GrayCary is a national law firm that represents leading private and public companies. Our Media, Content and eCommerce Group has 50 attorneys representing clients in the digital media, entertainment, wireless and electronics industries. More information

Main Stories
o Microsoft-EU Negotiations in Brussels Called "Ongoing"
o Canadian Rights Groups Argue Against ISP IDs for Music File-Swappers
o Calif. State Bill Would Require File-Swapper Name/Address on Shared Files
o Survey: 40% of Parents Unaware File-Sharing of Copyrighted Material Illegal
o Sony Europe To Launch Music Download Service in U.K.
o Google Launches Localized Search Engine Service
o Report: Global Digital Video Recorder Revenues to Hit $5.6 Billion by 2008
o Electronic Arts Confirms Deal to Develop "The Godfather" Video Game
o Cable Network CSTV Buys OCSN College Sports Website Business
o Yahoo, Cartoon Producer DIC Launch Streaming TV Service for Kids
o Digital Cinema Firm DG2L Acquires Video Delivery Technology Firm iVast

o Briefly Noted: Nokia - CeBIT announcements, Tribune Media Services - TiVo, ICTV - N2 Broadband, CinemaElectric - PMovil, THQ - "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," Disney Interactive - "Kingdom Hearts," In-Fusio - Qualcomm, "EverQuest" - 5-year anniversary, British National Archives - Shakespeare's will online

Brussels -- With the EU Commission just seven days away from releasing its final findings against Microsoft, an EU spokeswoman said discussions between the two sides were "ongoing." Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti held a surprise meeting on Tuesday night to try to reach a compromise. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Ballmer and Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith remained in Brussels and in contact with the EU antitrust office. The Commission's final decision will be made on Wednesday, 24 March. The finding is expected to impose a large fine on Microsoft and require the company to take specific measures to allow competitors to more effectively compete against the company in areas including media software and servers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/040317/eu_microsoft_20.html
_____________________________________________

o Canadian Rights Groups Argue Against ISP IDs for Music File-Swappers

Toronto -- Several Canadian digital civil liberties groups argued in the Federal Court of Canada yesterday that privacies would be violated should Canadian Internet service providers be compelled to turn over the identities of alleged music file-swappers to the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), the Globe and Mail reported. "These folks are civilians, not commercial pirates," Howard Knopf, a lawyer representing an Ottawa Internet rights advocacy group, told the Federal Court of Canada. File-swapping is "clearly not illegal," Knopf added, urging the Court to "apply the [copyright] law as it is today." CRIA attorney Ronald Dimock countered by arguing that subscribers sign a service contract with ISPs agreeing to disclose personal information. "There's really no privacy rights ... to be balanced here," said Dimrock. Following similar actions in the U.S., the Canadian record industry has targeted Canadian ISPs including Telus, Rogers, Shaw, BCE and Videotron with orders seeking the identities of file-swappers, with the intent to then file copyright infringement lawsuits against them.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G239111C7 
http://www.cria.ca
_____________________________________________

o Calif. State Bill Would Require File-Swapper Name/Address on Shared Files

Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday reported on a new bill from Calif. State Sen. Kevin Murray (Culver City) that would require Californians who use file-sharing networks like Kazaa and BitTorrent to attach their real names and addresses to the files they place in their "shared" folder for upload by other users. Penalties for not labeling files would include fines of up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail. "Because the bills require Internet users to post personally identifying information, they fly directly in the face of policy goals and laws that prevent identity theft and spam and protect children and domestic violence victims," said Cindy Cohn, of digital civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "There's one way to maintain your privacy in my bill," Murray told The Times. "That is not to engage in illegal activity."
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bill17mar17.story
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Anonymity/20040317_eff_pr.php
____________________________________________

o Survey: 40% of Parents Unaware File-Sharing of Copyrighted Material Illegal

Los Angeles -- A new survey conducted by Nielsen NRG for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has found that, despite the MPAA and RIAA media and legal campaigns intended to thwart illegal file-sharing, nearly 40% of parents are unaware that file swapping of copyrighted materials is illegal. Over 40% of the 396 parents who participated in the recent telephone survey know that their kids download music and movies over the Internet, and 55% of them know their kids did not pay for the content, while another 15% are unsure. In addition, one-third of those parents who have downloaded movies and music learned how to do so from their kids. "The same caring and conscientious parents who dedicate themselves to making sure that their kids are safe and conduct themselves lawfully and ethically in the real world abandon that role in cyberspace," said Robin Raskin, former editor-in-chief of FamilyPC. Rich Taylor, vice president of public affairs for the MPAA, added that, "Once parents take the time to get the facts and have the increasingly important 'download discussion,' they are taking yet one more step in keeping their family safe and raising good 'digital citizens.'"
http://www.nrg.com 
http://www.mpaa.com 
http://www.respectcopyrights.org
____________________________________________

o Sony Europe To Launch Music Download Service in U.K.

London -- Joining a growing field of players, Sony Europe announced on Wednesday that it will launch an electronic music download service in Europe, starting in June in the U.K., France and Germany. The announcement was made at CeBIT, Europe's largest technology trade show. The service, named "Connect," will offer more than 300,000 songs, including albums and singles from both major and independent record labels. Tracks will be available at a price starting at 0.99 euro ($1.21) per track.
http://www.ready2connect.com
____________________________________________

o Google Launches Localized Search Engine Service

Mountain View, Calif. -- Search engine giant Google on Wednesday launched a new service called Google Local, offering search results including local information with neighborhood business listings, maps, directions and other useful Web pages. The service can help U.S. users find local restaurants, Wi-Fi hot-spots and other destinations, view maps and print driving directions. Google also plans to include local information for international markets in the coming months. "Google's goal is to connect searchers with the information they need whether it's half-way around the world or in their neighborhood," said Google president and co-founder Sergey Brin. "Google Local combines a wide array of sources including Google's more than 4 billion web page index, to produce the deepest local search."
http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/local.html
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U197211C7 
http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5173685.html 
http://www.local.google.com
____________________________________________

o Report: Global Digital Video Recorder Revenues to Hit $5.6 Billion by 2008

London -- Over 2.7 million digital video recorders were sold worldwide in 2003, an annual sales figure expected to grow to 27.6 million by 2008, when the market will support annual revenues of $5.6 billion, according to projections from market research firm Strategy Analytics. A market share breakdown by manufacturer shows that Scientific-Atlanta increased its share of the digital video recorder market to 25% last year, equal to satellite TV provider EchoStar (25%) and ahead of Pace Micro Technology (10%), Hughes Network Systems (10%) and Motorola (7%). The firm indicated that other firms like Sony, Samsung, Pioneer and Philips must "improve their focus with service providers if they are to make any impression on this rapidly growing market." A total of 71.5 million digital video recorders are projected to be in use worldwide by 2008.
http://www.strategyanalytics.com
____________________________________________

o Electronic Arts Confirms Deal to Develop "The Godfather" Video Game

London -- GamesIndustry.biz reports that game developer Electronic Arts has confirmed that it is currently developing a game based on "The Godfather" film from Francis Ford Coppola and novel from Mario Puzo. EA CFO Warren Jenson confirmed the development plans at a recent Bear Stearns conference. The title would be an unlikely foray for EA into "Mature"-rated games, which include rival developer Rockstar Games' popular and graphically violent "Grand Theft Auto" franchise. EA is best known for its sports and "Teen"-rated war-themed titles, such as "Madden NFL" and "Battlefield 1942."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L64E231C7 
http://www.ea.com
____________________________________________

o Cable Network CSTV Buys OCSN College Sports Website Business

Boston -- Student Advantage, an integrated media and commerce company, announced that it has sold its Official College Sports Network (OCSN) college sports website development business to CSTV: College Sports Television, a nationwide cable TV network. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. OCSN said that nearly 5.8 million college sports fans visited its collective sites during August 2003, which include official sites for the University of North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State University. CSTV will re-brand the OCSN network under its CollegeSports.com domain.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040316/netu025_1.html 
http://www.ocsn.com 
http://www.cstv.com
____________________________________________

o Yahoo, Cartoon Producer DIC Launch Streaming TV Service for Kids

Burbank, Cailf. -- DIC Entertainment, an independent children's entertainment producer and distributor, announced on Wednesday an agreement with Yahoo to launch Yahooligans TV, a streaming video service that will feature programs from the company's 1,500-hour library. Burbank, Calif.-based DIC produces cartoons and other children's series including "Liberty's Kids," "Super Duper Sumos," "Inspector Gadget" and "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego." The companies will develop broadband advertising and cross-promotional campaigns that will include on-air promotion to drive kids from on-air programs to the Yahooligans site and vice versa.
http://www.dicentertainment.com 
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com
____________________________________________

o Digital Cinema Firm DG2L Acquires Video Delivery Technology Firm iVast

New York -- DG2L, developer of an MPEG-4 based digital cinema system, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired iVast, a provider of video encoding, decoding, streaming, video-on-demand, mobile and satellite delivery services. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Newark, Calif.-based iVast offers its services for video standards including MPEG-1, MPEG2, H.264, HD and Windows Media 9. "DG2L is a leader in developing digital media distribution, delivery and playback solutions, said DG2L CEO Ankur Sheth. "The acquisition of iVast allows us to penetrate the market rapidly on a worldwide scale, taking advantage of iVast International's extensive channel and customer base."
http://www.dg2l.com/dg2l_acquisition_of_ivast.htm 
http://www.ivast.com

Top

Top

Top

(Hanover, Germany) Cell phone maker Nokia on Wednesday made several new announcements from the CeBIT electronics fair in Germany, including a megapixel camera phone, 20GB hard disk for storing images and video, and a new massively multiplayer title for its N-Gage game deck. The Nokia 7610, the company's first megapixel (1152 x 864) camera phone, will go on sale in Europe during the second quarter for around $612. The Nokia Image Album is a 20GB hard disk that lets users send and store photos, videos and messages from their phones or other devices and edit them on a TV screen. Nokia also said it will release "Pocket Kingdom: Own The World" for N-Gage -- which it claims is the first global massively multiplayer online mobile game -- in the third quarter.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040317/175361_1.html
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200403/938358_5.html
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200403/938370_5.html

(Chicago) Tribune Media Services, a provider of print, online and on-screen entertainment listings and editorial information to newspapers and other media, said on Wednesday that it has signed a multi-year contract extension with digital video recorder maker TiVo. Chicago-based Tribune will now provide the premium version of its local TV line-ups and detailed program descriptions for North America and the United Kingdom for use with TiVo's services.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040317/cgw016a_1.html 
http://www.tivo.com 
http://tms.tribune.com

(Los Gatos, Calif.) ICTV, a developer of interactive TV delivery services, and N2 Broadband, a provider of video-on-demand delivery equipment, announced on Wednesday that their joint solution will be implemented at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The companies will provide Mayo Clinic facilities with video-on-demand and subscription video-on-demand, games, patient email, patient education, video programming, and weather and travel information.
http://www.ictv.com 
http://www.n2broadband.com

(Hollywood) CinemaElectric, a provider of mobile video clips, said on Wednesday that its content will now be distributed through Latin American mobile content aggregator PMovil. Sao Paulo-based PMovil provides MMS portal systems for a number of wireless network operators in Central and South America.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040316/latu101_1.html 
http://www.pmovil.com 
http://www.cinemaelectric.com

(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) Video game publisher and developer THQ said on Wednesday that there is a "secret code" visible in Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming movie "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" that unlocks an alternate ending in the Game Boy Advance game title of the same name and a mini-game in the PC version. The games are already available at retail, in advance of the film's debut on March 26. Calabasas Hills, Calif.-based THQ said that it has sold over 4 million "Scooby-Doo"-related game titles since 2000.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040317/175393_1.html 
http://www.thq.com 
http://www2.warnerbros.com/scoobydoo2

(Los Angeles) Video game publisher Disney Interactive, a unit of Buena Vista Games, and Japanese developer Square Enix said on Wednesday that their "Kingdom Hearts" title for PlayStation 2 has now shipped more than 4 million units worldwide since September 2002. The firms said that over 2 million units shipped in North America, 1.23 million in Japan, and 820,000 in Europe.
http://buenavistagames.go.com 
http://www.kingdomhearts.com

(Bordeaux, France) In-Fusio, a mobile game publisher and developer of mobile game technology, said on Wednesday that it has ported its ExEn Gaming Extensions (EGE) to Qualcomm's BREW platform for wireless devices. The technology can be used by developers to create real-time multiplayer interactivity, enhanced 3D game play and vector-based animations, and the ability to recommend a game to a friend. France-based In-Fusio's game titles include "The Terminator" and "Golden Tee Golf."
http://www.in-fusio.com

(San Diego) Sony Online Entertainment announced on Wednesday that, to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the launch of its "EverQuest" massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, it will offer players one-year subscription renewals for $99 -- a $50 savings.
http://www.everquestlive.com

(London) The British National Archives has made the will of William Shakespeare available online, where readers can see the writer's signature on the document in which he bequeathed his "second-best bed" to his wife. Shakespeare signed his will less than a month before he died. The wills of other famous individuals available on the site include those of Sir Francis Drake, Sir Christopher Wren and Jane Austen.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_892365.html?menu=news.technology
http://www.documentsonline.pro.gov.uk

Top

Top

Copyright 2004 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.