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June 16, 2004 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o Court Rules DirecTV Must Prove Pirate Equipment Used for Piracy
o Music Retailers Shelve Plan for Digital Song Store Joint Venture
o WSJ: Rocker Bono, Former EA President Join VC Firm Elevation Partners
o Report: Online Games Sites Are "Stickiest" Overall
o DISH Network Satellite TV Service Tops 10 Million Subscribers
o Electronic Arts Launches Fantasy Football League Service
o Music, Movie Retailer Trade Groups Consider Possible Merger
o Yahoo Unveils Enhanced Email Features

 > DMW Announcements:
 --Digital Media Conference -  June 18, 2004 - Last Week to Register

 > Featured Advertisement:
  --Digital Media Law Report - Volume 3
 

o Briefly Noted: Blockbuster - Video game subscriptions, Sony - End2End - StreamMan mobile music service, Netflix - new shipping center, Zone4Play - LodgeNet, SeaChange International, Gracenote, Live365 - GarageBand.com _____________________________________________

 
> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--No.1 Mobile Media Firm in U.S. is Looking For LA Sales Manager
--Account Executive
--Director of Marketing (eBusiness Consulting Services)
--Sr. Software Engineer
--Account Executive for Award Winning Marketing Firm
--Web Project Manager
--Senior Financial Analyst
--PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook
--Position Your Company for Success - with Technology PR Experts
--Innovative Technologies to Link Project
--Preserving the Benefits of Open Source While Managing Risks - June 29   
 


o Court Rules DirecTV Must Prove Pirate Equipment Used for Piracy

Atlanta -- Satellite TV provider DirecTV suffered a setback in its anti-piracy efforts when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that the company may not file lawsuits against individuals who simply own equipment that may be used for pirating satellite TV signals. DirecTV has gone after companies that manufacture and sell equipment that can be used to pirate satellite signals, and recently expanded its anti-piracy efforts by filing 24,000 lawsuits against individuals -- including plaintiff Mike Treworgy -- who through investigations were found to have purchased such equipment. "American innovators and hobbyists shouldn't have to fear legal action merely for possessing new technologies that have many legitimate uses," said Electronic Frontier Foundation staff attorney Jason Schultz. The case will now be remanded to a lower court, where DirecTV will have to provide evidence that Treworgy and other defendants actually pirated satellite TV signals.
http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/ops/200315313.pdf
http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2004_06.php#001615 
http://www.directv.com   
_____________________________________________

o Music Retailers Shelve Plan for Digital Song Store Joint Venture

San Francisco -- A consortium of music retailers including Best Buy, Virgin, Tower Records and Borders have decided to cut funding for a plan, announced in early 2003, to create an online store joint venture to sell digital music -- citing high development costs and the low profit margins of existing services like iTunes, CNET News.com reported. The "Echo" project was started in 2001 by a former executive of Internet radio service Echo Networks and a consultant whose father had ties with the music retail industry that enabled them to eventually win the support of major retailers. "The reality is that compared to all the retailers' bottom lines, even Apple's music sales are insignificant," Alex Bernstein, a co-founder and investor in the Echo project, told News.com. "Our board repeatedly told us that… It ultimately boiled down to the idea that the numbers didn't justify a large investment at this stage in the market."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S6CD13498 
http://www.echo.com 
____________________________________________

o WSJ: Rocker Bono, Former EA President Join VC Firm Elevation Partners

Dublin -- The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Bono, Irish rock star and lead singer of U2, has joined Elevation Partners, a venture capital firm focusing on entertainment and media projects, as a managing director. Technology investor Roger McNamee, former Electronic Arts President John Riccitiello and former Apple Computer CFO Fred Andersen have also joined the firm. Elevation told The Journal that the team was hoping to raise at least $1 billion for a new fund, for which details were not released.
http://online.wsj.com/public/us 
http://www.u2.com  
____________________________________________

o Report: Online Games Sites Are "Stickiest" Overall

New York -- Online games websites are the "stickiest" overall, as visitors to gaming sites spent an average of more than two hours surfing them during the month of May, according to data from New York-based Internet audience measurement firm Nielsen/NetRatings. Over 46 million Americans -- or nearly one in three U.S. Web surfers -- visited gaming sites in May. Among such sites, Slingo.com was the stickiest, with visitors spending an average of over four hours during their visits, followed by EA Online (2:29), MSN Games (2:04) and AOL Games (1:51). Middle-aged women were the largest demographic group for online game sites, representing 15% of all online gamers, while overall, the gender make-up of the online gaming audience was found to be nearly equal.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040616/sfw068_1.html 
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com 
____________________________________________

o DISH Network Satellite TV Service Tops 10 Million Subscribers

Englewood, Colo. -- Satellite TV operator EchoStar Communications announced that its DISH Network service has passed the 10 million subscriber mark, having added over 6.3 million net new customers during the last four years. Since launching service in March 1996, the company has added an average of over 100,000 net new customers each month. By contrast, DISH Network rival DirecTV claimed a total of 2.2 million subscribers as of Dec. 31, 2003.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040614/145438_1.html 
http://www.echostar.com 
____________________________________________

o Electronic Arts Launches Fantasy Football League Service

Redwood City, Calif. -- Video game developer Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday its foray into the fantasy sports games market, with the introduction of its EA Sports Fantasy Football service. The company is collaborating with Stats, an Illinois-based provider of sports data and statistical analysis to broadcasters, to provide football data for the service. EA will offer a fully customizable Commissioner League for $99.99, including up to 32 team owners, as well as EA Sports Public Leagues, which will match 12 players in leagues for $9.99 per player. Sign-ups for the new fantasy football service will begin on July 21.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040616/165234_1.html 
http://biz.stats.com 
http://www.easports.com/fantasy 
____________________________________________

o Music, Movie Retailer Trade Groups Consider Possible Merger

Marlton, N.J. -- Two trade groups that represent stores that sell or rent movies and music -- the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) and Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) -- are considering a merger, the two groups announced in a joint statement. NARM's members include retailers such as Tower, Best Buy, Borders and Target that operate a total of 7,000 stores accounting for 85% of all U.S. music sales. The VSDA represents 1,200 companies operating 12,500 stores that sell or rent movies and video games, including Blockbuster, Wal-Mart and Netflix. "Although NARM's focus is on the music industry and VSDA's focus is on the home video industry, the digital and Internet revolution has increased the number of issues in common to members of both organizations. In addition to industry consolidation and other economic factors, matters pertaining to piracy, copyright law, First Amendment protections, theft prevention, formats, packaging and labeling, emerging business models, digital delivery and the like concern our members." The groups said that a letter of intent is in the process of being formalized.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H16E22498 
http://www.narm.com 
http://www.vsda.org 
____________________________________________

o Yahoo Unveils Enhanced Email Features

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Striking back at rival Google following the release of that company's free email service, Yahoo launched several new features on its own mail service, including a major increase in storage space for both free and premium users. Free email subscribers have been upgraded to 100-megabytes of storage, 25 times more than the prior free offering. Premium customers, including subscribers to SBC Yahoo Dial and DSL, will now have 2 gigabytes of storage, or twice as much as users of Google's Gmail. Yahoo also unveiled a new design and improved search capabilities, and removed graphical ads from its premium email services. In addition, the company said that it is opening up more than 50 million Yahoo IDs, giving consumers more address options for their email accounts.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040615/155356_1.html 

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 > DMW Events:

Washington
Digital Media Conference

June 18
, 2004  |  Washington, DC

Register online or by Phone
www.digitalmediaconference.com
323-822-0936

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Elliot Maxwell - Fellow, Center for the Study of American Gov., Johns Hopkins Univ.,

Distinguished Research Fellow, eBusiness Research Ctr, Pennsylvania State Univ.
Doug Lowenstein - President, Entertainment Software Association
Mitch Glazier - SVP, Gov. Relations & Legislative Counsel, RIAA
Caroline Little - CEO, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive

 

FEATURED SPEAKERS
Magid Abraham - President, CEO & Co-Founder, comScore Networks

William Allman - SVP & GM, Interactive New Media, Discovery Networks
Aileen Atkins - SVP, Business Affairs, Napster
Larry Blosser - Of Counsel, Gray Cary
Jody Brannon - Executive Producer, USAToday.com
Pat Breslin - CEO, Relatable
Jeff Briggs - Founder, President & CEO, Firaxis Games
Matt Bromberg - Vice President & GM, AOL Games
Jeffrey Bronikowski - Vice President, eLabs, Universal Music Group
Ron Chaimowitz - President & CEO, PlayTV Inc.
Alan Davidson - Asso. Director, Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)
Sarah Deutsch – VP & Associate General Counsel, Verizon
Allison Dollar - Co-President, Interactive Television Alliance

Tim Dunne - VP, Digital Media, Nextel Communications, Inc.

Eugene Evans - President, Infinite Ventures
Reed Freeman – Chief Privacy Officer, Claria Corporation
Gerald Gordon - President & CEO, Fairfax County Economic Dev. Authority
Rags Gupta - COO, Live365
Chris Haines - Managing Editor, USNews.com, U.S. News & World Report
Stewart Halpern - Managing Dir., Digital Entertainment Research, RBC Capital
Bill Holland - Washington Bureau Chief, Billboard Magazine
Mark Jacobs - CEO, Mythic Entertainment
Marc Juris - President, Fuse (a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC)
Scott Kauffman - CEO, MusicNow
Marty Lafferty - CEO, Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA)
Kevin Lapidus - General Counsel, YellowBrix, Inc.
David Leibowitz - Managing Partner, CH Potomac

Lon Levin - SVP, Regulatory Affairs, XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc.
David Levine - CEO, Butterfly.net
David Lipsey - VP, Media & Entertainment, Artesia

Karen Litsinger - VP & Associate General Counsel, America Online, Inc.

Lydia Loizides - Analyst, Media & Ent., Ziff Brothers Investments
Adrian McAloon - Director of Marketing, Ztango
Chris McAndrews - SVP & General Manager, Nationalgeographic.com
Patrick McQuown - President, Proteus
Mark Myers - Vice President of Strategic Alliances, Convera
David Oxenford - Partner, Shaw Pittman
Jonathan Potter - Executive Director, Digital Media Association
Larry Rebich - VP of Program Acquisition & Market Dev., SIRIUS Satellite Radio
Wayne Rosso - CEO, Optisoft, SL (former President of Grokster)
Laurence Roth - VP, Mktg & Bus. Dev./Co-Founder, Cinea (Dolby Labs subsidiary)
Warren Schlichting - Vice President, New Business Strategy, Comcast
Dan Scherlis - CEO, Etherplay
Ned Sherman - CEO & Co-Founder, Digital Media Wire
Paul Sherman - President & Publisher, Tech Wire Media Group
Sherrese Smith - Assoc. Gen. Counsel, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
Christina Tancredi,  SVP of Marketing, Advertising and Sponsorship Sales, Music Choice
Yoav Tzruya - VP of Technologies & Markets Strategy, Exent Technologies
Stephen Warley - General Manager, TVSpy (a Vault service)

Debbie Weil - Publisher, WordBiz Report
Michael Weiss - CEO, StreamCast Networks (owner, Morpheus P2P software)
Gabe Zichermann - VP, Strategy & Communications, Trymedia

 

OVERVIEW

Media and entertainment companies are going through a digital transformation, which is impacting traditional business models and changing the way we distribute, access and market media and entertainment.

Washington Digital Media Conference brings together decision-makers from the leading media, entertainment and technology companies in the Greater Washington, DC area for a 1-day executive forum focused on business, legal/policy and technology developments impacting digital media.

Get a unique view of the future of media and entertainment from the inside. Gain insight into new business opportunities driving the transformation of entertainment and media businesses. Take a hard look at how traditional challenges to sustainable business models are dissolving, only to be replaced by new obstacles, and how we can prepare now to overcome them. Examine media and entertainment-based technologies emerging today and explore how these technologies are driving the transformation of the media and entertainment industries.

How are traditional business models being reinvented? What are the challenges and opportunities involving digital media? What do you need to do to stay competitive in the technology age? Be a part of this inaugural event, which brings together the business and government leaders who are transforming the Greater Washington, DC area into a center for digital media innovation and development.

REGISTRATION
Registration: $395

Online :  http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1067
Phone: 323-822-0936


To submit speakers for or request information about exhibiting or sponsoring at the 2004 conferences, please contact Tinzar Than, VP, Marketing & Events, Digital Media Wire, Inc. at: tinzar@digitalmediawire.com.
 

Past Events | Sponsorship Materials | Partners & Clients
 

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> Featured Advertisement: 

Digital Media Law Report
New Featured Section - Volume 3 - 2004

We are pleased to announce that we have added a "Featured Section" to Digital Media Law & Policy Report. We will use this section to provide in depth coverage of certain cases, events and policy developments each month.

Subscriptions
-
Order
Volume 3 - Order
 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Dallas) Video rental giant Blockbuster on Wednesday introduced a new unlimited video game rental service, the Flip Card. The $49 service allows customers to rent an unlimited number of games, one at a time, for three consecutive months.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040616/law006_1.html 
http://www.blockbuster.com

(Helsinki) Sony Network Services Europe said on Wednesday that it has launched a mobile music streaming service, along with mobile data services provider End2End. The StreamMan service lets users stream a catalog of major and independent label music, as well as access news, artist information and community and personalization features on their 3G or GPRS handsets. Sony launched StreamMan with wireless carrier TeliaSonera in Finland, and will roll-out across Europe in the near future.
http://www.sony-europe.com 
http://www.end2endmobile.com

(Los Gatos, Calif.) Online DVD rental service Netflix announced on Wednesday that it has opened a new shipping center in Las Vegas, serving almost 700,000 households in Nevada and Arizona. The company says it now reaches 80% of its members with generally one-day delivery, and expects five percent of U.S. households to become Netflix members by 2006.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040616/sfw063_1.html 
http://www.netflix.com

(Wilmington, Del.) Zone4Play, a developer of wireless and interactive TV games, announced on Wednesday that LodgeNet, a provider of in-room interactive entertainment systems to hoteliers, has deployed its games on LodgeNet systems. Delaware-based Zone4Play's TV GameRoom offering includes games like Blackjack, Video Poker and Roulette.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040616/ukw005_1.html 
http://www.lodgenet.com 
http://www.zone4play.com

(Maynard, Mass.) SeaChange International, a provider of video-on-demand delivery equipment, on Wednesday introduced a new high-definition-enabled video-on-demand recording system for its cable TV operator customers. Massachusetts-based SeaChange's video-on-demand systems are currently deployed with over 100 systems in 17 of the top 25 U.S. markets.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040616/165467_1.html 
http://www.schange.com

(Emeryville, Calif.) Gracenote, a provider of CD recognition and other online digital media information services, announced on Wednesday that it has named Jim Doehrman as its new chief financial officer. Doehrman most recently served as chief financial officer of the claims services division of ADP.
http://www.gracenote.com/corporate/press/article.html/date=2004061500

(Foster City, Calif.) Internet radio network Live365 announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with GarageBand.com, a site where bands can create their own Web pages and post their songs, to make songs from GarageBand artists available to Live365 Web radio station operators. San Francisco-based GarageBand will waive the digital performance royalties on the music, and work with Live365 to create links that encourage listeners to purchase downloads or CDs. Foster City, Calif.-based Live365 offers thousands of individual stations and over 2 million listeners a month.
http://www.live365.com 
http://www.garageband.com
 
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> Classifieds:

> No. 1 Mobile Media Firm in U.S. is Looking For LA Sales Manager

ipsh! (www.ipsh.com) is currently looking to bring on one (1) manager of media sales based in Los Angeles. We are seeking an aggressive individual with 'go-getting' startup attitude, combining outstanding people skills and excellent customer service, with experience in direct B2B television, theatrical studio and agency sales. Candidate must possess a proven sales track record & over achieving quota in new markets with new products. To apply send your resume and cover letter to careers@ipsh.com  with subject 'Manager of Media Sales'.
_________________

> Account Executive

The Account Executive will join GetActive's talented Sales Team and will primarily be focused on sales opportunities in the nonprofit marketplace. Responsible for qualifying leads, strategizing on accounts, presenting to prospective clients, and following-up with prospective clients. This person will also work closely with a Senior Manager of Business Development to close accounts, but will not be directly responsible for closing accounts or producing revenue on his own. For the right, resourceful self-starter, the position represents a challenging and rewarding opportunity. Send resumes to salesmanager@getactive.com
_________________

> Director of Marketing (eBusiness Consulting Services)

McFadyen Consulting is an established eBusiness integrator specializing in the implementation of eCommerce, portal, and web content management solutions based on IBM WebSphere, ATG Dynamo, and Interwoven Teamsite. We seek a seasoned marketing executive to design and implement effective strategies for sales lead generation, drive expansion of the McFadyen brand into the IBM WebSphere market, guide our business evolution as a member of the management team. Send cover letter with salary requirements & resume to marketingjob@mcfadyen.com  More info: http://www.mcfadyen.com
_________________

> Sr. Software Engineer

Java Engineer with a minimum of 5 years experience working with and developing for distributed systems. Must have strong OO development skills and complete understanding of the Java programming language. Experience with Eclipse, maven, ant, XML, technical writing, remote debugging, Apache, Tomcat, CVS, Struts, and JSP is required. Highly desirable skills are PERL, RPM, MySQL, and Solaris. Team lead in an XP environment is also desirable. Send resumes to marks@epokinc.com
_________________

> Account Executive for Award Winning Marketing Firm

RMR & Associates (http://www.rmr.com) the recognized leader in B2B marketing with over 275 campaigns under our belt, is looking for an ambitious self-starter to join our talented team. This position includes servicing accounts as well as cultivating biz dev opps. 2-3 years experience in marketing /advertising/public relations preferred. e-mail cover letter and resume to hr@rmr.com
_________________

> Web Project Manager

Redmon Group is seeking to fill a PM position that will be responsible for the hands-on project management of Redmon technology solutions such as: Web sites, transportation technology, multimedia, e-learning, and interactive museum projects. All applicants must have hands-on interactive project development skills and management experience. Clients include: Discovery Channel, Smithsonian, World Bank, Arlington County, DEA, and ATF. Send resumes to john@redmon.com  Visit http://www.redmon.com
_________________

> Senior Financial Analyst

Online Resources, a leading provider of online banking to financial institutions across the United States is looking for a Sr. Financial Analyst to track & analyze monthly revenues & expenses against budget; support management in the annual budget process; review/report corporate performance metrics to Sr. Mgmt; assist in the preparation of financial forecasts that will be used by Sr. Mgmt to make strategic business decisions. Send resumes to wnewman@orcc.com  Visit http://www.orcc.com
_________________

> PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook

Purchase the book every entertainment and media executive must have. The PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2003-2007 analyzes key trends and forecasts spending in the U.S. and Canada across 14 industry segments, including a Global Overview that forecasts spending and analyzes trends worldwide (also sold separately). More Information
_________________
 
> Position Your Company for Success - with Technology PR Experts

How well are you positioned vs. your competition? Ask Parker Communications. We deliver compelling value in high tech PR with high quality services, big league results, and hands-on, personalized service from senior professionals. Our positioning process provides differentiated messaging executed by the same experts who create it. Free consultation. Call Steve Parker at 978-975-7339 or email sparker@parkercomms.com  Visit http://www.parkercomms.com  for more information.
_________________

> Innovative Technologies to Link Project

Mgmt. with Project Accounting Learn how you can use shared data to enable project teams to accurately estimate and manage jobs, and in accordance, allow accounting to efficiently control costs and account for budgets. Attend our web seminar from the comfort of your own office! Register online at http://www.ssiconsulting.com/events/pma.html  or call 1-800-886-3369 x4618. Send inquiries to jd@ssiconsulting.com
_________________

> Preserving the Benefits of Open Source While Managing Risks - June 29

Open Source Risk Management, LLC presents, Preserving the Benefits of Open Source While Managing Risks Seminar on June 29, 2004. Whether new to Open Source or an early adopter, gain valuable knowledge to mitigate the risks of Open Source Software while preserving its unique benefits. Get answers to these questions and more: How should legal staff and developers work together? What Best Practices should I consider adopting? What does the current Open Source related litigation mean for my company? To Register : http://www.osriskmanagement.com/training.shtml  For more details: training@osriskmanagement.com

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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. To subscribe for free, please click here.

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

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VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than
Editor: Mark Hefflinger

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