archives

o File-Sharing Service Aimster Sues RIAA Over Cease-and-Desist Letter
o Online Event Ticketer Tickets.com Raises $15 Million
o Canal Plus Adds 3.7 Million WinFirst Interactive Television Subscribers
o Virtual Reality Developer C-3D Merges with Korean Firm Another World
o Recommendation Software Developer MediaChoice Raises $1.5 Million
o Teen-Oriented Site Goosehead.com Investigated for Privacy Policy
> Pepper Hamilton Legal Update
> Digital Media Wire Seminar: The Future of Digital Entertainment - D.C.
o Briefly Noted: Loudeye Technologies - Sony Music Entertainment, BMI -
GigAmerica, Violent Femmes, Vivendi Universal Publishing - Fox
Interactive, Digimarc - Upper Deck, Ticketmaster - Cingular Wireless,
Content delivery industry, WindowsMedia.com, Kobalt Interactive
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> Job Postings: PR Account Director, Desktop Publisher, Strategic Alliance
Manager, Copy Writing Project Coordinator

> Events/Services: "E-Publishing: The Promise of a New Book"

Full Job/Event descriptions listed below "Briefly Noted" section or at
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/postings.html

To Post a Job: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobs.html
To Post an Event: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html
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o File-Sharing Service Aimster Sues RIAA Over Cease-and-Desist Letter

Los Angeles -- Aimster, a file-sharing service that lets users of AOL's
Instant Messenger trade files with members of their "buddy lists," has
filed a lawsuit against the RIAA asking for a declaratory judgement that
the company is not infringing on copyrights, Reuters reported on
Wednesday. Aimster maintains that it cannot be targeted in the same manner
as Napster by the RIAA, because the service is encrypted and because its
users do not make files available to the general public -- only to those
people whom they choose to add to their buddy lists. The company's lawsuit
was prompted by a cease-and-desist letter sent by the RIAA, which
requested that Aimster employ blocking technologies similar to those used
by Napster. Aimster has retained attorney David Boies -- who also
represented former Vice President Al Gore and is currently representing
Napster -- as legal counsel in the matter.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/reuters_wire/1157144l.htm
http://www.aimster.com
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o Online Event Ticketer Tickets.com Raises $15 Million

Costa Mesa, Calif. -- Tickets.com, an online retailer of event tickets,
announced on Wednesday that it has raised $15 million in venture financing
from previous investors General Atlantic Partners and International
Capital Partners. The company expects the financing to help it achieve
profitability by the end of the year. Costa Mesa-based Tickets.com
provides online ticketing services for performing arts centers and
stadiums in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Latin America. It is
the official online ticketer for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, as well as
Major League Baseball.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010502/law052.html
http://www.tickets.com
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o Canal Plus Adds 3.7 Million WinFirst Interactive Television Subscribers

Cupertino, Calif. -- Canal Plus Technologies, a provider of software for
interactive television, announced that Denver-based fiber-optic network
WinFirst will use the company's technology in 3.7 million homes to which
it is providing services. WinFirst is currently building fiber-optic
networks in six cities that will provide homes with combination Internet,
cable TV and telephone services. A subsidiary of Vivendi Universal, Canal
Plus Technologies has deployed its software on 9 million digital set-top
boxes in digital cable, satellite and terrestrial environments.
http://www.canalplus-technologies.com
http://www.winfirst.com
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o Virtual Reality Developer C-3D Merges with Korean Firm Another World

St. Louis, Mo. -- C-3D Digital, a developer of 3-D virtual reality
technology for television and the Internet, announced on Wednesday that it
will merge with Another World, a Korea-based research firm developing
stereoscopic 3-D technology. Under the terms, St. Louis-based C-3D Digital
has agreed to acquire 100 percent of Another World for an estimated $20
million. Another World has developed virtual reality goggles that can be
used along with any PC platform for movies and games.
http://www.3d.com
http://www.anotherworld.to/
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o Recommendation Software Developer MediaChoice Raises $1.5 Million

Phoenix, Ariz. -- MediaChoice, a developer of software that recommends
music, films, books and TV shows based on a user's preferences, announced
on Wednesday that it has raised $1.5 million in its first round of venture
capital financing from McKenna Venture Accelerator. Phoenix-based
MediaChoice's technology predicts the ranking and relevance of
recommendations that it generates for users. The company will use the
funds to expand its customer base and to continue developing its
technology into other areas such as games and other formats like wireless
delivery.
http://www.ratingzone.com/main/default.asp
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o Teen-Oriented Site Goosehead.com Investigated for Privacy Policy

New York -- Goosehead.com, an entertainment site created by 15-year-old
Ashley Power and her parents, is facing an investigation by the FTC for
failure to comply with the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection
Act -- as well as its own privacy policy -- The New York Times reported on
Wednesday. New York's Better Business Bureau has requested an FTC
investigation into Goosehead.com's failure to require parental
notification when minors submit personal information online.
http://www.goosehead.com
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||||||||||||||||||| Pepper Hamilton Legal Update ||||||||||||||||||

> Potomac Region Leads The Nation In Adopting UCITA

The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) is a model
statute that seeks to clarify and set forth uniform legal principles
applicable to computer information transactions. Among the many key topics
covered by UCITA are warranties, contractual issues, performance
requirements, remedies and damages. UCITA has stirred a number of
controversies in the software industry. However, the two key states in the
Potomac region, Virginia and Maryland, have already adopted UCITA and it
is clear that any controversies will now move from the realm of the
hypothetical to the hard realities of the negotiation table and
litigation. This article, written by Pepper Hamilton, is the first in a
four-part series that will focus on key aspects of UCITA that need to be
understood by businesses that either operate in the computer information
market or depend on computer information products and services. The full
text of the article is available at the link below.

http://www.pepperlaw.com/pepper/calendar1.cfm?RID=190.0

Look for this regular legal update, written and produced by the law firm
of Pepper Hamilton, every other Wednesday in Digital Media Wire.
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> Digital Media Wire Seminar: The Future of Digital Entertainment - D.C.

"The Future of Digital Entertainment: What's Next After Napster?"

Washington, D.C. | Sponsored by Katten Muchin Zavis
Wednesday, May 9th at The University Club

For more information and to register:
http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=13850&Referrer_id=4074

MODERATOR:
- David Halberstadter, Attorney, Katten Muchin Zavis

PANELISTS:
- Fritz Attaway, Executive Vice President & Washington General Counsel,
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
- Russell Frackman, Attorney, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP,
Lead counsel for the RIAA in their litigation vs. Napster
- Declan McCullagh, Washington Bureau Chief, Wired News
- Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, U.S. Copyright Office
- Jonathan Potter, Executive Director, Digital Media Association (DiMA)
- Jenny Toomey, Executive Director, Coalition for the Future of Music
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o Briefly Noted:

(Seattle) Loudeye Technologies, a provider of technology for delivering
song samples and other digital media on the Internet, announced on
Wednesday that it has licensed song samples and thumbnail pictures of
album covers from Sony Music Entertainment's entire catalog. Seattle-based
Loudeye encodes song samples into a range of formats and for different
connection speeds, and then licenses them to retail and other websites.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010502/sfw042.html
http://www.loudeye.com

(New York) Performing rights organization BMI announced on Wednesday that
it has partnered with online musicians' resource GigAmerica.com to jointly
promote one another's services. BMI songwriters will receive a 20 percent
discount on GigAmerica's services, and a "BMI Artist Lounge" will appear
on GigAmerica's homepage. In return, GigAmerica artists will be featured
in BMI's print and online MusicWorld magazine, and BMI will co-sponsor
showcases and seminars for songwriters with GigAmerica. New York-based
GigAmerica offers musicians home pages featuring their music and contact
information, as well as databases of media and venues, tour support and
discounts on hotels, car rentals, CD duplication and health and instrument
insurance.
http://www.gigamerica.com/Band/pages/band_news.asp?Mindex=0&Feature=184

(Redwood City, Calif.) Downloadable music retailer EMusic.com, a
recently-acquired unit of Vivendi Universal, announced on Wednesday that
musical act the Violent Femmes will release an MP3-only album exclusively
on EMusic.com. "Something's Wrong" includes live tracks from the group's
1998 tour, outtakes and several cover songs.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010502/sfw038.html
http://www.emusic.com/albums/25738

(Torrance, Calif.) Vivendi Universal Publishing announced on Wednesday
that it has secured the exclusive rights to manufacture, market and
distribute video games developed by Fox Interactive. Games included in the
deal are "Aliens vs. Predator 2" for the PC, "COPS" for Playstation 2 and
"Die Hard: Next Generation" for Nintendo Gamecube.
http://www.vivendiuniversalpublishing.com/english_version/index.html
http://www.foxinteractive.com

(Tualatin, Ore.) Digital watermarking developer Digimarc said on Wednesday
that Upper Deck will embed digital watermarks developed by the company
onto its sports trading cards. The watermarks will connect consumers with
Web content, provided they own a Web camera that can interpret the digital
watermark information.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010502/0011.html
http://www.digimarc.com/mediabridge/index.htm
http://www.upperdeck.com

(Los Angeles) Ticketmaster announced on Wednesday a deal with Cingular
Wireless that will let Cingular subscribers with wireless Web access order
tickets to events using their cell phones. Cingular will also promote
Ticketmaster's restaurant, concert and art exhibit reviews on
Ticketmaster's Citysearch.com site.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010502/law018.html

(San Francisco) CNET featured an article on Wednesday on the current state
of the content delivery market, which includes companies such as Akamai
and Inktomi. Companies that aid in speeding multimedia content across the
Internet have reported layoffs and declining revenue, and many smaller
companies in the industry have either restructured or are looking for
buyers.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-5797404.html?tag=tp_pr

(Redmond, Wash.) Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it has made
improvements to its WindowsMedia.com entertainment site, such as faster
downloads and more frequent updates for the site's content. Microsoft also
announced that new companies including AudioBasket, Bloomberg News,
Carsey-Werner eDistribution, Guinness World Records, Interscope Records
and Universal Studios Home Video will provide content for the site.
http://www.windowsmedia.com

(San Francisco) Interactive TV developer Kobalt Interactive announced that
it has appointed Guy Pepper as CEO and George Krieger as president of the
company. Pepper is credited with developing the creative design, national
branding and business plans for the launch of CNN, MSNBC and Dateline NBC.
Krieger is the former executive vice president of Fox Sports.
http://www.kobalt.tv/news/pr.cfm?ID=36

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Job Postings:
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To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobs.html

> The Hoffman Agency, PR Account Director - New York City

Seeking senior-level PR professional w/ 8-12 yrs. high-tech PR exp.,
strong client management skills and proven media & analyst relationships.
Investor Relations experience a big "plus". Duties include: mentoring
account teams, communicating strategies to client & team, developing
'launch' strategies, product positioning, messaging & creative tactical
ideas.
Send resumes to resume@hoffman.com
http://www.hoffman.com
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> Dow Jones & Company, Desktop Publisher - Washington, D.C.

Seeking Desktop Publisher to produce the Dow Jones Newswires family of
Newsletters. Responsible for producing at least one 8-12 page newsletter
per day, combining text, graphics & data graphs exported from
spreadsheets. Must have 3+ yrs. exp. in daily publishing environment.
Knowledge of PageMaker, Acrobat, PhotoShop or Illustrator required.
Send resume to mary.pergament@dowjones.com
http://www.dj.com/careers
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> ClassMates.com, Strategic Alliance Manager - San Francisco

Seeking someone w/ 3+ yrs. strategic selling exp., specifically online
media products and sponsorships to join the Online Media Sales Team.
Proven ability to exceed quotas of $1M/yr. Strong sales, negotiation &
business presentation skills. Must have a 'Rolodex' of contacts. History
of building strategic relationships online & through traditional brick &
mortar channels.
Send resume to lnguyen@corp.classmates.com
http://www.classmates.com
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> Globix, Copy Writing Project Coordinator - New York City

The Project Coordinator will be an accomplished copywriter with talent for
writing original promotional, advertising, informational and technical
copy. Other duties include coordinating projects, dealing with graphic
designers & printers, securing estimates, follow-ups, trade show support,
proofreading & editing. Minimum 2 years copy writing experience.
Send resumes to xyz@globix.com
http://www.globix.com/jobs

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Event Postings:
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To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html

> E-Publishing: The Promise Of A New Book, May 29 - New York City

According to a December 2000 report by Forrester Research, "Digital
delivery of custom-printed books, textbooks and e-books will account for
revenues of $7.8 billion -- 17.5 percent of publishing industry revenues
-- in five years." Such a mighty prospect has the publishing industry
scrambling to create partnerships, invent innovative marketing campaigns
for writers and battle the compatibility problems inherent in varying
"reader" technologies. This Digital Media Wire panel of industry veterans
will discuss the marriage between traditional and e-publishing, with a
focus on fiction and non-fiction.
http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=14290&Referrer_id=4074
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