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March 26, 2004 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o World Trade Organization Says U.S. 'Net Gambling Ban Violates Trade Laws
o Bill Would Allow Justice Dept. to File Civil Copyright Infringement Claims
o Sony: PlayStation 2 to See 10-Year Lifespan; 60% of Sales Still to Come
o DirecTV Sells Remaining XM Satellite Radio Stake; XM to Redeem Debt
o Mobile Entertainment Publisher Dwango Raises $2.3 Million
o Game Developers Recognize Best Video Games With Awards Ceremony


 > DMW Announcements
 --DMW Events
  
Games & Mobile Forum - Confirmed Speakers & Pre-Registration
 --Digital Media Law Report - Available Now - Volume 2 - February/March

 > Featured Advertisement:
 --The Venture Forum Thursday, April 1, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California
 --PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook
 

o Briefly Noted: BuyMusic.com, Nvidia - HI Corporation, Gracenote - PacketVideo, Quiet Tiger, Atari - "Trivial Pursuit Unhinged," Capcom - wireless titles, Nokia - "ConnectCoder N-Gage Game Battle"

 
> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--Business Development Directors
--Sales Executives 
--Senior Marketing Writer 
--Technical Project Manager with Vision
--Account Manager
--NARIP Panel: "Digitizing the Record Industry" - March 30, 2004
--
AeA/Stanford Executive Institute: August 8-18
--Contracting with the Department of Homeland Security Forum - May 11-12 
--Reach Federal Contractors Selling Technologies for Homeland Security
--
Best Cities, Best Job Growth Performers: Where Should You Be?
--Boost Your Brand with the BrandMAP Program
 


o World Trade Organization Says U.S. 'Net Gambling Ban Violates Trade Laws

New York -- In a decision that the Bush administration has already vowed to appeal, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled that U.S. laws prohibiting Internet gambling violate international trade laws, The New York Times reported on Friday. The island nations of Antigua and Bermuda originally brought the case to the WTO, arguing that it is hypocritical of the U.S. to ban cross-border online gambling sites based there while allowing American casino operators to establish overseas online gambling operations for foreign bettors. It is against the law for U.S. citizens to gamble online, and legislators have gone so far as to target secondary enablers like credit card companies, which are prohibited from allowing bettors to set up accounts to cover gambling debts. "It cannot be allowed to stand that another nation can impose its values on the U.S. and make it a trade issue," Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) told The Times. A representative of the islands told The Times that, should the U.S. fail with its appeal, Antigua and Barbuda would be within international law if they were to then raise tariffs on American companies doing business there.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/26/technology/26gamble.html
http://www.wto.org
_____________________________________________

o Bill Would Allow Justice Dept. to File Civil Copyright Infringement Claims

Washington -- A new bill has been introduced in Congress that would grant the U.S. Justice Dept., which currently only has the authority to file criminal copyright infringement claims, the additional power to bring civil copyright infringement claims against U.S. citizens and companies. The proposed legislation from Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and ranking member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) would allow the government to target copyright infringers with charges that would bring only monetary fines, rather than potential jail time and a criminal record necessary under criminal cases. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which has targeted hundreds of Americans with civil copyright infringement actions for offering music for download on the Internet, applauded the Leahy-Hatch legislation. "As the recent announcement of the FBI's new anti-piracy warning attests, copyright infringement is a serious crime damaging the thousands of hardworking artists, songwriters and everyone else who help bring music to the public," said RIAA chairman and CEO Mitch Bainwol. "This legislation provides federal prosecutors with the flexibility and discretion to bring copyright infringement cases that best correspond to the nature of the crime."
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200403/032504a.html 
http://www.riaa.com
_____________________________________________

o Sony: PlayStation 2 to See 10-Year Lifespan; 60% of Sales Still to Come

San Jose, Calif. -- Speaking at the Game Developer's Conference in San Jose, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America executive vice president Andrew House said yesterday that Sony expects the PlayStation 2 to experience a 10-year lifecycle, continuing to see strong sales through 2010. Sony said in January that worldwide sales for PlayStation 2 exceeded 70 million units, but projected on Thursday that 60% of PlayStation 2 sales are yet to come. The company said that the online capabilities of the PlayStation 2 -- which 10% of North American owners currently utilize -- are key to future sales, as is the company's commitments to accessories such as its EyeToy USB camera for the game console. Sony also provided a glimpse into development on its PSP (PlayStation Portable) device, which it plans to release by April 2005. Developer Backbone Entertainment unveiled "Death Jr.," a title in development exclusively for the PSP.
http://www.us.playstation.com/pressreleases.aspx?id=187
____________________________________________

o DirecTV Sells Remaining XM Satellite Radio Stake; XM to Redeem Debt

Washington -- Satellite TV operator DirecTV announced on Friday that it is selling its remaining 9 million shares in satellite radio firm XM Satellite Radio in a public offering priced at $230 million. "We really are focused on DirecTV, the U.S. satellite service," a DirecTV spokesman told Reuters. "We (do not) see our equity in XM as being a strategic asset any longer, (and) in a strong market we took advantage of the opportunity to sell our remaining shares." Separately, Washington-based XM said on Friday that it plans to redeem $50 million in additional debt, using proceeds from its January equity offering. The move comes just weeks after XM eliminated an additional $135 million in debt.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/040326/media_xmradio_2.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040326/dcf005_1.html 
http://www.directv.com 
http://www.xmradio.com
____________________________________________

o Mobile Entertainment Publisher Dwango Raises $2.3 Million

Seattle -- Mobile entertainment publisher Dwango North America announced on Friday that it has raised $2.3 million in a financing round led by Alexandra Global Master Fund. Seattle-based Dwango publishes mobile games, ringtones and other entertainment services, and holds technology and content licenses from its Japanese counterpart, Dwango Co. Ltd. The company will use the funds for general corporate purposes and for license acquisitions related to consumer and media brands.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040326/265122_1.html 
http://www.dwango.com
____________________________________________

o Game Developers Recognize Best Video Games With Awards Ceremony

San Jose, Calif. -- The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) on Friday announced winners of its 4th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, with the award for game of the year going to BioWare Corp.'s "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic." Additional awards in the peer-judged competition were bestowed upon developer Infinity Ward, which won Rookie Studio of the Year for its "Call of Duty," as well as Ubisoft, whose developers were recognized for both Excellence in Game Design and Game Programming for their "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time." The IGDA also bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award on Mark Cerny, for work on titles including "Marble Madness," and the "Crash Bandicoot" and "Ratchet & Clank" series. A full list of nominees and winners is available at the link below.
http://www.igda.org/awards 

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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".

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Greg Ballard - CEO, Sorrent
John Welch - Chair, IGDA Online Games SIG, VP, AtomShockwave

 

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Jeff Anderson - President & CEO, Turbine Entertainment
Matthew Bellows - VP, Mobile Entertainment, GameSpot
Matt Bromberg - GM, AOL Games
Gordon Bellamy - former Exec. Dir., Academy of Interactive Arts & Science
Mike Cartabiano - President, Sennari Mobile
Greg Costikyan -
Chief Creative Officer, Unplugged Inc.
Lee Crawford - Editor, IGDA Mobile Games whitepaper
Ron DiNicola - Pa
rtner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Michael Dowling - VP, Business Development, Nielsen Entertainment
Andrew Elliott - Head of Bus. Dev. & Strategies,
Ent. & Media, Nokia Americas  
Keith Ferrazzi - CEO, YaYa Media
Mark Friedler - CEO,
Gigex, Inc./GameDAILY LLC
Stewart Halpern - Managing Director, Digital Ent. Research, RBC Capital Markets
Todd Herman - Streaming Evangelist, MSNBC.com
Mark Jacobstein - President & COO, Digital Chocolate
Paul Jensen - VP, Strategic Alliances, Sony Pictures Digital Networks
Scott Jensen - VP, Bus. Development, Media & Entertainment, Mforma Group
Scott Johnson - President, MENT (Mobility Entertainment)
John Kilcullen - President & Publisher, Billboard Information Group
Garry Kitchen - President/CEO, Skyworks Technologies, Inc.
Joseph Laszlo - Senior Analyst, Broadband & Wireless, Jupiter Research
Matt Railo - Partner, IP & Technology, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

Brian Robbins - Editor, IGDA Downloadable Games whitepaper

Jason Rubinstein - GM, Ubi.com, Ubisoft
Don Ryan - Studio Manager, Microsoft's Zone.com
Mika Salmi, CEO, AtomShockwave  
Dan Scherlis - CEO, Etherplay
Mike Skagerlind - SVP & GM, Nickelodeon Online
Ned Sherman - CEO & Co-Founder, Digital Media Wire
Alex St. John - CEO & Co-Founder, Wild Tangent
Joseph Varet - Vice President, Groove Alliance

more to come..

REGISTRATION
Pre-Registration: $ 295 (until April 9)
Registration: $ 395 (after April 9)

Online :  http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1060 
Phone: 323-822-0936

To submit speakers for the 2004 conferences, please send a bio and photo (optional) to Tinzar Than, VP, Marketing & Events, Digital Media Wire, Inc. at tinzar@digitalmediawire.com.


Digital Media Law Report
New Featured Section - Volume 2 - 2004

We are pleased to announce that we have added a "Featured Section" to Digital Media Law & Policy Report. We will use this section to provide in depth coverage of certain cases, events and policy developments each month.

This month's featured coverage includes reports on
the transcript of Ned Sherman's interview of RIAA General Counsel Steven Marks at Digital Music Forum in New York City on March 1.  

Subscriptions
-
Order
Volume 2 - February/March 2004 Report - 43 pages - Order

Past Events | Sponsorship Materials | Partners & Clients
 

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> Featured Advertisement: 

> The Venture Forum Thursday, April 1, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California

Don't miss the largest showcase of cutting-edge companies in Southern California! See the 50 most innovative companies, in all sectors from wireless to digital media. See companies in all stages, from startup to pre-IPO. Network with hundreds of leading investors, from angels to investment banks.  http://www.theventureforum.com
(Digital Media Wire readers can use code DMW2984 for a 25% discount)
___________________

> 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
 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Aliso Viejo, Calif.) BuyMusic.com, a digital song download store, will be folded into the larger Buy.com retail website in the next several days, according to a note from the company. Buy.com founder Scott Blum launched the site, which offers a catalog of 300,000 songs, in July 2003 to compete with services like Apple's iTunes Store and the new Napster.
http://www.buymusic.com

(Santa Clara, Calif.) Graphics chipmaker Nvidia said on Friday that it has partnered with HI Corporation, a Japanese provider of 3D software and games for mobile devices, to develop tools for game developers to create 3D games for cell phones. Nvidia will port HI Corporation's Mascot Capsule Micro3D Platform on its newly announced GoForce chip technology, which will help developers create mobile versions of PC and console game titles.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040326/sff015_1.html 
http://www.hicorp.co.jp 
http://www.nvidia.com

(Atlanta) Gracenote, a provider of online CD and music file recognition services, announced this week that PacketVideo will integrate the company's music management services into the embedded multimedia software it provides for cell phones. The companies said the deal is designed to take advantage of the growing number of cell phones offering digital music playback and download services.
http://www.gracenote.com/corporate/press/article.html/date=2004032200
http://www.packetvideo.com

(Phoenix) Quiet Tiger, a company that markets SunnComm's CD copy-protection technology, announced on Friday that Tennessee-based CD replicator Music City Optical Media and independent record label Six Degrees Records have licensed SunnComm's technology. The software, embedded on commercial CDs, helps prevent songs from being uploaded to the Internet while providing alternate digital versions playable on PCs and portable digital devices.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040326/265042_1.html
http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com 
http://www.sunncomm.com

(Beverly, Mass.) Game publisher Atari on Friday shipped its "Trivial Pursuit Unhinged" title for PlayStation 2 and Xbox to retailers. Developed by Canada-based Artech Studios, the game features celebrity hosts including Terry Bradshaw, Brooke Burke, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, John Ratzenberger and Bill Nye "The Science Guy."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040326/265087_1.html 
http://www.artech.ca

(Sunnyvale, Calif.) Video game developer Capcom said this week that it will create wireless versions of a number of its classic titles for Qualcomm's BREW platform for cell phones. The company will release its first slate of wireless titles -- "Mega Man," "1942," "Commando" and "Ghosts N Goblins" -- this spring.
http://www.capcom.com

(Helsinki) Cell phone maker Nokia on Friday announced winners of its game development contest for the N-Game hybrid cell phone/handheld video game deck. The "ConnectCoder N-Gage Game Battle" awarded first prize of $18,000 to Game Design Systems for its "Countdown" game that makes players the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with the goal of saving Earth from destruction. Second prize went to developer InstantCom for its "Undercover Agents," while the third prize was awarded to Sixela Productions for its "Rainbow Jek."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040326/265129_1.html 
http://www.n-gage.com

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> Classifieds:

> Business Development Directors

Multimax, a rapidly growing Federal IT services and solutions company, seeks multiple experienced, aggressive and ambitious business developers. Bring your successful track record and market savvy to our team in return for generous compensation, outstanding benefits, and a significant role in the company's continued growth. Work out of your home or our Maryland headquarters. Visit http://www.multimax.com  Send resumes in confidence to HRmd@multimax.com
___________________

> Sales Executives

Allied Telecom Group, a rapidly growing regional broadband and metro Ethernet provider, is seeking experienced sales executives to sell our Internet and transport solutions to organizations in the DC metropolitan area. Allied is a customer-focused company that values integrity and excellence in all that we do. We provide an aggressive compensation and benefits package. Please send resumes to excellence@alliedtelecom.net
___________________

> Senior Marketing Writer

Client looking for a Senior Marketing Writer. Applicant must have Enterprise Application Integration (EAI),write technical marketing collateral, work well in team environments, 3-5 years of technical writing experience, Deliver presentations at trade conferences. Compensation: 80K. Send resumes to aceemp7@aol.com
___________________

> Technical Project Manager with Vision

Sr. project mgr w/technical skills, acctg knowledge and long-term vision to oversee reorganization of automated processes into fully integrated systems. Min 5 years experience including extensive work with IT project mgmt, client-server and Web-based systems architecture data modeling tools and acctg information systems. Must be proficient in Web applications/e-commerce, Oracle and CRM. Strong programming, analysis and RFP development/writing skills required. Please email your resume and salary requirements dpromise@liscr.com
___________________

> Account Manager

Our client, a hands-on Direct Marketing firm, is seeking a strong Account Manager with an DM Agency background. All candidates should have five plus years working in a analytical, marketing services environment with exposure to creative development. Candidates also require a history of day-to-day, strategic account services working on known consumer and business-to-business clients. Strong salary package along with healthy bonus for the right candidate. Send resumes to info@market-search.net
___________________

> NARIP Panel: "Digitizing the Record Industry" - March 30, 2004

The National Association of Record Industry Professionals presents "Digitizing the Record Industry: Retail Realities & The Road to Profits", a panel discussion on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 in Los Angeles. Digital Media Wire has arranged for a limited number of free passes for its subscribers, available on a first-come, first-served basis. When: Tues., March 30, 2004 - 6:30 PM Cocktails/ 7:30 PM Panel Discussion Where: Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn - Studio City, CA More info: www.narip.com. To claim your free pass, email tinzar@digitalmediawire.com  with "DIGITIZING THE RECORD INDUSTRY" in the subject line.
___________________ 

> AeA/Stanford Executive Institute: August 8-18

Learn strategic business practices from the world's best educators & industry leaders! Tackle critical issues facing tech companies & study six key topics: Management, Entrepreneurship, Operations, Marketing, Organization, Finance & Accounting. Outside of class, create and present a business plan to venture capitalists through the unique New Venture Lab exercise. Apply online by April 1 at http://www.aeanet.org/sei & save $1500.
___________________ 

> Contracting with the Department of Homeland Security Forum - May 11-12

BNA's 2nd Annual Contracting with the Department of Homeland Security forum will feature the CIO from the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, and at least five other top officials at the Department on Homeland Security and more!
Last year's sold-out forum had an overwhelming response, so register today at: http://www.homeland-conference.com/
___________________ 

> 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.
___________________

> Best Cities, Best Job Growth Performers: Where Should You Be?

As the economy rebounds, some localities are ahead of the curve and some are hoping better economic news will bring them out of an extended slump. Which areas are performing well and helping local businesses thrive despite difficult economic times? Is your area helping you succeed or holding you back? Click here for a full rundown: http://www.e-country.org/techwire.htm
___________________ 
 
> Boost Your Brand with the BrandMAP Program

Public i and Kore Image have merged their proven expertise in brand strategy, marketing, and public relations to launch BrandMAP - a focused branding assessment and planning solution. BrandMAP is a three-phase program, designed to help companies strengthen the positioning, identity, and expression of their brands. Send inquiries to brandmap@publicipartners.com  Visit http://www.koreimage.com

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About Us
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.

Digital Media Wire, Inc. is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international network of publications that includes Digital Media Law Report, Potomac Tech Wire, New England Tech Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire, Tri-state Tech Wire and European Tech Wire. The network reaches more than 70,000 individuals from over 70 countries each business day.

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Chief Executive Officer: Ned Sherman
VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than
Editor: Mark Hefflinger

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