archives

 events
 about us
 resources
 privacy
 news tips
 contact us
 home

Sign up for our free daily email briefing

Past Editions

===================================================
DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- June 25, 2001
===================================================
To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com

o Freelance Writers Prevail Over New York Times in Digital Archives Case
o Napster Appeal Requests Denied by Ninth Circuit
o IBeam Raises $40 Million, Partners with Williams Communications
o MPEG-4 Video Software Firm IVast Raises $25 Million in Third Round
o FullAudio Licenses Songs from EMI Publishing for Subscription Service
o Study: Video-on-Demand Will Generate $2 Billion in Revenues by 2005
o Tickets.com Raises $2 Million, Receives Nasdaq Extension
o Web Video Firm IPix Receives Nasdaq Delisting Notice
> Wednesday: Digital Media Wire Seminar: iTV | San Francisco
o Briefly Noted: Sony DVD players, AOL, Inetcam - Intel, MeasureCast -
Audible Magic, LodgeNet - Video on Demand - Grupo Posadas, ACTV,
Gemstar-TV Guide, Web animation
_____________________________________________

> Job Postings: Control Buyer/Business Analyst, Group Program Mgr.,
Acct. Executive, Sr. Business Development Mgr., Dir. of Internet
Advertising, Project Manager

> Events/Services: "Software Company Moving Sale," "Free WebCast Series:
Delivering Results in Today's Changing Environment"

Full Job/Event/Services 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/Service: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html
_____________________________________________

o Freelance Writers Prevail Over New York Times in Digital Archives Case

Washington -- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that media companies
such as The New York Times must have permission from freelance writers
before republishing articles in digital or online archives originally
written for print publications. The 7-2 ruling means that The New York
Times, Newsday, Time, Inc. and other publishers that sell articles to
digital archives such as Lexis-Nexis -- which provide access to articles
that were originally in newspapers and magazines -- do not automatically
have the right to sell the articles. They will likely now have to either
forego the extra revenue from such services and not print freelance
articles at all, or negotiate additional payments to writers for use of
their works. The New York Times and other defendants in the case will also
have to negotiate for existing digital versions of freelance writers'
works. "The Court has upheld the spirit of the Constitutional protection
for copyright, which was written for the benefit of individual authors,"
said Jonathan Tasini, president of the National Writers Union and the lead
plaintiff in the case. "Now, it's time for the media industry to pay
creators their fair share and let's sit down and negotiate over this
today."
http://www.nwu.org/tvt/vichome.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/25/technology/25CND-SCOTUS.html
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,44778,00.html
_____________________________________________

o Napster Appeal Requests Denied by Ninth Circuit

San Francisco -- Two appeals from Napster to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals asking it to reverse the injunction placed against it by the
U.S. Ninth Circuit District Court have been denied, the RIAA said on
Monday, making the Supreme Court the last avenue for Napster to prove that
file-sharing of copyrighted works is not illegal. Napster had asked for a
rehearing of the case by the three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit, as
well as a rehearing "en banc" of its case before a larger group of judges,
both of which were denied by the Court of Appeals. "This decision puts to
rest any questions that Napster has raised regarding the earlier decision
and affirms the rights of copyright holders on the Internet," said RIAA
general counsel Cary Sherman. The Ninth Circuit's original ruling in
February placed an injunction on the company from allowing its users to
trade copyrighted songs on the file-sharing service. Since then the
company has implemented several technologies that block such songs from
users' searches on Napster, most recently asking users to update to a new
version of the software that includes "audio fingerprinting" software
developed by Virginia-based Relatable.
http://www.riaa.org/PR_story.cfm?id=428
_____________________________________________

o IBeam Raises $40 Million, Partners with Williams Communications

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Streaming media services provider IBeam announced on
Monday that it has received a $30 million investment from Williams
Communications, a provider of broadband services through a fiber-optic
network. Additionally, the company raised $10 million from undisclosed
investors. As part of the agreement, Sunnyvale-based IBeam will integrate
its streaming network into Williams' fiber-optic network, which spans
33,000 miles and connects 125 cities on five continents. The companies
will work to develop new streaming services, and Williams will become a
reseller for IBeam products. After the investment, Williams will hold 49
percent of IBeam.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010625/0257.html
http://www.ibeam.com
http://www.wilcom.com/index.html
_____________________________________________

o MPEG-4 Video Software Firm IVast Raises $25 Million in Third Round

Santa Clara, Calif. -- IVast, a developer of digital media creation and
delivery software based on MPEG-4 standards for Internet video, announced
on Monday that it has raised $25 million in its third round of venture
capital financing. Softbank Venture Capital led the investment round; new
investors Sun Microsystems and Macrovision Corporation also participated,
joining previous investors BCE Capital, Centennial Ventures, Vanguard
Ventures, Venture Strategy Partners and Vulcan Ventures. Santa Clara-based
IVast's media delivery software works with MPEG-4, an emerging
international standard for the distribution of interactive audio, video,
2D/3D graphics and animation via broadband and broadcast networks. The
company will use the funds to hire additional engineers and complete its
product development process; the company plans to release its software by
the end of the year.
http://www.ivast.com/mid_news_062501thirdround_p.html
_____________________________________________

o FullAudio Licenses Songs from EMI Publishing for Subscription Service

New York -- FullAudio, a developer of subscription digital music services
for businesses, announced on Monday that it has licensed the entire
catalog of EMI Music Publishing for use in its subscription music service.
The company has also licensed the full catalog of BMG Music Publishing,
and says it plans to license music from all music publishers and the five
major record labels before it launches its service. New York-based
FullAudio's service is based on "cache-download" technology, which stores
downloaded songs on a user's hard drive, and allows access to them only if
a user's subscription fees have been paid up to date. The company said it
has begun internal testing of its service. FullAudio raised $15 million in
September 2000 in a financing round led by Venture Strategy Partners.
http://www.fullaudio.com/pr_06252001.html
http://www.emimusicpub.com
_____________________________________________

o Study: Video-on-Demand Will Generate $2 Billion in Revenues by 2005

Boston -- Video-on-demand (VOD), which lets TV viewers order movies and
other premium programming directly through their television sets, will
generate revenues of nearly $2 billion by 2005, according to a study
published Monday by analyst firm Yankee Group. The group predicts that VOD
will generate $65 million by the end of this year, and that cable
operators -- not telecommunications provider -- will be responsible for
deploying the services most widely. Delays in launching VOD services are
attributed to slow movement to license content by the movie studios, but
the report said that initial content limitations will not slow deployment
of VOD but rather will have an early affect on how often consumers use the
service.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/211762034&ticker=
http://www.yankeegroup.com
_____________________________________________

o Tickets.com Raises $2 Million, Receives Nasdaq Extension

Costa Mesa, Calif. -- Tickets.com, a site that sells tickets to
entertainment and sporting events, announced on Monday that an investor
has contributed an additional $2 million to the company's recent $15
million funding round led by General Atlantic Partners and International
Capital Partners. The company also said it is seeking shareholder approval
for a reverse stock split and a private placement of its stock. These
measures have led the Nasdaq to grant Costa Mesa-based Tickets.com an
extension on its pending delisting from the exchange. The company must now
attain a minimum share price of $1 by July 31.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010625/lam071.html
http://www.tickets.com
_____________________________________________

o Web Video Firm IPix Receives Nasdaq Delisting Notice

San Ramon, Calif. -- IPix, a provider of 360-degree Internet video
technologies, was informed on Monday that it does not meet the Nasdaq's
minimum requirements for listing on the exchange. Shares of the company's
stock have traded below the $1 Nasdaq minimum since February. San
Ramon-based IPix said it intends to appeal the ruling, and its delisting
from the Nasdaq will be stayed pending a hearing. The company raised $10
million at the end of May at the same time that it announced the
appointment of new CEO Donald Strickland, as well as the resignation of
CFO John Kalec, whom the company has not yet replaced.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010622/nyf096.html
http://www.ipix.com
_____________________________________________

> Digital Media Wire Presents a Panel Discussion:
"iTV: Defining the New Face of Television"

San Francisco | Wednesday, June 27th at The City Club

SPONSOR: UBS Warburg

This panel of players ranging from content developers to investment
bankers will discuss the new face of television, which will include an
amalgam of services like email, IPGs (interactive program guides), PVRs
(personal video recorders), enhanced TV, etc., and what it means for
Hollywood, the tech industry and most importantly, the consumer.
For more information and to register:
http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=14770&Referrer_id=4074

MODERATOR:
Michael Kline - Senior Manager | Deloitte Consulting

SPEAKERS:
Derek Footer - Director of Programming | OpenTV
David Higley - Exec. Director Technology Investment Banking | UBS Warburg
Bill Niemeyer - Director of Strategic Development | Spiderdance
Arthur Orduna - VP Marketing | Canal Plus Technologies
Jonathon Spatz - Chief Financial Officer | Wink Communications
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Tokyo) Sony will increase its production of DVD players by 60 percent in
order to lower prices and increase competition, Reuters reported on
Monday. Referencing a Japanese newspaper that quoted company sources, the
article said that Sony plans to ship 7 million DVD players next year by
increasing the output of a factory in Malaysia by 70 percent.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-6362981.html?tag=mn_hd

(Dulles, Va.) America Online announced on Monday that it now has over 30
million members subscribed to its Internet access service. THe company --
which has been offering dial-up services for 12 years, has seen its
membership double in the last 2.5 years.
http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55252019

(San Diego, Calif.) Inetcam, a developer of personal webcasting
technology, announced on Monday that Intel has licensed its audio
webcasting technology for bundling with its Create and Share software --
offered with all PC cameras sold by Intel. San Diego-based Inetcam's
technology will let users add simultaneous audio to their video webcasts.
http://www.inetcam.com
http://www.intel.com/pccamera/

(Portland, Ore.) MeasureCast, a provider of streaming media audience
measurement services, announced that it has partnered with Los Gatos,
Calif.-based audio identification firm Audible Magic to provide statistics
on audio ads contained in streaming media. The service -- targeted at
advertisers and ad agencies -- can provide verification that audio ads
have been aired and will be combined with Oregon-based MeasureCast's
audience data to confirm that they were targeted at the appropriate
demographic.
http://www.measurecast.com
http://www.audiblemagic.com

(Sioux Falls, S.D.) LodgeNet, a provider of high-speed Internet access and
interactive television services to hoteliers, announced on Monday that
Mexico City-based Video on Demand -- a subsidiary of Corporacion
Interamericana de Entretenimiento (CIE) -- will distribute its services to
52 properties of Grupo Posadas, Mexico's largest hotel chain. The
agreement will bring broadband and other services like video on-demand and
Nintendo 64 video games to 10,000 Fiesta Inn and Fiesta Americana hotel
rooms.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010625/mnm019.html
http://www.lodgenet.com
http://www.cie-mexico.com.mx/ingles/homei.html
http://www.fiestamexico.com

(New York) Interactive television developer ACTV announced on Monday that
it has named company president David Reese to the additional position of
CEO. Reese replaces William C. Samuels, who stepped down from the CEO
position but will continue as chairman of the company. New York-based ACTV
develops enhanced TV programming and targeted advertising for interactive
television providers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010625/nym053.html
http://www.actv.com

(New York) The New York Times featured an article Monday on Henry Yuen of
Gemstar-TV Guide's patents on the interactive program guide (IPG), which
helps digital and interactive television subscribers navigate the hundreds
of channels now being offered. The company has deals to provide its IPG to
many consumer electronics developers, to the point that federal
investigators are investigating whether or not Yuen and Gemstar have
created a monopoly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/25/business/25TUBE.html?pagewanted=2
http://www.tvguide.com

(New York) The New York Times reported Monday on the state of Web
animation and profiled two companies that have managed to survive the
widespread failures in the field -- Manhattan-based Visionary Media and
Bullseye Art. The article compares the costs associated with producing
traditional animated series for TV, like "The Simpsons," and using
Macromedia's Flash software to animate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/25/technology/25ANIM.html
http://www.visionarymedia.com
http://www.bullseyeart.com

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

> Alloy Online, Control Buyer/Business Analyst - New York City

Alloy Online, a new media and e-commerce company, is looking for a
quantitative person for inventory control, sales forecasting & other
special business analyses. Must be a self-starter who can work within a
team and contribute to building the business. Must have good business
judgment, problem solving & people skills. BS/BA & strong Excel exp. Send
resumes to: bstankard@alloy.com
http://www.alloy.com
______________________

> RealNetworks, Group Program Mgr. (Consumer/E-Commerce) - Seattle

Direct & manage activities of a team of program managers, QA, Build &
Globalization engineers in amendment/development of product components &
web-related materials. Also responsible for strategic planning, vendor
selection & budget management. BA in Computer Science, Business
Administration plus 7 yrs. exp. or master's degree & 5 yrs. exp. Send
resumes with job title in subject line to: recruiter55@real.com
http://www.real.com
______________________

> Venture Technologies Group, Account Executive - Los Angeles

Low power television station seeks Account Executive for broadcast sales
selling Spanish language stations in L.A. and other markets. Salary plus
commission, great benefits and advancement in a growing company. Requires
previous broadcast or cable sales experience. Must be computer literate
(MS Office, ACT and the internet).
Send resumes to: bholton@loop.com
______________________

> AGENCY.COM, Senior Business Development Director - Boston

Position is responsible for driving revenue-producing activities such as:
qualifying leads, proactively managing accounts & cultivating senior-level
relationships w/ new & existing accounts. 8-10 yrs. professional
servicessales, successful sales track record and understanding of
eBusiness solutions. Must be able to manage overall relationships w/
clients. Apply online at: http://www.agency.com
______________________

> NextCard, Director of Internet Advertising - San Francisco

Internet advertiser & direct marketing firm seeks candidate w/ strong
advertising contract negotiating skills, an understanding of the Internet
market-place & the credit card business to research & acquire NextCard’s
advertising relationships, source new strategic accounts & negotiate
favorable cost-per-action contracts. 5+ yrs. BizDev or Internet
advertising exp. MBA preferred. Send resumes to: jobs@nextcard.com
http://www.nextcard.com
______________________

> Bluewave, Project Manager - New York City

Seeking seasoned project manager with experience at a web design agency or
in the interactive department of a large company who has strong
interpersonal skills, good design sense and knowledge of database
technology. As one of Bluewave's key production people in NYC, you will
play a lead role in growing the company's business in the US. Apply
directly to the 'careers' section of www.bluewave.com
http://www.bluewave.com 

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

> Software Company Moving Sale - Los Angeles

An LA-based software company is moving offices and selling various
equipment & furnishings: Uninterruptible Power Supplies (a must for
looming blackouts); printers (HP Color Laserjet 4500, Laserjet 1100 and
many Epson 850s); PCs; firewall; hubs; desks; tables; chairs; whiteboards,
etc. Priced to move. Office located in mid-Wilshire at 3333 Wilshire Blvd.
(near Vermont), Suite 205, Los Angeles, CA 90010.
For information, please call Barney: 213.365.6545, ext. 204.
______________________

> Free WebCast Series: Delivering Results in Today's Changing Environment

Pacific Edge Software, an enterprise solution provider of project
portfolio management, is joined by webcast speakers Geoffrey Moore, Bill
Rosser & Jim Highsmith to address challenges you face as an executive in
today's uncertain environment. Get expert advice & learn how Pacific
Edge's solution of software & services enables organizations to manage
project portfolios & measure progress toward strategic goals.
SIGN-UP at http://www.pacificedge.com/campaigns/DigitalMedia
or email info@pacificedge.com
______________________

To subscribe, go to:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com

Questions or comments? Send email to:
mark@digitalmediawire.com

News tips, press releases. Send email to:
editorial@digitalmediawire.com