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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- April 23, 2003
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o Major Record Labels Sue Napster Investor Hummer Winblad
o Justice Department Sides with RIAA in Battle with Verizon
o Microsoft Reports 50,000 Xbox Live Europe Sign-Ups In First Month
o Penn State University Cuts Students' 'Net Access Over Music Downloading
o Viacom Agrees to Buy AOL Time Warner's Comedy Central Unit
o Report: Video Game Market Poised to Reach $30 Billion by 2007
o Sensor Input Technology Developer MultiDigit Gets Undisclosed Investment
o Study: Broadband Use Increases, but Speeds Vary
o Corporate Webcasting Firm Interactive Video Technologies Gets $8 Million
> DMW Events: Games & Mobile Forum | April 28 | NYC
> DMW Publications: March Law and Policy Report
> Featured Section: Special Offer from Discreet cleaner XL
o Briefly Noted: U.S. Copyright Office - D.C. 1201 hearings, Macrovision -
General Dynamics Interactive, Pocket Pix Cartridge, Sega - "Vectorman" -
"Hunter: Redemption," Liberate Technologies, 321 Studios v. Hollywood
movie studios
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> Events: Streaming Media NY, May 6-8, NYC, Pipeline Safety & Security Expo
> Marketplace: HP Workstation for a PC Price, 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 Major Record Labels Sue Napster Investor Hummer Winblad
Los Angeles -- Two of the world's five major record labels have sued
Hummer Winblad, a venture capital firm that invested in defunct
file-sharing service Napster, alleging the firm through its investment
"knowingly facilitated infringement of plaintiff's copyrights for its
direct financial benefit." The suit was filed by Universal Music Group and
EMI Recorded Music, both of which were also party to the suits that
eventually resulted in Napster's shutdown. Hummer Winblad was an early
Napster investor, sinking around $13 million into the company and
inserting partner Hank Barry as the company's interim CEO. "Businesses (as
well as those individuals or entities who control them) premised on
massive copyright infringement of works created by artists, should face
the legal consequences for their actions," the two record label plaintiffs
said, in a statement. Hummer Winblad isn't the only Napster investor to be
targeted with a copyright infringement lawsuit. Bertelsmann, which itself
owns the BMG Entertainment major record label, was sued by a group of
music publishers over its investment in Napster, which it intended to turn
into a secure file-sharing service.
http://news.com.com/2100-1027-997860.html?tag=fd_top
http://www.humwin.com
http://www.riaa.org
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o Justice Department Sides with RIAA in Battle with Verizon
Washington, DC -- The Department of Justice has sided with the Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) in its dispute with Verizon
Communications over whether Verizon must disclose the identity of a
customer who is an alleged copyright infringer. In a brief filed in the
U.S. District Court in DC, the Justice Department argued that the
provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which requires
Internet service providers to turn over information about subscribers who
are alleged to be copyright infringers, does not violate the Constitution.
Verizon, however, argues that the law violates consumers' rights to
privacy and due process. The district court ruled in favor of the RIAA in
January, and Verizon appealed the decision
http://www.riaa.org/PR_Story.cfm?id=631
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o Microsoft Reports 50,000 Xbox Live Europe Sign-Ups In First Month
London -- Microsoft says that it has signed up 50,000 users for its Xbox
Live online game service in Europe since its launch one month ago, U.K.
news site TheRegister reported. The service, which is also available in
the U.S. and Japan, allows owners of its Xbox video game console to
connect to the Internet and engage in multiplayer gaming and download
exclusive game content. Microsoft also announced a slate of nine new
titles that will launch on Xbox Live Europe in the next two months, which
include Activision's "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" and Rockstar Games'
"Midnight Club 2."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/30338.html
http://www.xbox.com/live
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o Penn State University Cuts Students' 'Net Access Over Music Downloading
State College, Pa. -- Penn State University has suspended the Internet
access of 220 students who were found to be using the school's computer
network to trade copyrighted music and movie files. The university told
Reuters it received a "complaint" from an unnamed source notifying it that
the students were using computers in residence halls to download music.
Penn State said that the students' Internet privileges would be returned
once they showed they had removed the files from their computers. Earlier
this month, Penn State's executive vice president and provost Rodney
Erickson sent an email to 110,000 students and faculty at the university,
warning them of the penalties for copyright infringement on the campus
network. The move by Penn State comes shortly after the Recording Industry
Association of America filed lawsuits against four students at various
institutions for copyright infringement on campus networks.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S52512F44
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-04-03-university-downloads_x.htm
http://www.riaa.org
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o Viacom Agrees to Buy AOL Time Warner's Comedy Central Unit
New York, NY -- Viacom Inc. on Tuesday agreed to buy AOL Time Warner's 50
percent stake in Comedy Central for about $1.23 billion in cash, giving it
full control of the cable network. Larry Divney will remain president of
Comedy Central, and the network will continue to be based in New York and
Los Angeles, said Viacom, which owns media properties such as CBS,
Paramount Pictures and cable networks MTV and VH1. The agreement comes as
AOL Time Warner, the parent of Dulles-based America Online, tries to pare
down its $29 billion debt.
http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2003/04/22/rtr946158.html
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o Report: Video Game Market Poised to Reach $30 Billion by 2007
San Diego, Calif. -- The worldwide market for video games, computer games
and interactive entertainment hardware and software is expected to grow
from $20.7 billion in 2002 to as much as $30 billion by 2007, according to
a report from San Diego-based game industry market research firm DFC
Intelligence. The firm predicts that Sony will maintain its market
leadership position through this date. "PlayStation 2 could eventually
have sales of over 100 million hardware units, thus the PlayStation 3 has
to be a favorite to continue Sony's market leadership position," said DFC
Intelligence president David Cole. However, DFC also expects that as much
as 50 percent of PlayStation 2 owners will eventually also purchase an
Xbox or GameCube console.
http://www.dfcint.com/news/prapril172003.html
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o Sensor Input Technology Developer MultiDigit Gets Undisclosed Investment
Palo Alto, Calif. -- MultiDigit, a developer of sensor input technology
for devices such as cell phones, handheld computers and video games, said
on Tuesday that Gary Hutchinson, the CEO of Precision Dynamics
Association, has made an undisclosed investment in the company and joined
its board. MultiDigit's technology attempts to simplify the way people use
electronic devices by allowing them to use 10 fingers to communicate 10
different inputs into a single button. It can be used in conjunction with
interfaces such as buttons, touchscreens and trackpads. MultiDigit was
founded in May of 2001 with seed funding from Fast Angels Ventures.
http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=CpQs:qbKbytuZmdK
http://www.multidigit.net
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o Study: Broadband Use Increases, but Speeds Vary
San Bruno, Calif. -- While consumers are increasingly willing to pay for
faster Internet connections, there is little consistency in the actual
network speed delivered by cable modem and DSL providers, according to a
new study by comScore, a provider of Internet measurement services.
According to the data, the number of home broadband users increased 9
percent over the past six months, while dial-up users decreased by 2
percent. In March, 28 percent of all home Internet users accessed the web
through a broadband connection. ComScore, however, also found that
throughput speed varies greatly by the type of broadband connection. In
fact, contrary to a widely held belief, the average cable modem connection
was more than 50 percent faster than the average DSL connection. Among
cable providers, Cablevision Systems and Comcast rated the fastest, while
ATT WorldNet was far faster than most of its DSL competitors.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?id=322
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o Corporate Webcasting Firm Interactive Video Technologies Gets $8 Million
New York -- Interactive Video Technologies (IVT), a provider of corporate
webcasting services, announced that it has raised $8 million in its latest
round of venture capital financing, provided by Cisco Systems and Tudor
Ventures. New York-based IVT provides customers including Charles Schwab,
Sun Microsystems, British Telecom and Intel with technology used to build,
deploy, manage and measure live and on-demand webcast presentations to
increase employee productivity and improve communication with their
employees, customers, partners and vendors. The company will use the
financing to accelerate growth and for product development, sales and
marketing efforts.
http://www.ivtweb.com
http://www.ivtweb.com/pdfs/IVT%20Press%20Release_4-22-03.pdf
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DMW Events: Games & Mobile Forum: April 28, New York City
==========================================
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exhibits and tech demos, followed by an evening of cocktails, appetizers,
networking and fun at Samsung's web2zone.com Cyber & Gaming Center in the
heart of downtown Manhattan. Early Bird registration is only $200
(includes full-day pass and after-party) until April 25:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events/Games&MobileForum_04282003.htm
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DMW Publications: March Law & Policy Report
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Contact tinzar@digitalmediawire.com or call 323-464-0793 to order.
To purchase directly, go to:
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.php
Digital Media Law & Policy Report - New Issue
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FEATURED SECTION
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Featured Section posting at:
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Briefly Noted:
(Washington) The U.S. Copyright Office announced on Wednesday a schedule
change for two public hearings it is holding in Washington, D.C. on the
controversial section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act,
regarding possible exemptions to the prohibition against circumvention of
technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. The
hearings, originally scheduled to take place on April 15 and April 30,
will now be held on May 1 and May 9 at the Postal Rate Commission.
Hearings scheduled to take place in California May 14 and 15 will take
place as scheduled.
http://www.copyright.gov/1201
(Santa Clara, Calif.) Macrovision, a developer of copy-protection
technologies, announced on Wednesday that it has signed a multi-year
contract with General Dynamics Interactive to copy-protect video-on-demand
programs distributed to hotels throughout the world. General Dynamics
Interactive provides in-room video-on-demand and high-speed Internet
access to a range of guest properties. Santa Clara, Calif.-based
Macrovision said its technology will prevent unauthorized copying of
movies onto DVD recorders and will significantly distort unauthorized
copies on VCRs and D-VHS recorders.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030422/225804_1.html
http://www.macrovision.com
(Sherman Oaks, Calif.) Pocket PC Films, a developer of multimedia
distribution technology for portable devices, announced that it has
partnered with Pocketainment to market and distribute the Pocket Pix
Cartridge, a plug-and-play adaptor that enables full-length feature films,
video and MP3s to be played on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and Game Boy
Advance SP. The $59.95 device uses a USB connection to download video and
audio content to a 64MB flash memory card, and will be released in stores
shortly after the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month.
http://www.pocketpcfilms.com
http://www.filminhand.com
(San Francisco) Video game developer Sega of America announced that it
will publish a PlayStation 2 version of its popular "Vectorman" franchise,
originally created for Sega Genesis. Toronto-based Pseudo Interactive is
currently developing the game for release some time in 2004. Separately,
San Francisco-based Sega said it will debut its "Headhunter: Redemption"
title for PlayStation 2 at the E3 video game convention in Los Angeles.
Stockholm-based developer Amuze is working on the title for release later
this year.
http://www.pseudointeractive.com
http://www.mobygames.com/game/sheet/gameId,7143/
http://www.amuze.com
(San Carlos, Calif.) Liberate Technologies, a provider of interactive TV
software and services, has announced a number of new executive
appointments. The company is appointing Phil Vachon as president-Liberate
International; additionally, Mark Vickers was named chief technology
officer, and Mark Scadina was named vice president of intellectual
property. Last month, the company appointed David Lockwood as its new
chairman and CEO.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030422/sfm053a_2.html
http://www.liberate.com
(Los Angeles) Reuters recently published a preview of Friday's upcoming
court hearing in a case that pits Hollywood movie studios against a
software company distributing a program that allows users to make perfect
copies of their DVD movies. Movie studios claim St. Louis-based 321
Studios' software violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, while the
company says that its DVD X Copy program lets users exercise their
traditional "fair use" rights by making back-up copies of discs in case
they are damaged or lost.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=2605258
http://www.321studios.com
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CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
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CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
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For more information, or to register to attend, go to
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CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
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