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May 20, 2005 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Subscribe | Unsubscribe

Main Stories
o Canadian Appeals Court Ruling Stymies File-Swapper Lawsuits
o Elimination of BitTorrent "Tracker Sites" Hampers Antipiracy Efforts
o Illinois State Senate Approves Ban on Violent Game Sales to Minors
o WSJ: Time Warner Mulled AOL Spin-Off, But Plans to Stand Pat
o Search Engine Ask Jeeves Acquires Excite Europe
o Orange Launches First Live Mobile TV Service in the U.K.
o Opening of "Revenge of the Sith" Drives Traffic to Movie Sites

> DMW Announcements:
--Digital Media Conference - June 17, 2005

> Featured Advertisement:
--PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2004-2008 
 

o Briefly Noted: Google - personal home pages, Blockbuster - Netflix, GameSpot - E3 2005 People's Choice Awards, Electronic Arts - Digital Illusions, The Orchard - Shanachie, Global Wireless Entertainment - Pele, E3 attendance
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> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--Software Product Manager
--Senior Java Developer
--Systems Engineer
--Sr. J2EE Developer
--Director, IT Planning and Program Management - Biotech
--Telecommunications Marketing Associate
--Business Intelligence Consultants
--Video Games Producer, MTV.com
--Director - Product Marketing, Visa USA
--Online Marketing Manager
--Web Designer/E-Advocate
--Marketing Manager Software Company
--Outside Sales Manager - Digital Distribution of PC Games
--Strategic Communications Group Offers Blog Relations Counsel
--iPath Technologies, Inc. Adds Juniper Netscreen Training to Curriculum
 


o Canadian Appeals Court Ruling Stymies File-Swapper Lawsuits

Toronto -- In a blow to the music industry's anti-piracy efforts in the country, the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal this week upheld a lower court's decision that ISPs in the country cannot be compelled to turn over the identities of suspected music file-swappers to record labels. While the ruling provides a respite for the "John Doe" defendants sued by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), it also served to clarify that Canada is not a "piracy haven," and laid out the legal grounds by which labels can sue individual song-swappers for copyright infringement. "Although privacy concerns must also be considered... they must yield to public concerns for the protection of intellectual property rights in situations where infringement threatens to erode these rights," the court said in its ruling. The CRIA said it was pleased the court provided clarity, and hinted that new lawsuits will follow. "The court has clearly articulated the evidentiary standards that we need to meet and we are satisfied that we can meet those standards in future applications," the group said, in a statement.
http://tinyurl.com/e39mo 
http://tinyurl.com/ath88 
http://tinyurl.com/8syjg
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2005/19/c1809.html
http://www.cria.ca 
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o Elimination of BitTorrent "Tracker Sites" Hampers Antipiracy Efforts

Sydney -- A new version of the BitTorrent file-sharing software will eliminate the need for "tracker" websites, which host links to downloadable music and movies -- and have become the target of the entertainment industry's copyright infringement lawsuits, ZDNet Australia reported. In recent months, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has successfully sued tracker sites including SuprNova.org, whose disappearance from the BitTorrent network has effectively disrupted users' downloads. "Currently, if a tracker site is shut down, many downloads are disrupted," Tarun Sawney, antipiracy director for the Business Software Alliance (BSA), told ZDNet Australia. "So removing the trackers from the equation will obviously cause those of us on this side of the battle to regroup." Sawney added that BitTorrent files can still be sourced to their hosts: "BSA has traditionally sought the assistance of those hosting the actual pirated files. With or without the tracker sites, someone still hosts the infringing files."
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,2000061733,39192758,00.htm
http://www.bittorrent.com 
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o Illinois State Senate Approves Ban on Violent Game Sales to Minors

Springfield, Ill. -- The Illinois state Senate this week approved a bill that would restrict the sale of violent video games in the state to minors. The Safe Games Illinois Act, proposed by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, would put the onus on retailers to determine which games are too violent or sexually explicit for minors, and then fine them should they sell such titles to anyone under 18. As the Senate's version of the bill deleted a section in the Illinois state House's version that called for jail time for offenders, the bill must now return to the House for debate. "Video games are not art or media," Illinois state Sen. Deanna Demuzio told AP. "They are simulations, not all that different from the simulations used by the U.S. military in preparation for war." Similar laws banning the sale of violent games to minors have been consistently struck down by a number of courts as being unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds.
http://tinyurl.com/bt7oy 
http://tinyurl.com/drkrh 
http://www.safegamesillinois.org 
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o WSJ: Time Warner Mulled AOL Spin-Off, But Plans to Stand Pat

Ashburn, Va. -- At its annual shareholders meeting on Friday, media giant Time Warner said that while it has kicked around plans to spin off America Online, the company has deemed such a move "unnecessary at this point in time," The Wall Street Journal reported. "Right now AOL is currently integrated into our operations. But if it gets to the point where consolidation is happening in the Internet space and, in order to play most efficiently, we need our own currency, the possibility [of an IPO] is out there," Dick Parsons, the company's chairman and CEO, told shareholders. Parsons said that while Time Warner's acquisition of AOL "may not have worked out" exactly how he thought, he reiterated that the unit is a key part of Time Warner.
http://online.wsj.com/home/us 
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o Search Engine Ask Jeeves Acquires Excite Europe

Oakland -- Ask Jeeves, the provider of Internet search and advertising services, said on Friday that it has paid an undisclosed amount to acquire Excite Italia, the operator of Excite Europe, a network of pan-European portal properties, from Tiscali. The move comes a little more than year after Ask Jeeves acquired the U.S.-operated Excite.com portal. "This deal is a next step in Ask Jeeves' European expansion strategy," said Steve Berkowitz, the CEO of Ask Jeeves. The deal will give Ask Jeeves ownership of Excite's Internet domains throughout Europe as well as control of existing portal offerings in several major European markets including Spain, Italy, France, the U.K., Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Excite has offered search and portal services since 1995.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050520/sff019.html 
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o Orange Launches First Live Mobile TV Service in the U.K.

Paris -- Orange, the mobile-phone subsidiary of French telecommunications bellwether France Telecom, announced that it has become the first provider in the U.K. to offer live TV for mobile handsets. From May 23, Orange TV will use its 3G network to provide nine channels -- including news from ITN and CNN, a fashion channel, an extreme sports channel and the Cartoon Network -- for a monthly fee of about $18. Orange said that more channels would be available in the near future. "This is truly a service where 3G comes into its own," said Julian Diment, head of Orange's commercial and brand partnerships. "We don't expect people to watch for hours at a time, but to dip in and out."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5BD26C1B 
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o Opening of "Revenge of the Sith" Drives Traffic to Movie Sites

New York -- With the highly anticipated release of "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith," movie sites have seen greatly increased traffic in recent days, according to new information from Nielsen/NetRatings. Traffic to MovieTickets.com skyrocketed 85% during the week ending May 15, with more than 600,000 unique visitors logging on to view show times and pre-purchase tickets. Movies.com and Moviefone also jumped 16% and 12%, respectively, and traffic to Fandango.com rose 9%. StarWars.com, the official web site for all three movies, attracted 981,000 fans, spiking 32% as compared with the week prior.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com 

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>DMW Events:
 



2nd Annual Digital Media Conference
June 17, 2005 | McLean, VA
www.digitalmediaconference.com

Mark your calendars! The 2nd Annual Digital Media Conference is set for Friday, June 17, 2005 at the Hilton McLean in Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia. This is a must-attend event for media, entertainment and technology businesses, educational institutions and government agencies involved in the digital distribution of media, including information, education & entertainment products.

PANEL TOPICS INCLUDE:

  • Copyrights v. Technology: The Battle Heats Up
  • Digital Living:  Entertainment for the Connected Consumer
  • The "New" FCC and the Future of Digital Media
  • Video Games: An Industry Going Mainstream?
  • The Evolution of Radio: Satellite, Wireless & the Internet
  • The Changing Face of Television: Exploring Digital Frontiers
  • Mobile Entertainment: Wireless Technologies Shaping the Future of Entertainment
  • Online Publishing 2.0: Blogs, RSS & Other Innovations Driving the Industry

For more information click here
To register click here.

REGISTRATION
Pre-Registration: $295 (until June 1)
Registration:$395 (after June 1)

Register online at: http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1101

Phone registration: 323-852-7130


To submit speakers or request information about exhibiting or sponsoring at the 2005 conferences, please contact Tinzar Than, VP, Marketing & Events, Digital Media Wire, Inc. at: heather@digitalmediawire.com.
 

Past Events | Sponsorship Materials | Partners & Clients


 

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> Featured Advertisement:

> PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2004-2008 

PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2004-2008 is the leading global entertainment and media industry forecast, including in-depth global analyses and five-year growth projections for 14 industry segments covering every major global region. The complete 550-page book, is available in print or electronic format. The 50 page "Global Overview" (available in print or electronic format)or any of the 14 individual industry segment chapters (electronic format only) can be purchased separately for $95. For sample content and to order, click here.
 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Mountain View, Calif.) Google this week launched a new personalized home page feature, to compete with similar offerings from rivals Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN. Like its competitors' home pages, Google's offers links to features including its Gmail e-mail service, news headlines, weather forecasts, stock quotes and driving directions.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050520/google.html
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-google20may20.story
http://tinyurl.com/9s3bl 

(Dallas) A day after Wal-Mart announced it will shutter its online DVD rental business and instead partner with one-time rival Netflix, Blockbuster announced an incentive offer for both former Wal-Mart and current Netflix customers to switch to its own online DVD rental service. Blockbuster Online's offer consists of two free months of service, a free retail DVD, and the opportunity to subscribe to Blockbuster Online at the current WalMart.com or Netflix subscription rate for the next year.
http://www.netflix.com
http://www.blockbuster.com

(Los Angeles) GameSpot, a provider of video game news and information published by CNET Networks, on Friday announced winners of its First Annual GameSpot E3 2005 People's Choice Award. Recipients were determined based on the real-time online behavior of gamers who visited GameSpot-operated websites covering the convention on its first day. The twenty most-anticipated games of the show included Konami's "Castlevania: Curse of Darkness," Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories," Ubisoft's "Killing Day," Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" and Activision's "Ultimate Spider-Man." A full list is available from the link below.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050520/205355.html
http://www.gamespot.com 

(Redwood City, Calif.) Video game publisher Electronic Arts announced this week that it has increased its stake in Swedish game studio Digital Illusions to nearly 68%, after buying another 807,000 of the company's shares on the open market. EA now controls nearly 6.9 million shares of the company.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050519/186006.html
http://www.dice.se

(New York) The Orchard, a distributor and marketer of independent music, announced on Friday that it has signed an exclusive agreement to distribute the catalog of Shanachie Entertainment, a 30-year-old label that focuses on world music, folk, blues and jazz. The deal will give digital distribution to Shanachie artists including Black Uhuru, Hugh Masekela, King Sunny Ade, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and The Stanley Brothers.
http://www.theorchard.com
http://www.shanachie.com 

(Los Angeles) Mobile game publisher Global Wireless Entertainment (GWE) announced on Friday that it has signed an exclusive agreement with international soccer star Pele, to develop and distribute a series of mobile games bearing his name and likeness. San Diego-based GWE has also signed mobile game agreements with Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky, Evel Knievel, John Elway and the Harlem Globetrotters.
http://www.gwe-usa.com 

(Los Angeles) The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the video game industry trade group that organizes the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, announced on Friday that this week's event drew more than 70,000 industry professionals, 400 exhibitors and over 5,000 computer and video game products. The ESA added that its E3Insider.com companion website counted over 700,000 visits in the first three days of the event.
http://tinyurl.com/dtr7s
http://www.e3expo.com
 
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> Classifieds -- Advertise

> Software Product Manager

The product Manager will take a lead in managing the full life cycle of Synacor products. Articulate and prioritize business requirements and develop PRD's for specific verticals. Qualifications: Highly motivated, self-starter capable of working in team and managing the entire product life cycle. 5-7 years of experience in Product Management. Working knowledge of web-based application software technologies.  Contact careers@synacor.com
_________________

> Senior Java Developer

Looking for software engineers interested in helping us build a worldwide info mgmt system. Our preferred candidate is someone with demonstrated application development/software engineering exp. creating web-based applications using Java, JSP, EJB, JDBC, Struts, Hibernate, Spring, Ant, and WebLogic. Knowledge of Oracle DBMS and Plumtree Portal Server is also desired. A solid understanding of n-tiered application architecture and enterprise design patterns is essential. Must be a U.S. citizen and hold a B.S. or M.S. degree in Computer Science or Computer Information Systems, or a similar degree. Send inquiries to careers@nearinfinity.com
_________________

> Systems Engineer

Solutions System Engineer to support sales team in Md/Va and East. Canada. Must be expert in X86/VME/cPCI technology. Req. 1-2 certifications. Project oriented - may lead assigned project(s) from beginning to end. Must have integration experience. Send resumes to talent.acquisition@avnet.com
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> Sr. J2EE Developer - Washington, DC

Senior level position providing highest level of technical support and leadership on projects, business development initiatives, and internal programs. Min. 5 years of professional exp. designing and implementing enterprise level J2EE transactional applications. Candidate must have demonstrable expertise using the following APIs: Servlet/JSP, EJB, RMI, JNDI, JDBC, JTA. Candidate must have demonstrable expertise with Java application servers such as WebLogic, WebSphere, Oracle Application Server, JBoss, etc. Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen. Active Security Clearance preferred. Send resumes to sshmia@1-sc.com
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> Director, IT Planning and Program Management - Biotech

Key member of IT organization, rotational assignment intended to prepare incumbent for subsequent, major management position within IT. Manage a staff of 3-4 professionals; partner with CIO in managing IT planning and administration for the organization. Prepare and track IT budget; determine performance measures; lead program management across all business functions; establish standards; prepare presentations to BOD and senior management. Send resumes to fsltd@earthlink.net
_________________

> Telecommunications Marketing Associate

Develop and execute telecom lead generation programs. Manage and implement major promotional events. Provide strategic guidance and marketing support to the Client Service Partners and their teams that serve several large telecom clients. Gather/provide client and market intelligence for our wireline affinity group. Initiate marketing tactics and implement activities according to plan and within budget parameters. Require: BA degree in Mkt. 5 plus years in the telecommunications industry. Send resumes to sboulos@deloitte.com
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> Business Intelligence Consultants

Data Management Group, the mid-Atlantic leader in Business Intelligence consulting, is looking for great people to join our growing team. We are looking for energetic and outgoing self-starters with experience in any of the following tools and applications: Cognos, Crystal Reports, Oracle, Business Objects, J2EE, .NET. We are also looking for Top Secret cleared candidates for positions at Fort Meade, MD. Join the exciting world of consulting. Send resumes to resumes@datamanagementgroup.com
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> Video Games Producer, MTV.com

Video Games Producer serves as production team lead for MTV.com's video games area & editorial coverage. Responsible for seamless execution & creative vision for area, including design, editorial & video production, wireframes, func. specs, production sched, resource alloctn, must have 4-8 years of exp building web content for major brands and/or video games content. Ideal: knows MS Visio, HTML editing tools (Homesite) & strong affinity to MTV brand (on-air and online), pc and console, gaming culture.  Contact careers@mtv.com
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> Director - Product Marketing, Visa USA - Foster City, CA

As a Director, the candidate will supervise staff at the Senior Marketing Manager level who have day-to-day responsibility for specific promotional programs for Visa Card usage, and he/she will have overall program and budget accountability. College degree and 10-15 years of marketing exp., including promotions and co-marketing experience. The ideal candidate will be a strong communicator, creative as well as strategic thinker, flexible, resourceful, good at setting priorities and managing complexity, a good decision-maker.  Submit your resume online: http://usa.visa.com/about_visa/careers/jobsearch/USA_6432.html
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> Online Marketing Manager - NYC

Develop and manage the execution of Internet marketing campaigns to acquire new registered users for our media properties and grow online revenues and profits, develop and execute web acquisition campaigns including email, banner, newsletter and other emerging online media tools. 2-5 years exp. in online sales and marketing, Knowledge of performance based marketing and email marketing. Excellent copywriting skills and creativity. Strong quantitative /analytical skills to analyze campaign data and provide implications, recommendations and testing plan; solid understanding of Excel required. BS/BA required. Email your resume as a word document to richardb@silvercarrot.com
_________________

> Web Designer/E-Advocate - Alexandria, VA

National non-profit highway safety group seeks Web Designer/Manager of E- advocacy in Alexandria, VA. Experience (3-4 yrs) online journalism or designing and developing websites required. Bachelor's degree preferred. Competitive salary and benefits package including 401k. Email resume to: hiring@go21.org
_________________

> Marketing Manager Software Company

We are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic, flexible person who is upbeat by nature and views themselves as outgoing, yet with a strong eye for detail. Our company works with nationally known partners and is a great small company environment for the right person. Excellent Microsoft Officer skills are a must; HTML skills also required; ability to create HTML marketing materials; excellent written skills; skills in Photoshop and Front Page and other related products, a plus. This job will allow the right candidate to create, monitor and analyze their own marketing campaigns, and manage product strategy and support. We are located near Porter Square T stop. Excellent salary and medical benefits. Please email Carol@kmt.com
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> Outside Sales Manager - Digital Distribution of PC Games

Outside sales for Trymedia, the world's largest digital distribution provider of PC games and DRM technology. Increase distribution of digital PC game catalog, technology, and services to large web sites, portals, ISPs, online networks, and cable providers. Manage entire sales cycle for warm and cold leads. Light travel. Experience: 2 years Internet sales creating affiliate networks. Selling content aggregation and fully managed services in digital media. Strong Rolodex. Email salesjobs@trymedia.com
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> Strategic Communications Group Offers Blog Relations Counsel

Enter the Blogosphere prepared - Enhance your sales and marketing programs. Take advantage of blog relations and blog technology at its forefront. As blogging matures and becomes a prevailing force in communications, allow Strategic Communications Group to assist you in meeting your sales, profitability and corporate valuation goals. Contact us for a free white paper. Send inquiries to info@gotostrategic.com or call 301.408.4500. Visit http://www.gotostrategic.com/blogptw.html  for more info.
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> iPath Technologies, Inc. Adds Juniper Netscreen Training to Curriculum

iPath Technologies, Inc., has added a new offering to its Juniper networking courses entitled Implementing Netscreen Security Gateways. INSG is valuable to network engineers, support personnel, resellers, and others who implement NetScreen products. For the latest course dates and locations, please visit http://www.ipath.net For information contact training@ipath.net
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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.

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

More information:
www.digitalmediawire.com, www.potomactechwire.com, www.newenglandtechwire.com, www.bayareatechwire.com, www.tristatetechwire.com, www.southeasttechwire.com, www.thamestechwire.com, www.europeantechwire.com


Executive & Editorial Team
CEO & Publisher: Ned Sherman
Co-Founder & Executive Editor: Paul Sherman
VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than Sherman
Marketing & Events Coordinator: Heather Nicolaides

Editor: Mark Hefflinger


Contact Us
Questions, Comments & Suggestions - comments@digitalmediawire.com

News Tips & Press Releases - editorial@digitalmediawire.com
Advertising - marketing@digitalmediawire.com


Telephone:  323-852-7130

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