market and competitive assessment, financial acumen, product positioning, cross-functional teams and features Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures as keynote speaker. Info: conference2004@aipmm.com http://www.aipmm.com/html/pmec/conf_home.php
___________________

> New Business Analyst

John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. requires a self motivated individual that has an eye for detail. The primary responsibility include, processing of all new business for LTC, working with vendors to request underwriting requirements, supporting case management, registering applicants into our administrative system and being able to meet department standards for quality and quantity of work. Other responsibilities include: issuing business on administrative platform, producing, binding, and mailing policies; verifying quality of data entry and issuance. Apply online at http://www.jhancock.com/jobs  Click on Search for Open Positions at JH. Enter Job Code: 2299 in the Job I.D. Field
___________________

> HireStrategy - Financial Manager

Join a progressive health care firm seeking an analyst to assist with valuation and due diligence of health care clinics to assist with corporate growth initiatives. The right candidate must have four plus years of experience with a Big-4 background and exposure to modeling in Excel, or a Wall Street background with exposure to generating discounted cash flows. The manager will oversee a team of five analysts, while providing hands-on deal support. If interested please email resume to mmolinas@hirestrategy.com  or visit http://www.hirestrategy.com/quicklinks/hire170.asp
___________________ 

> Senior Manager, Corporate Public Affairs - Washington, DC

Come work with a dynamic and talented team committed to providing the industry's best online grassroots and constituent management applications. Applicant will be responsible for managing the entire sales cycle from lead generation, to account strategy, to closing; should have demonstrated experience and success selling software or services to government relations, public affairs and/or public relations professionals; or have significant agency experience working with Fortune 1000 companies. Send resumes to salesjob@getactive.com
___________________ 

> Advertising Services CFO

Our client, a leading New England based Advertising Agency, is seeking a CFO. All candidates must have Financial Services experience working within a creative driven marketing services firm. Also, all candidates require a CPA and at least 10 plus years of professional experience. This marketing services firm has roughly 200 people and three, multi-state satellite offices. The CFO will have financial responsibilities for all and a small team of reports. This position is located in New England, not Boston, and will require 100% company paid relocation. Send resumes to info@market-search.net
___________________ 

> Director of Finance

Supervise an effective system of internal accounting controls and safeguarding of assets. Establish/Understand company-wide budgets and forecasts and oversee implementation among departments. Prepare and oversee Irides accounting and financial reporting including: gl, accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit and collections, payroll, fixed assets, budgeting, bank account and balance sheet account reconciliation. Provide accounting and analytical support to the COO and other members. Comply with corporate policies and procedures. Send resumes to jobs@irides.com  No calls please.
___________________ 

> PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook

Purchase the book every entertainment and media executive must have. The PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2003-2007 analyzes key trends and forecasts spending in the U.S. and Canada across 14 industry segments, including a Global Overview that forecasts spending and analyzes trends worldwide (also sold separately). More Information
___________________

> Reach Federal Contractors Selling Technologies for Homeland Security

The 2003-2004 Directory of Homeland Security has complete listings for 532 companies selling technologies and services devoted to homeland defense. Nearly all major federal contractors are included in the section, which includes company names, key personnel, addresses, phone and fax numbers, urls, annual revenues, number of employees, business sector, general descriptions and homeland security relevance. To order the 2003-2004 edition, click here.
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> IT Perm and Contract Placement Services

Technical Staffing Solutions specializes in recruiting the hard to find candidates with or with high level DoD security clearances. We can provide your firm with solutions ranging from 1 permanent employee to a team of consultants for the duration of your short/long term engagement. Send inquiries to skearnes@techstaffsolutions.com or call 703-451-3882 for more information.

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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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