archives

o Judge Orders Labels to Prove Copyright Ownership in Napster Case
o Sony Announces Online Plans for PlayStation 2
o Microsoft Offers to Replace Defective Xbox Video Game Consoles
o Online Mail-Order DVD Rental Firm NetFlix Files for $115 Million IPO
o Global At-Home Net Population Reaches Half a Billion
o Briefly Noted: Linux for PlayStation 2, "CineMachine," THQ -
"Scooby-Doo," OmniVision Technologies - PlayStation 2 developers, Rep.
Rick Boucher - copy-protected CDs, DivXNetworks, Grammy Awards - pirate
download questions, "Painstation" video game
_____________________________________________

>DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE PANEL DISCUSSION SERIES:
"Interactive Games on the Internet: Recent Developments"

Register to join leading executives at our upcoming breakfast panels in
San Francisco (March 12) and New York City (March 14).

San Francisco: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/SFgames2.html
New York City: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/NYCgames2.html
_____________________________________________

o Judge Orders Labels to Prove Copyright Ownership in Napster Case

San Francisco -- A federal judge has given the major record labels suing
file-sharing service Napster for copyright infringement until Thursday to
produce documents proving they own the copyrights to 213 songs they claim
were traded on Napster. The company argued in court that the record labels
may not have such documentation, which could nullify their claims against
Napster, which has been offline since July 2001. Napster also alleged in
court that the labels have colluded to misuse their copyrights to
establish unfair control of the digital music market. U.S. District Court
Judge Marilyn Hall Patel has appointed Neil Boorstyn as a "special master"
to examine the documents produced by the record labels.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020307/ap_on_hi_te/napster_copyright_1&cid=528
http://news.com.com/2110-1023-854055.html?tag=cdshrt
_____________________________________________

o Sony Announces Online Plans for PlayStation 2

Foster City, Calif. -- Sony Computer Entertainment America announced on
Thursday that it will begin selling a Network Adapter, enabling its
PlayStation 2 video game console to connect to the Internet, in August
2002. The $40 adapter will enable both broadband and dialup connections
for the game console, letting players of games with built-in online
capabilities challenge one another online. Sony will begin beta testing of
its online games this month. The adapter will come bundled with a startup
disc offering links to sign up for Internet access from major providers
Earthlink, AT&T WorldNet, SBC-Prodigy and Sympatico. Sony said the
announcement "represents the first step toward the company's overall
vision of PlayStation 2 as a mass-market broadband platform in the home."
The company added that it plans to offer "a new world of computer
entertainment for the broadband era through the fusion of games, music,
movies, community, broadcasting and publishing."
http://www.scea.com
http://www.us.playstation.com
_____________________________________________

o Microsoft Offers to Replace Defective Xbox Video Game Consoles

Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft has offered to replace any of its Xbox video
game consoles or game software found to be defective due to a defect in
some Xboxes, Reuters reported. Some consumers have found that the Xbox can
scratch game and DVD discs, although Microsoft said the scratches do not
interfere with game play. "We do not consider this a recall," Microsoft
spokeswoman Midori Takahashi told Reuters. Microsoft Japan announced
earlier this week it would replace consoles deemed defective, and
Microsoft on Thursday expanded the offer to all Xbox consoles shipped to
date.
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-854262.html
_____________________________________________

o Online Mail-Order DVD Rental Firm NetFlix Files for $115 Million IPO

Los Gatos, Calif. -- NetFlix, an online provider of mail-order DVD
rentals, announced on Thursday that it plans to raise $115 through an
initial public offering of stock. The company did not say how many shares
it plans to offer or at what price they would be offered. Los Gatos-based
NetFlix claims 500,000 subscribers for its service, which lets consumers
make selections online and keep rented DVDs as long as they want,
returning them via postage-paid mail. NetFlix will use proceeds from its
IPO to pay back $13.7 million in debt, as well as for additional
marketing, working capital and general corporate purposes.
http://www.edgar-online.com/ipoexpress/search.asp?cobrand=edgar-online
%2Fneweol&searchstring=netflix&searchdb=company&searchfield=name
_____________________________________________

o Global At-Home Net Population Reaches Half a Billion

Stamford, Conn. -- The total number of people with Internet access at home
across the world has topped half a billion, according to a new survey
conducted by Internet audience measurement firm Nielsen/NetRatings. A
total of 498 million people have Internet accounts at home, a number that
grew by 24 million in the fourth quarter of 2001 -- almost double the
growth reported in the third quarter. The U.S. and Canada accounted for 39
percent of all Internet users with home access, although North America's
3.2 percent growth rate trails that of the entire rest of the world.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_020306_eratings.pdf
_____________________________________________

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA)
INVESTMENT CAPITAL CONFERENCE 2002
Sources of Capital for Growth Companies http://www.lava.org/
Thu. April 4, 2002 * Westin Bonaventure Hotel * Los Angeles

Over 65 Speakers & 70 Sponsors
SPECIAL $40 DISCOUNT for friends of Digital Media Wire
Discount details & online registration at this password-protected URL:
http://www.lava.org/discount

ENTER the following username and password:
USERNAME: DMW (case-sensitive) PASSWORD: 1369020102
**IMPORTANT** To receive your discount, you must register online at the
password-protected URL above, before Mon., April 12PM Pacific.

FOR MORE CONFERENCE INFORMATION, VISIT: http://www.lava.org

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

WITH ALL THE MEDIA ATTENTION THAT VOD SERVICES ARE GETTING THESE DAYS, WHY NOT FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN PROFIT?

THE CARMEL GROUP will host CONVERGENCE 2002: VOD -- WHERE IS THE DEMAND? A video-on-demand dinner panel and networking session on Wednesday, March 13, from 6-10 pm at the Marina Beach Marriott in Marina del Rey, CA.

Participating companies include Canal+ Technologies, DirecTV, DIVA, Keen
Personal Media, Liberate and Starz Encore Group. Register online or by
phone prior to March 11 for only $60, or register three attendees for
$125. The cost will be $80 at the door.

For more information, please call 831-643-2222 or visit our The Carmel
Group website:
http://www.carmelgroup.com/conferences/conv2002/conv2002.cfm
info@carmelgroup.com

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Bender/Helper Impact is a full-service, mid-sized public relations agency
with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The agency, which
was founded in 1986, offers strong expertise and capabilities in the areas
of digital entertainment and convergence, new media, electronic gaming,
technology and consumer electronics. Current clients include: Dolby, 20th
Century Fox, Konami, Roxio, DreamWorks, Marvel Enterprises, MGM and Warner Bros., among many others.

To find out how Bender/Helper can impact your business, contact Steve
Honig, Senior Vice President, 310-473-4147, or email:
steve_honig@bhimpact.com.

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

STREAMING MEDIA WEST 2002 -- April 23-26, Los Angeles Convention Center

Streaming Media West 2002 is the World's Largest Digital Media Technology
Event, featuring an extensive exhibition floor and an intensive four-day
Conference program.

Co-located with Internet World Spring, Streaming Media West is the premier
event for business and technology professionals to conduct business,
discover the latest advancements in streaming and digital media and forge
valuable relationships.

Join us in Los Angeles and discover for yourself the business and
technology of streaming and digital media! For your FREE Exhibition pass
or to save $200 on your full Conference pass visit
http://www.streamingmedia.com/west
Or contact register@streamingmedia.com or 888 301-8890

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Foster City, Calif.) Sony Computer Entertainment America on Thursday
began taking pre-orders for its Linux kit for PlayStation 2. The kit will
allow enthusiasts of the open source operating system to install Linux on
their PlayStation 2, enabling them to run Linux-based software such as
HTML editors, multimedia players and office programs on the console. The
kit will begin shipping in May.
http://www.us.playstation.com/product_detail/product_detail.jhtml?PRODID=337933&CATID
=490&_requestid=16652

(North Hollywood, Calif.) Virtual Concepts Corp., a multimedia marketing
firm, announced on Thursday that it has partnered with USA Technologies to
develop a cashless vending machine that dispenses DVDs, CDs and video
games. The "CineMachine" is being targeted at movie theaters and their
patrons, as well as airports and hotels, where consumers could use a
credit card or their cell phone to purchase movies, music or games at a
machine that requires no employees to operate.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020307/neth012_1.html
http://www.usatech.com/cinemachine/cinemachine.htm

(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) Game developer THQ announced on Thursday that it
will release "Scooby-Doo" for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance on June 14, the
same day that the Warner Bros. movie based on the animated children's TV
show opens in theaters. The Game Boy Advance title will be based on the
plot of the film, while the previously announced "Scooby-Doo! Night of 100
Frights" for Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube will be based on
the television series.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020307/70064_1.html
http://www.thq.com

(San Jose, Calif.) OmniVision Technologies announced on Thursday that it
has released a CameraPlay development kit for Sony PlayStation 2
developers. The kit will allow developers to create games that utilize
cameras to gauge a player's physical movements and translate them into
actions within the game. Sunnyvale-based OmniVision's technology has
already been utilized in several arcade games, and Konami said it will
release its first camera-based game title in Europe this spring.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020307/sfth030_1.html
http://www.ovt.com

(San Francisco) Wired News on Thursday featured an interview with Rep.
Rick Boucher (D-Va.) on the topic of his opposition to copy-protected CDs
in the U.S. Some legal experts believe that the discs may violate current
U.S. law because they will not function in all devices that play CDs. "I'm
considering a proper legislative response to these concerns," Boucher told
Wired News. "I'm discussing it with a large number of individuals."
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,50886,00.html

(San Francisco) CNET on Thursday offered a feature article on video
compression provider DivXNetworks and the inventor of the technology,
Jerome Rota -- aka "Gej". The company this week released the latest
version of its technology, which shrinks video files so they can be sent
more quickly across the Internet. San Diego-based DivXNetworks reported
that its new DivX 5.0 saw 1.5 million downloads in its first 48 hours of
availability.
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-853881.html
http://www.divx.com/divx

(New York) The New York Times on Thursday reported on the music
downloading that was done by three college-aged volunteers during the
Grammy Awards telecast. Recording Academy president Michael Greene gave a
speech during the Grammys decrying file-sharing for its damage to artists'
interests, and illustrated this fact by showing that in two days, three
students had downloaded 6,000 songs off of the Web. One of the downloaders
told The New York Times that many of the songs were in fact not taken off
of the Web or through renegade file-sharing services, but through private
downloads enabled through AOL Instant Messenger.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/07/arts/music/07POPL.html
http://grammy.aol.com/features/speech.html

(San Francisco) Wired News on Thursday reported on the "Painstation," a
video game system developed by two German designers that delivers shocks,
punches and heat when a player errs in the game. Based on the early Atari
game "Pong," the Painstation and its designer are not affiliated with Sony
Corp., which has already contacted them about the similarity in name to
its PlayStation console. "We've found the reaction is generally divided --
people either love it or hate it. It depends on your temperament,"
Painstation co-inventor Tilman Reiff told Wired News. "For those who don't
mind a bit of pain, they usually find it extremely addictive."
http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,50875,00.html
http://www.painstation.de/
______________________

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com

Questions or comments? Send email to:
mark@digitalmediawire.com

News tips, press releases. Send email to:
editorial@digitalmediawire.com

Copyright 2002 Digital Media Wire