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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- March 4, 2003
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o LA Times: Apple to Launch Digital Music Subscription Service for Mac
o Google Launches Automated, Content-Targeted Advertising Service
o Electronic Arts Consolidates Money-Losing EA.com Into Core Operations
o Microsoft Counts 375,000 Subscribers for Xbox Live Online Game Service
o Digital Music Firm Broadchart Acquires P2P Monitoring Firm NetPD
o XM Rival Sirius Looks to Avoid Bankruptcy with Large Recapitalization
o 3D Chipmaker ATI Technologies, Nintendo Collaborate on Game Technology
o Activision Title to Let Gamers Run Their Own Hollywood Movie Studio
o British Music Pirate Receives Suspended Prison Sentence
> DMW Publications: February Law and Policy Report
o Briefly Noted: Cinea - Sarnoff, MSN TV - .NET, Synacor - CinemaNow,
Minerva Networks, YouPlayGames - "Return to Castle Wolfenstein," M7
Networks, PBS - TiVo, Palm Digital Media, SonyEricsson, Infogrames - "Pro
Bass Fishing 2003," Digital Anvil - "Freelancer," 3DO - "High Heat
Baseball," IRiver, Summus - TriBond
_____________________________________________
> Events: Games & Mobile Forum: April 28 | NYC
> Marketplace: 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
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o LA Times: Apple to Launch Digital Music Subscription Service for Mac
Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that Apple is
planning to launch a major digital music service using the Advanced Audio
Codec (AAC), a higher-fidelity and more secure digital format than the
ubiquitous MP3. Although no licensing deals for the service have been
announced, four of five major labels are reportedly close to licensing
their songs. "This is exactly what the music industry has been waiting
for," one person familiar with the negotiations told The Times. "It's hip.
It's quick. It's easy. If people on the Internet are actually interested
in buying music, not just stealing it, this is the answer." The service
would only be available to Mac users -- a paltry 3 percent of the total
computer market -- but Apple CEO Steve Jobs has reportedly personally
pitched it to label executives. Apple has come under fire for the
marketing behind its popular iPod digital music player, which some music
industry insiders have said encourages piracy.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-music4mar04,1,7646945.story?co
ll=la%2Dhome%2Dtodays%2Dtimes
http://news.com.com/2100-1027-990996.html
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o Google Launches Automated, Content-Targeted Advertising Service
Mountain View, Calif. -- Search engine provider Google on Tuesday
announced a new automated, content-targeted advertising service, featuring
technology that identifies the "meaning" of a Web page and then
automatically serves relevant ads to Internet users. Charter participants
include Knight Ridder Digital properties like the San Jose Mercury News
and Miami Herald, and HowStuffWorks. Mountain View, Calif.-based Google
said that its online advertising program is now comprised of over 100,000
advertisers.
http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/advertising.html
http://www.google.com/services/ct.html
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o Electronic Arts Consolidates Money-Losing EA.com Into Core Operations
Redwood City, Calif. -- Video game developer Electronic Arts announced on
Tuesday its intentions to consolidate the assets and operations of its
EA.com site into the company's core operations. The online unit was hit by
the weak performance of "The Sims Online" and also recently shut down its
"Motor City Online" servers. The company expects to record a pre-tax
charge between $55 and $75 million in the current quarter ending March 31,
2003 principally as a result of asset impairments associated with EA.com.
The consolidation is expected to "create increased efficiency, a
simplified reporting structure, and more directly integrate EA's online
activities into the company's core console and PC business."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030304/45279_1.html
http://www.ea.com
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o Microsoft Counts 375,000 Subscribers for Xbox Live Online Game Service
Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft announced on Tuesday that its Xbox Live
service -- which lets users play one another over the Internet and
download new game content to their Xbox game consoles -- has accumulated
375,000 subscribers worldwide. Downloadable game content, such as new
levels for Microsoft Game Studios' "MechAssault," drove more than 172,000
downloads during the first week of availability. Players are logging more
than 3 million game sessions per week, or 15.7 million hours of online
play. The service is currently available in the U.S., Canada and Japan,
and is slated to launch in Europe on March 14. Microsoft said 14 Xbox
Live-enabled games are currently available, with 10 more scheduled to come
online in the next two months.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/sftu060_1.html
http://www.xbox.com/live
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o Digital Music Firm Broadchart Acquires P2P Monitoring Firm NetPD
London -- Broadchart, a U.K.-based provider of digital music services,
announced that it has acquired NetPD, a provider of online media
monitoring and digital rights management technologies. Financial terms
were not disclosed. Phildrew Ventures, which initially provided backing
for NetPD, has provided an undisclosed additional investment for the
expanded Broadchart. NetPD has acted on behalf of clients to remove over
56 million unauthorized files from the Internet; the company's services
were used to identify files during the court proceedings against Napster
and generate automated cease-and-desist orders. "The acquisition of NetPD
enables us to establish a presence and customer base in the USA and to
offer an even more comprehensive range of services to music industry
customers, which now include ones which address the ever growing problem
of illegal music," said Broadchart CEO Andy Hill.
http://www.broadchart.com
http://www.netpd.com
_____________________________________________
o XM Rival Sirius Looks to Avoid Bankruptcy with Large Recapitalization
Washington, D.C. -- Trying to stave off bankruptcy, New York-based Sirius
Satellite Radio, the chief competitor to D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio,
said on Tuesday that its stockholders have approved the company's $1.2
billion recapitalization. About 68 percent of shareholders voted in favor
of exchanging $700 million in debt for common stock and $519 million in
preferred stock for common stock and warrants. The company also plans to
sell newly issued common stock to raise $200 million in cash. Sirius would
be forced into bankruptcy if it cannot successfully complete its debt
exchange offer, which expired at 5 p.m. The company, which has said that
it needs about 3 million subscribers to break even, had about 30,000 at
the end of last year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/nytu117_1.html
http://www.siriusradio.com
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o 3D Chipmaker ATI Technologies, Nintendo Collaborate on Game Technology
Markham, Ontario -- ATI Technologies, a developer of 3D graphics chips,
said on Tuesday that it has entered into a technology development
agreement with Nintendo, to "develop technologies for use in Nintendo
products." No further details of the agreement were provided.
Ontario-based ATI already provides Nintendo with hardware and software for
its GameCube video game console, which competes with Sony's PlayStation 2
and Microsoft's Xbox.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030304/45323_1.html
http://www.ati.com
_____________________________________________
o Activision Title to Let Gamers Run Their Own Hollywood Movie Studio
Santa Monica, Calif.) Game developer Activision announced on Tuesday that
it has signed an agreement with U.K.-based game designer Peter Molyneux
for the worldwide rights to his current project, tentatively titled "The
Movies." Currently in development at Molyneux's Lionhead Studios, "The
Movies" will give players the chance to run their own Hollywood movie
studio from the silent days of the 1920s, through the advent of new
technologies into the present and beyond. Players will "select scripts,
directors, sets and movie stars before shooting the action and watching
their finished movie on opening night." The game will be released for PC
and all major console platforms in 2004.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/latu056_1.html
http://www.activision.com
http://www.lionhead.com
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o British Music Pirate Receives Suspended Prison Sentence
Sheffield, England -- U.K. resident Brian Allen has been given a suspended
six-month prison sentence and ordered to pay fines and costs of 6,250
pounds ($9,880) in Sheffield Crown Court. Allen, who pleaded guilty to
five charges under the 1994 Trademarks Act, was operating an illegal
factory at his home address, producing counterfeit music CD-R albums.
Thousands of counterfeit CDs were seized in a raid at Allen's home,
together with computers, CD writers and approximately 70,000 pounds in
cash.
http://www.bpi.co.uk/news/displayNews.asp?id=395
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==========================================
DMW Publications: February Law & Policy Report
==========================================
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media. 35+ pages of case summaries, news and analysis, policy updates,
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Published monthly. February issue on sale now!
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Price: $19.00 Per Issue | $195.00 Annual Subscription
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FEATURED SECTION
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Featured Section posting at:
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Briefly Noted:
(Herndon, Va.) Cinea, a provider of digital video security products and
services for the entertainment industry, said on Tuesday that New
Jersey-based Sarnoff Corp. will join its two-year, $2 million
government-sponsored effort to develop technology that will defeat illegal
camcorder recording of movies. Virginia-based Cinea will receive an
exclusive license to Sarnoff's previously developed camera-defeating
technology. Sarnoff will also provide digital video expertise in support
of the program.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230635100&ticker=
http://www.cinea.com
http://www.sarnoff.com
(Redmond, Wash.) Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has launched a new
back-end technology platform for its MSN TV service that it says will
enable pages to load up to 48 percent faster that they were previously.
The new technology is based on the company's .NET technology and an XML
infrastructure. The $99 MSN TV service includes a wireless keyboard and
lets users access email and MSN services through their televisions.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/sftu045_1.html
http://www.msntv.com
(Buffalo, N.Y.) Synacor, a provider of content provisioning for Internet
access providers, announced on Tuesday an agreement with video-on-demand
content provider CinemaNow. Under the deal, Buffalo-based Synacor will
provide CinemaNow's video-on-demand content to its Internet service
provider partners, including Susquehanna Communications and FairPoint
Communications. Marina del Rey, Calif.-based CinemaNow, a unit of Lion's
Gate Films, offers a library of 3,000 films for download.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230635420&ticker=
http://www.synacor.com
http://www.cinemanow.com
(Santa Clara, Calif.) Minerva Networks, a provider of technology for
delivering of broadcast-quality television and video services over
broadband Internet networks, announced that it has developed an on-screen
caller ID feature for its interactive TV software. Georgia-based Ringgold
Telephone has signed on as the first carrier to offer the caller ID
service to its subscribers.
http://www.minervanetworks.com/content/press/pr2003/pr3_3_03_CallerID.htm
(Curacao, Netherlands Antilles) YouPlayGames, an online skill-based games
service, announced on Tuesday that it will soon add Texas-based id
Software's "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" to its offering, allowing game
players to challenge one another over the Internet for the chance to win
cash and prizes. Players using the service, slated to launch in late
March, will have to install online multiplayer anti-cheating software from
Even Balance. "There are more than one million Return to Castle
Wolfenstein players in the world, which provides YouPlayGames with an
extensive fan base to launch its service," said Chris Grove, executive
director, YouPlayGames. "Even Balance's PunkBuster software also helps to
ensure an enjoyable, cheat-free gaming experience."
http://www.youplaygames.com
http://www.evenbalance.com
http://www.idsoftware.com
http://www.castlewolfenstein.com
(La Jolla, Calif.) M7 Networks, a developer of mobile applications,
announced on Tuesday the release of its M7 Challenge, an extension for
wireless developer Qualcomm's BREW platform for wireless devices. The
extension enables BREW developers to create applications that enable end
users to compete for high scores against other users, and also allows
consumers to submit and retrieve the latest scores.
http://www.m7networks.com
(Alexandria, Va.) The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) said on Tuesday
that it will again use the TiVo personal video recorder service to promote
three of its upcoming programs through the TiVo Showcase program.
Information on and exclusive video content from PBS programs "Manor
House," "History Detectives" and "Nova" will be saved onto TiVo users'
hard drives for viewing at their convenience.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/dctu002_1.html
http://www.tivo.com
http://www.pbs.org
(Maynard, Mass.) E-book publisher Palm Digital Media announced on Tuesday
that two Internet retailers have become the first e-stores to begin
selling German and French language editions of Palm Reader eBooks. The two
companies are Envi.con KG of Berlin and GiantChair, an American company
based in Paris.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/sftu014_1.html
http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com
http://ebooks.pdassi.de
http://palmlivres.com
(London) SonyEricsson on Tuesday announced the release of its HBM-30, a
combination MP3 player and wireless hands-free mobile phone accessory for
any Bluetooth-enabled phone. When a call comes in, the music will be muted
and the user can choose whether to take the call or not, and the display
will switch to caller ID from track information. The device will ship
during the second half of 2003 with a 64MB Memory Stick Duo for music
storage.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030304/45182_1.html
http://www.sonyericsson.com
(Beverly, Mass.) Game developer Infogrames on Tuesday shipped its "Pro
Bass Fishing 2003" for the PC to retailers. Eugene, Oregon-based Fireline
Interactive developed the game, which supports multiplayer action over LAN
or online through the GameSpy Arcade.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030304/45032_1.html
http://us.infogrames.com
http://www.firelineinteractive.com
(Redmond, Wash.) Microsoft Game Studios announced on Tuesday that its
"Freelancer" title for PC has shipped to retailers. Developed by
Austin-based Digital Anvil, the game features voice-overs from actors
including George Takei, Xander Berkeley, Ian Ziering and Michael T. Weiss.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/sftu072_1.html
http://www.microsoft.com/games/freelancer
(Redwood City, Calif.) Game developer 3DO announced on Tuesday the release
of its "High Heat Major League Baseball 2004" for PC. The game is endorsed
by MLB Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030304/sftu079_1.html
http://www.3do.com
(San Jose, Calif.) IRiver, a developer of portable digital audio devices,
announced on Tuesday the launch of its own e-commerce store. The site will
sell San Jose, Calif.-based IRiver's line of MP3 CD players, flash
memory-based players and accessories including armbands, car kits and
cassette adapters.
http://www.iriveramerica.com/estore
(Raleigh, N.C.) Wireless application developer Summus on Tuesday announced
an agreement with TriBond Enterprises, a maker of board games, to develop
wireless versions of the company's board game properties for cell phones.
The games will be built on North Carolina-based Summus' BlueFuel platform
and be available in the second quarter of 2003 for BREW, J2ME and Symbian
OS platforms.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030304/45175_1.html
http://www.summus.com
http://www.tribond.com
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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:
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Door Tickets Price: $250. For Early Bird Specials, pre-register at:
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