archives

o Report: Copyright Industry Leads GDP Contributions, Foreign Exports
o Sharman Networks Details Kazaa Operations, Planned Subscription Service
o U.S. Representatives Lobby for Lower CARP Rates for Small Webcasters
o Senators Question Consumer Impact of AT&T Broadband, Comcast Merger
o Briefly Noted: RealVideo 9, G4 Network - "Pong," Loudeye - Yahoo,
Listen.com - electronics manufacturers, Intertainer - indie filmmakers,
Digital Bridges - AT&T Wireless, Netflix, Airborne Entertainment - AT&T
Wireless, Prima Games - Electronic Arts, Primedia - ICopyright, ACTV - In
Demand - NASCAR
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> TOMORROW: Interactive TV Panel Discussion | NYC

LAST DAY to pre-register for Thursday morning's interactive TV panel
discussion and breakfast featuring industry executives from Cablevision,
NBC, Showtime Networks, America Online, Microsoft TV, WorldGate and ACTV.

To register: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/NYCitv2.html
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o Report: Copyright Industry Leads GDP Contributions, Foreign Exports

Washington, DC -- The The International Intellectual Property Alliance
(IIPA), a group that represents copyright industries such as motion
pictures, recording, television, publishing and video games, said in a
recent report that the U.S. copyright industries were the leading
contributors to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and also led all
industries in foreign sales and exports. According to the report, in 2001
copyright industries accounted for $535.1 billion of the U.S.GDP, or 5.24
percent. It also indicates foreign sales and exports of $88.97 billion,
leading all major industry sectors, including: chemical products, motor
vehicles, equipment and parts, aircraft and the agricultural sector.
"Robust copyright protection and enforcement, in traditional markets and
in the world of the Internet, have become even more indispensable to
strong economic growth, both here and abroad, said IIPA president Eric H.
Smith. Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) CEO Jack Valenti used
the report in a letter sent to Congress on Tuesday entitled "A Clear
Present and Future Danger: An Accounting of Movie Thievery in the Analog
and Digital Format, in the U.S. and Around the World." Valenti's letter
adds data indicating that over 350,000 movies are illegally downloaded
every day.
http://www.iipa.com/news.html
http://www.mpaa.org/jack/2002/2002_04_23b.htm
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o Sharman Networks Details Kazaa Operations, Planned Subscription Service

San Francisco -- Sharman Networks, the company that purchased the Kazaa
file-sharing software from its Dutch creators, plans to launch audio and
video ads on its service through a partnership with DoubleClick, as well
as a subscription service free of ads. In an interview with CNET, former
Virgin Interactive executive and current Sharman CEO Nicola Hemming also
revealed that the company is technically registered in Vanautu, an island
tax-free haven in the South Pacific. Hemming told CNET the company has had
no contact with any copyright agencies regarding Kazaa up to this point;
the software was recently declared legal in the outcome of a Dutch court
case initiated before Sharman bought the software. On the legal front,
Sharman is lobbying for an initiative called the Intellectual Property
User Fee (IPUF), which would add a fee to a user's ISP bill that would go
toward paying artists and record labels, among others, for media
downloaded over services such as Kazaa. The company also said it plans to
launch Altnet, a second network featuring secured content from third
parties and the ability for third parties to use Kazaa users' computers
for distributed computing, in about six weeks.
http://news.com.com/2008-1082-890072.html
http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,52062,00.html
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/176092.html
http://www.kazaa.com
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o U.S. Representatives Lobby for Lower CARP Rates for Small Webcasters

Washington, DC -- A group of U.S. Representatives has sent a letter to the
Library of Congress, urging the U.S. Copyright Office to reconsider
proposed royalty rates for small webcasters -- arguing that the rates are
set too high for them and could force many off of the air. Those lawmakers
co-signing the letter included Reps. Rick Boucher, (D-Va.); Corrine Brown,
(D-Fla.); Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Mike Honda (D-CA); Tom Lantos (D-CA); Zoe
Lofgren (D-CA); and George Nethercutt (R-Wash.). "We want to ensure that
all creators are fairly compensated for their work," the legislators wrote
in their letter to the Library of Congress. "We are concerned that the
CARP-recommended rates for sound recording copyright owners are, however,
high in comparison to historical royalty rates, such as rates paid by
terrestrial broadcast radio to songwriters and music publishers." The
proposed rates would charge webcasters a per-song fee for each song
streamed to each listener -- feasible for large webcasters such as AOL or
Clear Channel Radio but not for small, independent stations often run by a
single person.
http://www.politechbot.com/p-03431.html
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-890024.html
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o Senators Question Consumer Impact of AT&T Broadband, Comcast Merger

Washington, DC -- At a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, U.S.
lawmakers questioned executives from AT&T Broadband, the largest U.S.
cable TV provider and Comcast, the nation's third-largest, about the
benefits a proposed merger of the two companies would offer consumers. "We
know it's good for the companies, but what does it do for the average
consumer?" said Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.). Senators questioned whether the
merger would stifle competition in the industry, especially in the
broadband Internet sector. Among the possible stipulations placed on the
merger discussed at the hearing were forcing the merged company to open
its broadband lines to competing ISPs, as Time Warner Cable was compelled
to do as a condition of the AOL Time Warner merger. Another fear poised
was the possibility that programming would become less diverse and
independent cable TV programming would disappear. Regulators at the
Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice will ultimately look at
antitrust issues, while the Federal Communications Commission will
determine whether the deal will benefit the public.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,52057,00.html
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/113/economy/Senate_subcommittee_questions_:.shtml
http://news.com.com/2100-1033-890134.html
http://www.attbroadband.com/
http://www.comcast.com
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STREAMING MEDIA WEST 2002: LA Convention Center, CA
Conference: April 23 - 26
Exhibition: April 24 - 26

If you're in LA this week, visit the Streaming Media West and Internet
World Exhibitions for FREE. Download your FREE Pass at:
http://www.streamingmedia.com/west/registration.asp

Full information is available at: http://www.streamingmedia.com/west

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VIC@ The Mayan Reunion 2002 in Association with Internet World Spring

Come and rekindle the memories of the past on Thursday, April 25 at
7:30p.m. at the VIC@ The Mayan Reunion 2002, in association with Internet
World Spring.

VIC was the professional association ('95-'01) that brought networking,
education and a sense of community to digital media professionals across
Southern California. So everyone is welcome to share the spirit of the old
VIC community gatherings during Internet World Spring this week. See
further details at:
http://www.tbdweekly.com/vicmayan.htm

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o Briefly Noted:

(Los Angeles) RealNetworks, a provider of media delivery technology,
announced on Wednesday the release of RealVideo 9, the latest upgrade to
its streaming video software. Seattle-based RealNetworks said the new
release offers 30 percent bandwidth savings over the previous version, as
well as half-screen video at dialup speed, VHS quality video starting at
160 Kbps and near-DVD quality possible at 500 Kbps. The company also
released new software called RealAudio Surround that enables multi-channel
surround sound streaming audio starting at 44 Kbps.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020424/sfw063_1.html
http://www.realnetworks.com/info/realvideo

(Los Angeles) G4, a 24-hour cable network dedicated to electronic games,
premiered Wednesday on Comcast cable systems with 24-hour programming all
dedicated to "Pong," credited as the first mass-appeal video game. On
April 30, the network will premiere its regular programming, including 13
weekly series that focus on lifestyle, entertainment, news and information
for video gamers. During the "Pong" marathon, G4 will air programs with
titles like "Wimblepong," "The Weakest Pong," "National Pongographic
Explorer," "Six Pong Under," "Total Request Pong" and "Adult Cinepong."
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/221140084&ticker=
http://www.g4media.com/

(Seattle) Loudeye Technologies, a provider of webcasting and digital media
services, announced on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with
Yahoo to host and serve streaming music samples on Yahoo Shopping as well
as for its Launch music property. Seattle-based Loudeye's samples allow
consumers to hear 30-60 second streams of over 3 million songs from all
five major labels and a number of independent labels.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020424/sfw035_1.html
http://shopping.yahoo.com 
http://launch.yahoo.com
http://www.loudeye.com

(San Francisco) Listen.com, provider of the Rhapsody digital music
subscription service, announced on Wednesday marketing agreements with
four consumer electronics manufacturers that design products enabling
streaming audio to be heard on home stereos. San Francisco-based
Listen.com will provide a free one-month membership to its Rhapsody
service to purchasers of certain products from Jensen/Recoton,
Stereo-link, TERK and U.S. Robotics that connect to a PC and then transmit
audio either wirelessly or via USB connection to a home stereo.
Listen.com's Rhapsody service offers unlimited on-demand streaming of
songs from a number of major and indie record labels.
http://www.listen.com

(Los Angeles) Intertainer, a provider of Internet-based video-on-demand
services, announced on Wednesday the launch of a film marketplace.
Independent filmmakers can submit their short subject or feature-length
works and set their own pricing guidelines for consumers. After paying a
flat fee, based on the length of the film, to cover encoding, storage and
streaming costs, the filmmaker earns 100 percent of the revenue generated
by their film. Los Angeles-based Intertainer will launch the first films
submitted to the company later this summer.
http://www.intertainer.com

(New York) Digital Bridges, a provider of wireless entertainment to
network operators, said on Wednesday that it has provided a suite of games
to AT&T Wireless for the company's recently launched mMode service.
London-based Digital Bridges provided several color mobile games in the
package, including its "Star Trek: First Duty."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020424/242329_1.html
http://www.digitalbridges.com
http://www.attwireless.com/mmode

(Los Gatos, Calif.) Netflix, an online mail-order DVD rental service,
announced that it has surpassed 600,000 subscribers. The company also said
its DVD library now contains more than 11,500 film and entertainment
titles. Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix charges subscribers $20 month for
its basic service, which allows three DVDs to be out at any given time.
http://www.netflix.com/Static?id=5147

(Montreal) Airborne Entertainment, a developer of wireless games and other
entertainment content, said that AT&T Wireless will offer several games
and entertainment channels from Airborne's PocketBoxOfficeT service on its
mMode wireless Internet service. Included in the package are "Buzztime," a
popular trivia game and two comedy offerings from Montreal-based
Airborne's "The Funniest" humor channel.
http://www.airborne-e.com/
http://www.attwireless.com/mmode

(Roseville, Calif.) Prima Games, a division of publisher Random House,
announced on Wednesday that it has signed an exclusive, multi-continent
agreement with game developer Electronic Arts to publish and distribute
official strategy guides for EA games. The strategy guides, to be sold in
North America, Europe and Australia for between $14.99 and $19.99, are
soft cover books that provide helpful hints and tips to consumers on how
to play a specific PC or video game.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020424/240271_1.html
http://www.primagames.com/
http://www.ea.com

(Seattle) Publisher Primedia's Business Magazines and Media division said
it will use online licensing software developed by ICopyright to allow
users to license and purchase Primedia website articles for commercial
reuse. Seattle-based ICopyright will provide its services for 70 Primedia
Business titles.
http://www.icopyright.com
http://primediabusiness.com/default.asp?page=Magazines

(New York) ACTV, a provider of interactive TV technology, said on
Wednesday that it has partnered with pay-per-view content provider In
Demand to offer a multi-channel, season-long television package for NASCAR
racing events. The interactive TV programming offers seven live feeds of
each race, including the normal broadcast. Features will allow subscribers
to switch among include in-car cameras placed in multiple cars, sample
real-time race statistics and eavesdrop on driver/crew chief
communications.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020424/nyw026_1.html
http://www.actv.com
http://indemand.com/frames.asp?page=sports&item=packages&content=nascar_package.htm
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> DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE PANEL DISCUSSION SERIES:
"iTV: New Interactive Services Fuel Big Expectations
Slow Market Penetration Raises Questions: How Big is iTV Going to Be?"

=========================================================
NEW YORK: Thursday, April 25, 2002, Cornell Club of New York City
=========================================================
Moderator: Art Cohen, SVP, Advertising, ACTV
Patrick Donoghue, VP, Interactive Television, Cablevision
Malia Flynn, Director of Product Management, WorldGate
Christopher S. Lucas, VP & Exec. Producer, Digital Media Group, Showtime
Networks
Rod A. Nenner, Director, TV & Entertainment Solutions Group, America
Online
Carla Sinatra, Vice President of Business Development, NBC
Todd Krieger, Senior Manager, Business Development, Microsoft TV

Sponsored by: WorldGate, iTV Marketer (http://www.itvmarketer.com)
For more information and to register for the New York event:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/NYCitv2.html

Sponsorships and Inquiries:
Ned Sherman at 323.464.0793 or esherman@digitalmediawire.com
Paul Sherman at psherman@digitalmediawire.com

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============================================================
DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE PRESENTS:
A Spring Celebration and Wine Tasting Honoring
Digital Media Wire Panelists
>Thursday, May 9, 2002, Los Angeles
============================================================
To register:
http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=22553&Referrer_id=4074

Join us and a distinguished group of our past panelists for a Spring
celebration featuring fine wines, delicious Asian appetizers and
networking.

WHEN: Thursday, May 9, 2002 (6:30PM - 8:30PM)
WHERE: Lucky Duck Restaurant (NE corner of La Brea and Wilshire)
PRICE: $25 (pre-registration); $30 (at the door)

Tasting and wines by Beaulieu Vineyard. Since 1900, BV has been a
benchmark of excellence in Napa Valley wines. Appetizers including crispy
Vietnamese spring rolls, chicken and beef satay, shrimp summer rolls and
vegetable dumplings by Lucky Duck Restaurant. For more information,
contact Ned Sherman at esherman@digitalmediawire.com or visit

http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=22553&Referrer_id=4074

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______________________

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