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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- March 26, 2003
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o Proposed Law Would Label All Copy-Protected CDs, Other Media
o Movielink Adds Films from Artisan to Video-on-Demand Service
o Telecom Heavyweights Discuss Broadband Entertainment Model
o Game Developer 3DO Gets New $10 Million Credit Facility
o FullAudio Launches New Service Offering Downloadable Tracks
> DMW Publications: February Law and Policy Report
> Featured Section: HP Workstation for a PC Price
o Briefly Noted: Level 3 - Sony Online Entertainment, Spatializer
Interactive, Summus - Agence France-Presse, Fathammer - THQ Wireless,
Take-Two - "Vietcong," Koei Corp. - "Dynasty Warriors 4," Ubi Soft - "CSI"
- "Shadowbane," National Association of Recording Merchandisers president
- interview
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> Events: Games & Mobile Forum: April 28 | NYC
> Marketplace: TechSpotter, Game Industry Report, iTV Chronicle,
Interest-Based Navigation
Full Classifieds located beneath "Briefly Noted" section below.
To post a Classified Ad:
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o Proposed Law Would Label All Copy-Protected CDs, Other Media
Washington -- A new bill introduced into Congress this week would put
labels on all copy-protected media and devices notifying consumers of the
limitations placed on their ability to freely make copies of digital
media. Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) Digital Consumer Right-to-Know Act would
place the burden of devising a labeling scheme on the Federal Trade
Commission, so that consumers buying CDs, DVDs, software and other digital
media and the devices that play them would be informed if technology has
been embedded in them that would prevent making back-up copies or personal
use copies. "My bill says that if digital content is released in a form
that prevents or limits reasonable consumer use, consumers have a right to
be told in advance," Wyden said in a statement. The Digital Consumer
Right-To-Know Act is expected to be referred to the Senate Commerce
Committee, on which Wyden sits.
http://wyden.senate.gov/media/2003/03242003_digitalrights.htm
http://news.com.com/2100-1028-994176.html?tag=fd_top
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o Movielink Adds Films from Artisan to Video-on-Demand Service
Santa Monica, Calif. -- Movielink, an Internet-based video-on-demand
service joint venture between five Hollywood movie studios, announced on
Wednesday the first signing of a license agreement from a studio outside
its founding members. Artisan Entertainment has licensed movies from its
library for delivery on Movielink, with Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate"
being the first title available for download. Santa Monica, Calif.-based
Movielink also announced that it will now offer films in Microsoft Media 9
Series and RealNetworks RealVideo 9 formats. The founding studio members
of Movielink, which also provide films for the service are MGM, Paramount,
Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.
http://www.movielink.com
http://www.artisanent.com
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o Telecom Heavyweights Discuss Broadband Entertainment Model
London -- Some of the world's biggest broadband DSL providers and consumer
electronics vendors this week announced their aim to create an open,
standardized model for broadband interactive entertainment. The group is
composed of such well-known telecommunications groups as Alcatel,
Belgacom, Philips Consumer Electronics, Bluewin/Swisscom, Telecom Italia,
Telefonica, Telekom Austria and Thomson. The group is currently developing
a model for the profitable provision of broadband entertainment services
for each member.
http://shorterlink.com/?ZJUP7O
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o Game Developer 3DO Gets New $10 Million Credit Facility
Redwood City, Calif. -- Video game developer 3DO announced on Wednesday
that it has secured a new $10 million credit facility with IIG Capital,
which was completed and funded last week. Initially, the company has drawn
down approximately $4 million against the line, which it will use
primarily to purchase inventory of new game releases. Earlier this month,
the company said it raised $500,000 through a private placement of its
stock with investors. Redwood City, Calif.-based 3DO has also received $10
million in financial support from CEO Trip Hawkins. The company said it
has struggled with recent weak sales for its Nintendo GameCube titles and
also was not able to fulfill some inventory orders on time due to cash
shortages.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030326/sfw043_1.html
http://www.3do.com
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o FullAudio Launches New Service Offering Downloadable Tracks
Chicago -- FullAudio, a provider of branded digital music subscription
services, announced on Wednesday the launch of MusicNow, a new offering
that allows subscribers to download unlimited tracks and purchase
permanent downloads for $0.99 each. The company announced new licensing
agreements with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and
Bertelsmann Music Group that will add 200,000 downloadable tracks to
MusicNow. The service, which also offers 36 pre-programmed radio channels,
will be offered for $9.95 per month through distribution partners
including Charter Communications, Clear Channel Communications, Earthlink
and Microsoft's Windows Media Player.
http://www.fullaudio.com
http://www.musicnow.com
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==========================================
DMW Publications: February Law & Policy Report
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Contact tinzar@digitalmediawire.com or call 323-464-0793 to order your
copies.
To purchase directly, go to:
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Digital Media Law & Policy Report - New Issue
Must-read publication on legal and policy matters related to digital
media. 35+ pages of case summaries, news and analysis, policy updates,
court filings, and exclusive interviews with legal counsel and business
leaders.
Published monthly. February issue on sale now!
**Special Reduced Rates available for a limited time**
Price: $19.00 Per Issue | $195.00 Annual Subscription
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.php
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==================
FEATURED SECTION
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Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
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Briefly Noted:
(Broomfield, Colo.) Level 3 Communications, a provider of bandwidth to
Internet service providers, announced on Wednesday that it will provide
network services to Sony Online Entertainment to support its popular
"EverQuest" massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, as well as
future online game releases. San Diego-based Sony Online Entertainment's
"EverQuest" currently claims 430,000 subscribers and at peak times logs
over 100,000 simultaneous players.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030326/law028_1.html
http://www.level3.com
http://everquest.station.sony.com
(Santa Clara, Calif.) Spatializer Audio Laboratories, a developer of
digital audio technology for consumer electronics, announced on Wednesday
the formation of a new division, Spatializer Interactive, which will focus
on the Internet music, PC and video game markets.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030326/sfw037_1.html
http://www.spatializer.com
(Raleigh, N.C.) Summus, a developer of wireless entertainment and other
applications, said on Wednesday that it has partnered with news
organization Agence France-Presse to develop a mobile news application
that will delivers AFP's news and photo content to users of wireless
handsets, smart phones and PDAs. The service will be available in
languages including Chinese, English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Russian and Arabic, and will include multimedia messages sent using the
MMS format.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030326/265225_1.html
http://www.afp.com
http://www.summus.com
(Helsinki) Fathammer, a provider of advanced 3D graphics and game
technologies for mobile devices, announced on Wednesday that the wireless
division of game developer THQ has licensed its X-Forge 3D Game Engine for
use in the development of two titles for cell phone maker Nokia's N-Gage
handheld gaming device. Helsinki-based Fathammer's technology will be
utilized in the creation of "MotoGP" and "Red Faction" for N-Gage.
http://www.fathammer.com/news/press_release_26032003.shtml
http://www.thqwireless.com
(New York) Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software announced on
Wednesday that its Gathering division has shipped "Vietcong" for the PC to
retailers. The game was developed by Czech Republic-based Illusion
Softworks in association with development team Pterodon. New York-based
Take-Two's Rockstar Games unit has also reported shipping an Xbox version
of its popular "State of Emergency" title.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030326/265260_1.html
http://www.take2games.com
http://www.illusionsoftworks.com
http://www.vietcong-game.com
(Tokyo) Japanese video game developer Koei Corp. has shipped its "Dynasty
Warriors 4" title for PlayStation 2 to North American retailers. The game
has already sold one million units in Japan, where it was released on Feb.
27.
http://www.koeigames.com/Press_DW4_Ships.htm
(San Francisco) Game developer Ubi Soft has announced the release of "CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation," based on the CBS television series, for the
PC. San Francisco-based Ubi Soft also released its massively multiplayer
online game "Shadowbane" for PC and Mac, which was developed by
Austin-based Wolfpack Studios and will be hosted by Ubi.com.
http://www.ubi.com/US/Articles/news_32503.htm
http://www.ubi.com/US/Articles/pressreleasemarch25.htm
http://www.wolfpackstudios.com
(San Francisco) CNET News.com on Wednesday featured an interview with Pam
Horovitz, CEO of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers
(NARM). Topics discussed include the threat to traditional retailers like
Tower Records posed by the labels' online subscription services, and
retailers' own efforts to launch digital distribution through their Echo
joint venture. "I think this is going to be the year in which the dynamic
tension between the problems of the Internet for retailers eases,"
Horovitz told News.com. "[I'm talking about] the degree to which file
sharing and unauthorized downloads cannibalize sales, and the degree to
which file sharing can be used as a promotional vehicle, for example."
http://news.com.com/2008-1082-994096.html?tag=fd_nc_1
http://www.narm.com
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CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
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To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobpostingpage.htm
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====================
CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
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To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/eventpostingpage.htm
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:
Is the Game Industry Winning?", "Mobile Games: Business Models & New
Opportunities", "Legal & Policy Issues Impacting the Game Industry &
Mobile Entertainment", and "Home Networking: Technology for Modern Living
& Entertainment."
Door Tickets Price: $250. For Early Bird Specials, pre-register at:
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1025
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Copyright 2003 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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