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May 25,
2005 --
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Main Stories
o FBI,
Customs Agents Shut Down BitTorrent Server Offering "Star Wars"
o
Actors' Unions to Vote on Strike Over Video Game Payments
o
Reuters: Sony BMG, AOL Close to Music Video Deal
o
Former NBC Exec Sassa Resigns As CEO of Friendster
o Report: Digital Video Recorder
Shipments, Subscriptions Rise Sharply
o Activision Acquires Canadian
Game Developer Beenox
o Magnum Semiconductor Acquires
Cirrus Logic Digital Video Assets
o
Briefly Noted: Blu-ray Disc
Association, Yahoo - ChoiceStream, Ballantyne of Omaha - NEC,
MediaBay - OverDrive, Loudeye - Planet Internet, SmartVideo - E!
Entertainment, Activision - "Madagascar The Game," Creative - "Game
Star," XM Satellite Radio - Indianapolis 500
_____________________________________________
>
Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--Channel Sales Director
--IT Solutions and Services Sales - Financial/Insurance
Vertical
--Information Architect
--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
--Strategic Communications Group Offers Blog Relations Counsel
--iPath Technologies, Inc. Adds Juniper Netscreen Training to
Curriculum
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o FBI, Customs Agents Shut Down
BitTorrent Server Offering "Star Wars" Washington -- U.S.
authorities announced on Wednesday that they have shut down a
BitTorrent file-sharing server that was offering copies of "Revenge
of the Sith" and other copyrighted movies and software for download.
The FBI and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed
ten warrants in eight states and seized the main server for Elite
Torrents, a network with 133,000 members that offered 17,800 movie,
music and software titles, which were collectively downloaded 2.1
million times. A message on the site today reads: "This site has
been permanently shut down by the Federal Bureau of investigation
and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement." The latest "Star
Wars" film was available on Elite Torrents six hours before it
debuted in theaters, and had been downloaded more than 10,000 times,
authorities said. "Through today's landmark enforcement actions, ICE
and the FBI have shut down a group of online criminals who were
using legitimate technology to create one-stop shopping for the
illegal sharing of movies, games, software and music," said Michael
J. Garcia, Homeland Security assistant secretary for ICE.
http://www.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel05/bittorrent052505.htm
http://tinyurl.com/7lkfp
http://www.elitetorrents.org
_____________________________________________
o Actors'
Unions to Vote on Strike Over Video Game Payments
Los Angeles -- The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American
Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), two unions that
represent actors in labor negotiations, announced that they have
asked their members to vote on whether to strike against the video
game industry. Actors believe they should be compensated in
accordance with game sales, in addition to lump sum advance
payments, for the use of their voices and likenesses in video games.
Negotiations between video game publishers and actors recently broke
down, following the expiration of existing contracts in December.
Members of the actors' unions picketed outside the video game
industry's E3 Expo last week in Los Angeles. Under union rules, 75%
of SAG members and two-thirds of AFTRA members must vote in favor to
authorize a strike; results of the votes are expected on June 7.
http://tinyurl.com/7wzzd
http://tinyurl.com/9e2he
____________________________________________
o Reuters: Sony
BMG, AOL Close to Music Video Deal
New York -- A source familiar with the deal tells Reuters that
Sony BMG is close to signing a deal that would give America Online
access to its music video library. The New York Post also reported
that AOL could pay over $25 million for exclusive rights to the
catalog, while Reuters said Sony BMG CEO Andrew Lack is considering
"a certain amount of exclusivity" for AOL. Traditionally, the labels
have openly licensed their video collections to multiple providers
for free, but many have recently begun charging AOL, Yahoo, MSN and
others fees, or taking a share of ad revenue, for the rights to
offer their music videos online.
http://tinyurl.com/appdf
http://www.nypost.com/business/47132.htm
____________________________________________
o Former NBC
Exec Sassa Resigns As CEO of Friendster
Los Angeles -- Scott Sassa, the former president of NBC
Entertainment who accepted the job of chief executive of social
networking site Friendster a little over a year ago, has resigned.
"For his own reasons, it's just not a fit for him right now, and
he's moving on," Russell Siegelman, a managing partner at Friendster
investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, told CNET News.com. "It's
unfortunate, but the company will move on." Sassa replaced
Friendster founder Jonathan Abrams in the CEO post in June 2004, and
will be replaced by Taek Kwon, executive vice president for products
and technology at Citysearch.
http://tinyurl.com/75tey
http://www.friendster.com
____________________________________________
o Report:
Digital Video Recorder Shipments, Subscriptions Rise Sharply
Scottsdale, Ariz. -- U.S. shipments of digital video recorders rose
sharply during the past year, from 4.6 million in 2003 to 11.4
million in 2004, brought about by increased consumer awareness of
the ability to time-shift TV programs, according to a report from
Arizona-based market research firm In-Stat. Household subscriptions
to digital video recorder services, such as those offered by TiVo
and satellite and cable TV providers, also rose about 155% -- from
3.6 million in 2004 to 9.2 million in 2005. "The deployment of PVR
products has been a success story for both pay-TV service providers
and consumer electronics manufacturers," said In-Stat analyst Mike
Paxton. "While the current growth of PVRs is being spurred by
satellite TV set top box products and DVD recorders with built-in
hard disk drives, other product segments like cable TV set top
box-based PVRs are also flying off the shelves." Worldwide digital
video recorder product revenues have also spiked, from $2.1 billion
in 2003 to $4.3 billion in 2004; In-Stat noted that North America
remains the largest digital video recorder market, followed by
Japan.
http://www.instat.com/press.asp?ID=1340&sku=IN0501805ME
____________________________________________
o Activision
Acquires Canadian Game Developer Beenox
Santa Monica, Calif. -- Video game publisher Activision announced on
Wednesday that it has acquired Quebec-based Beenox, the developer of
Activision titles such as "Shrek 2," "Tony Hawk's Underground 2" and
the upcoming "Fantastic Four." Financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed. Beenox's management team and key employees from its
32-member team have signed long-term employment contracts, and will
remain based in Quebec City, Canada. Santa Monica, Calif.-based
Activision said the transaction will give it a foothold in Quebec,
which it called "one of the fastest growing development talent pools
in North America." Activision has also recently acquired New
York-based developer Vicarious Visions and Novato, Calif.-based Toys
for Bob.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/law051.html
http://www.activision.com
http://www.beenox.com
____________________________________________
o Magnum
Semiconductor Acquires Cirrus Logic Digital Video Assets
Austin, Texas -- Cirrus Logic, a manufacturer of chips for consumer
and commercial audio, automotive entertainment and industrial
applications, announced on Wednesday that it has sold its digital
video product line to Magnum Semiconductor, a company formed by an
investment group led by Investcorp and August Capital. Although
financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Cirrus said it will
maintain a minority equity stake in Magnum, and record a charge of
$7 million associated with exiting existing facility leases, and
professional fees related to the deal. Austin-based Cirrus will now
focus on its product lines for audio and industrial markets, while
Magnum Semiconductor will focus on digital video chips for consumer
applications such as DVD recorders, hard disk-drive-based camcorders
and network media adapters; Cirrus customers included LG, Samsung
and Sony.
http://www.cirrus.com
http://www.investcorp.com
http://www.augustcap.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
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Sponsorship Materials
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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: (Hollywood)
The Blu-ray Disc Association, a consortium of companies that support
Sony's next-generation DVD format, announced on Wednesday that it
has completed design on a mass production process to master BD-ROM
discs. The first two commercial machines, for Technicolor and Cinram,
are due for installation in the second quarter of 2005. The group
also said that Blu-ray companies have successfully demonstrated
200GB discs in a laboratory environment.
http://www.blu-raydisc.com
(Santa Monica, Calif.) Yahoo announced on Wednesday that it has
partnered with ChoiceStream to launch a personalized movie
recommendation feature on its Yahoo Movies destination. The feature
will recommend both current and past films to check out in theaters,
on TV or on DVD/video, based on a user's past preferences, and also
link to reviews and recommendations from other fans. Cambridge,
Mass.-based ChoiceStream's software is also used by AOL TV and the
Columbia House DVD Store.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050525/255348.html
http://www.choicestream.com
http://movies.yahoo.com/recommendations
(Omaha, Neb.) Ballantyne of Omaha, a manufacturer of digital
cinema projection equipment, announced on Wednesday that it has
signed a three-year agreement with the U.S. unit of Japanese
electronics maker NEC, to distribute NEC's line of digital cinema
and in-theater advertising products in North America. NEC is one of
three licensees of Texas Instruments' DLP digital cinema technology,
and manufactures digital projectors, LCD and plasma displays,
servers and software.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050525/255631.html
http://www.ballantyne-omaha.com
http://www.necsam.com
http://www.strong-cinema.com
(Cedar Knolls, N.J.) MediaBay, a distributor of spoken word audio
content, announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with OverDrive,
a provider of audiobook and e-book lending technology to libraries,
to bring selections from MediaBay's 50,000-hour library of classic
radio programs to U.S. libraries. Programs such as "The Jack Benny
Show," "Abbott & Costello" and "The Shadow" will be offered for
download to patrons of OverDrive's partner libraries, which include
the New York Public Library, San Jose Public Library, Phoenix Public
Library and Cleveland Public Library.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/nyw126.html
http://www.mediabay.com
http://www.overdrive.com
(London) Loudeye, a provider of branded digital music stores and
other digital media services, announced on Wednesday that it has
partnered with Dutch ISP Planet Internet, to launch a digital music
service for the company's ADSL subscribers. The service will offer
Planet Internet subscribers free music for a year, in the form of
promotional credits that can be spent to stream or download
individual tracks and full albums.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/sfw025.html
http://www.loudeye.com
http://www.planet.nl
(Atlanta) SmartVideo Technologies, a provider of mobile TV
programming for cell phones, said on Wednesday that it has added
content from E! Entertainment to its streaming video service.
Atlanta-based SmartVideo also offers video content for cell phones
from ABC News, NBC Universal, Fox Sports and others, starting at
$12.95 per month.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050525/255150.html
http://www.smartvideo.com
(Santa Monica, Calif.) Game publisher Activision on Wednesday
shipped its "Madagascar The Game" title, based on the DreamWorks
Animation digitally-animated feature film. Activision's Toys for Bob
studio created the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube versions of the
title, while Vicarious Visions developed the title for Game Boy
Advance and Nintendo DS, and Beenox made the version for PC.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/law048.html
http://www.activision.com
(Milpitas) Consumer electronics firm Creative on Wednesday
introduced a suite of children's PC games that utilize a USB camera
accessory to capture body movements and integrate them into the
games. The $40 "Game Star" package includes ten titles developed by
Eye Games for children ages 3-12, and a Creative WebCam Instant
entry-level Web camera. The offering is similar to the games offered
for Sony's EyeToy USB camera for PlayStation 2.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/sfw068.html
http://www.eyegames.com
http://www.us.creative.com
(Washington) XM Satellite Radio, a satellite-delivered
subscription radio service, announced on Wednesday that it will
provide the first satellite broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 race
on Sunday. Washington-based XM recently signed a multi-year
agreement to serve as official satellite radio partner of the Indy
Racing League (IRL).
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/dcw013.html
http://www.irl.xmradio.com
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>
Classifieds --
Advertise
> Channel Sales DirectorExtenDB is searching for a Channel
Sales Director to be responsible for developing and
implementing partner strategies to grow company revenue
through resellers, system integrators, and technology
partners. The ideal candidate has experience in channel
management or business development within the Business
Intelligence or database markets. About us: ExtenDB leverages
open source and commodity computing to offer exceptional value
for BI solutions. Send resumes to
jobs@extendb.com
_________________
> IT Solutions and Services Sales - Financial/Insurance
Vertical
Software AG seeks an Account Executive to sell IT Solutions
and Professional Services in the New York City/NJ/Philadelphia
area. Qualified candidates will have previous experience
selling Integration/middleware solutions and Services within
Insurance and Financial Services companies. Familiarity with
XML and integration platforms essential. Visit
http://www.softwareagusa.com/ or email resume to
kim.burger@softwareagusa.com
_________________
> Information Architect
This exciting role is an opportunity for a seasoned
Application Developer with Java and Websphere experience. Must
have five or more years exp. in systems engineering with a
large business enterprise with revenues of $100 million reqd.
Candidate must demonstrate proficiency and exp. in any of J2EE
(4 years), EAI (Websphere Family), Unix, and Oracle. Require
financial/accounting applications, Network operating systems
and client/server systems environments. Please submit your
resume to
vbhatia@hirestrategy.com, or visit
http://www.hirestrategy.com/quicklinks/hire266.asp
_________________
> 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
_________________
> 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
_________________
> 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
_________________
> 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
_________________
> 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
_________________
> 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
_________________
> 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
_________________
> 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.
_________________
> 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
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comments@digitalmediawire.com
News Tips & Press Releases -
editorial@digitalmediawire.com
Advertising -
marketing@digitalmediawire.com
Telephone: 323-852-7130
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Copyright 2005 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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