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Top Stories
o Senate Committee OK's Porn Site Labeling, Broadcast Flag; Denies Net Neutrality
o FBI Raids Two Movie Piracy Rings in New York City
o Toshiba Says Still Open to Unified Next-Generation DVD Format
o Comcast Acquires Broadband Video Delivery Firm thePlatform
o Australia Bans Atari's Video Game Based on "Reservoir Dogs" Movie
o DVD Rental Kiosk Maker DVDPlay Raises $20 Million
o Report: 27% of U.K. 3G Subscribers Download Full-Track Music to Mobiles
o CNET Networks Gets Subpoena Over Stock Option Grants
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Briefly Noted
o Bob Dylan XM Radio Show Added to Baseball Hall of Fame
o Nokia to Launch Mobile TV Trial in Sweden in October
o ReplayTV Introduces Digital Video Recorder PC Software
o MediaZone Introduces Secure Peer-to-Peer Streaming Platform
o ThoughtWorthy Debuts Search Engine for Songs Played in TV, Movies
o The Orchard Signs Administration Deal With Integrated Copyright Group
o Starz Adds Northstar Music Titles to Vongo Movie Download Service
o Nintendo DS to Play Featured Role in Upcoming Film, "Stormbreaker"
o EA's "FIFA Online" Soccer Game Breaks Concurrent User Record in Korea
o THQ Ships "Juiced: Eliminator" for PSP to Retailers
o 2K Games to Ship "Prey" First-Person Shooter Title on July 11
o Eidos to Publish PlayFirst's "Diner Dash" PC Game for Handhelds
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Washington - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee has approved amendments to a large communications bill that would require all websites that post explicit sexual content to add warning labels to each page containing such content, and add "broadcast flag" copyright protection to digital TV content, while denying a provision on Net neutrality, CNET News.com reported on Wednesday. Site operators who fail to properly label Web pages -- using a system that under the amendment would be developed by the FTC -- would face up to five years in prison. "This will protect children from accidentally typing in the wrong address and immediately viewing indecent material," said Sen. Conrad Burns, (R-Mon.). The broadcast flag proposal, backed by the entertainment industry as a means of ensuring that digital broadcasts don't end up online, passed the Committee as well, despite criticism that it will stifle innovation and erode traditional "fair use" rights. The amendments were part of the massive telecommunications bill that passed the Senate Commerce Committee by a 15-7 vote on Wednesday. Other amendments, including a hotly-contested provision on Net neutrality, failed to pass Committee votes for inclusion in the final bill, that will now be sent before the full Senate.
http://tinyurl.com/l5995 (CNET)
http://tinyurl.com/glwtf (CNET)
http://commerce.senate.gov/public
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o FBI Raids Two Movie Piracy Rings in New York City

New York - The FBI raided the operations of two alleged international movie piracy operations in the New York City area on Wednesday, that were responsible for "millions of dollars" in lost Hollywood profits, a federal law enforcement official told the Associated Press. Over a dozen suspects from the two piracy rings were arrested, and recording equipment was seized. A second federal official told AP that one of the groups was looking to profit off of "Superman Returns," which opens in theaters this week.
http://tinyurl.com/llbk8 (AP)
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o Toshiba Says Still Open to Unified Next-Generation DVD Format

Tokyo - The president of Japanese consumer electronics firm Toshiba has not abandoned hope to create a combined next-generation DVD format with rival Sony, Reuters reported. "We have not given up on a unified format. We would like to seek ways for unifying the standards if opportunities arise," Toshiba president Atsutoshi Nishida told an annual shareholders' meeting. The first of Toshiba's HD DVD players and Sony's Blu-ray Disc players have already begun to enter the market. As various movie studios have aligned themselves with one company or the other, some titles will play in one player but not the other, making for a format war in the marketplace similar to VHS vs. Beta during the 1980's.
http://tinyurl.com/md6zm (Reuters)
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o Comcast Acquires Broadband Video Delivery Firm thePlatform

Seattle - Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV provider, on Wednesday acquired thePlatform, a Seattle-based provider of Internet video distribution technology. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but a "source familiar with the transaction" told the Seattle P-I the purchase price was more than $100 million. Founded in 2000, thePlatform has for the last nearly three years powered Comcast's broadband site, The Fan, which streams nearly 2 million videos daily. The company, its 70 employees and CEO Ian Blaine will continue to operate out of Seattle. ThePlatform raised $8 million just six months ago in a funding round led by Spark Capital.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/275597_platform28.html
http://www.comcast.com
http://www.theplatform.com
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o Australia Bans Atari's Video Game Based on "Reservoir Dogs" Movie

Sydney, Australia - The Australian government's Office of Film and Literature Classification has banned the sale and import of video game publisher Atari's "Reservoir Dogs" game, which is based on the violent Quentin Tarantino film. The agency said the movie "contains frequent depictions of violence that have a high impact." Specifically, these include segments where players "can literally blow the heads off hostages and police," and "torture moves" that mimic scenes from the film, which displays pistol-whipping, cigar burns to the eye and cutting off of fingers. Other titles to be refused entry into Australia include "Manhunt," "NARC" and "Grand Theft Auto III."
http://www.oflc.gov.au/resource.html?resource=858&filename=858.pdf
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=17987
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o DVD Rental Kiosk Maker DVDPlay Raises $20 Million

Los Gatos, Calif. - DVDPlay, a manufacturer and operator of DVD rental kiosks, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $20 million in its latest round of venture capital financing. El Dorado Ventures, Emergence Capital Partners, Palo Alto Venture Partners and Vanguard Ventures participated equally in the funding. The company also said that it has named Charles Berger, previously CEO of Nuance Communications, as chairman, president and CEO of DVDPlay. Los Gatos, Calif.-based DVDPlay's kiosks are located in grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants including Safeway, 7-11 and McDonalds. The company, which said it has secured lease financing commitments to support its installations through 2007, will use the funds for the national roll-out of its kiosks.
http://tinyurl.com/ng3bs
http://www.dvdplay.com
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o Report: 27% of U.K. 3G Subscribers Download Full-Track Music to Mobiles

San Francisco - In the U.K., 27% of subscribers to 3G mobile phone services report having downloaded full-track music to their phones, compared with 16% of non-3G subscribers, according to a report from market research firm Telephia. U.K. 3G subscribers download an average of 4.1 tracks per month, and spend an average of 8.3 hours listening to songs on their mobile phones. However, only 14% said they prefer downloading songs over their wireless carrier's network, compared with those who said they prefer transferring songs from their CD collections to their phones (44%), those who want downloads from peer-to-peer services (19%), and those who preferred to transfer songs purchased from online music stores (14%). "The popularity of downloading full track music on mobile phones has increased," said Telephia's Bernard Brenner. "But even with faster speeds on 3G and the growing amount of music content available through a wireless connection, subscribers still rely heavily on their personal computers as the central hub of their music activity."
http://tinyurl.com/n7egl
http://www.telephia.com
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o CNET Networks Gets Subpoena Over Stock Option Grants

San Francisco - CNET Networks, a publisher of technology news and information, said on Tuesday that it has received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, seeking documents related to its stock option grants. The company said it intends to cooperate fully with the request. The subpoena follows the company's announcement in May that its board had appointed a special committee to conduct an internal investigation into past option grants; the SEC is also conducting an informal inquiry into CNET's stock option grants.
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/060627/cnet8-k.html
http://www.cnet.com

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o Bob Dylan XM Radio Show Added to Baseball Hall of Fame

Washington - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum said on Wednesday that it has added to its archive the "baseball" episode from legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's music show on XM Satellite Radio. The one-hour episode contains Dylan singing an a cappella rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," along with classic baseball calls, such as Curt Gowdy's legendary call of Ted Williams' home run in his final at-bat with the Boston Red Sox, and original compositions, such as Buddy Johnson's "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball" and "The Ball Game" by Sister Wynona Carr. The CD will be added to the Hall's Library archive, which features more than 10,000 hours of recorded audio and video.
http://www.xmradio.com/newsroom/screen/pr_2006_06_28.html
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o Nokia to Launch Mobile TV Trial in Sweden in October

Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced on Wednesday that it plans to launch a commercial trial of its mobile TV broadcast technology in Sweden with wireless carrier Teracom. The DVB-H pilot will utilize the Nokia Mobile Broadcast System and Nokia N92 mobile TV-ready phones, and offer 14 TV channels and four radio channels featuring content from ATG, Boxer, Sveriges Radio and Sveriges Television. The two-month pilot will be launched in October for 400 consumers in Stockholm.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060628/ukw008.html?.v=69
http://www.nokia.com/mobiletv
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o ReplayTV Introduces Digital Video Recorder PC Software 

Cupertino, Calif. - ReplayTV, a unit of Japan's D&M Holdings that develops digital video recorder technology, on Wednesday announced the release of its ReplayTV PC Edition. Available in September, the $99.95 software features multi-room networking and a one-year subscription to the electronic program guide, which is otherwise $19.95 per year. Additional PCs can access the application for $49.95 each, by purchasing copies of the ReplayTV PC Edition Companion.
http://tinyurl.com/ptx2p
http://www.replaytv.com
http://www.dm-holdings.com
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o MediaZone Introduces Secure Peer-to-Peer Streaming Platform

Redwood City, Calif. - MediaZone, an online broadcaster that recently acquired the webcast rights to Wimbledon, on Wednesday introduced a secure peer-to-peer video streaming platform. Redwood City, Calif.-based MediaZone noted that Wimbledon broadcasts would not be part of the beta launch for the peer-to-peer streaming service, which will feature content such as action sports and international feeds from China and India.
http://tinyurl.com/nlyy3
http://www.MediaZone.com/p2p/index.jsp
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o ThoughtWorthy Debuts Search Engine for Songs Played in TV, Movies

Fairfax, Va. - ThoughtWorthy, a developer of interactive TV product placement and spot advertising technologies, announced on Wednesday the launch of a search engine for songs featured in TV shows, movies and commercials. In addition to its iDTV engine, Virginia-based ThoughtWorthy has launched a podcast series featuring interviews with bands whose songs have been featured in various TV shows.
http://www.thoughtworthy.com
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o The Orchard Signs Administration Deal With Integrated Copyright Group

New York - The Orchard, a digital distributor of independent music, announced on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with Integrated Copyright Group, a copyright licensing and administration company, to administer compositions on behalf of publishers through its Orchard Music Services unit. Under the deal, ICG will provide copyright administration services for the U.S. market, allowing The Orchard to manage and represent artists' recordings for licensing opportunities.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060628/nyw090.html?.v=60
http://www.icgcopyright.com
http://www.theorchard.com/aboutUs/oms.php
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o Starz Adds Northstar Music Titles to Vongo Movie Download Service

New York - Premium cable TV provider Starz Entertainment Group announced on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with Northstar Media to add a selection of music concerts and documentaries to its Vongo movie and TV download service. The Northstar catalog includes titles featuring the likes of David Bowie, Bon Jovi, Wilco and Saddle Creek Records.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060627/cltu045.html?.v=53
http://www.northstar-media.com
http://www.vongo.com
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o Nintendo DS to Play Featured Role in Upcoming Film, "Stormbreaker"

Redmond, Wash. - Nintendo of America announced on Wednesday that its Nintendo DS handheld will be featured in the upcoming film adaptation of author Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" teen spy series, which have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. The product placement will turn the DS into spyware gadgetry in "Stormbreaker," where it will serve as an eavesdropping device, a wiretap detector and smoke bomb. The movie is slated for release in the U.K. on July 21 and in the U.S. on Oct. 6.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060627/latu080.html?.v=60
http://www.nintendo.com/systemsds
http://www.alexrider.com
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o EA's "FIFA Online" Soccer Game Breaks Concurrent User Record in Korea

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday that its "FIFA Online" soccer game has broken the record in Korea for the greatest number of peak concurrent users in its opening month. The game, whose open beta has been distributed in Korea by EA partner Neowiz since May 25, logged 33,000 concurrent users in its opening weekend, 50,000 in its first 11 days and over 100,000 in its first 23 days. Electronic Arts said it plans to commercialize the game with the introduction of micro-transactions next month.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060628/20060628005345.html?.v=1
http://www.neowiz.com
http://fifa06.ea.com/home.asp?lang=en
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o THQ Ships "Juiced: Eliminator" for PSP to Retailers

Agoura Hills, Calif. - Video game publisher THQ on Wednesday shipped its "Juiced: Eliminator" title for Sony PSP to retailers. The game was developed at THQ's U.K.-based Juice Games studio, and is the latest title in the franchise that has so far shipped over 1.5 million units worldwide.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060628/law009.html?.v=60
http://www.juiced-racing.com
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o 2K Games to Ship "Prey" First-Person Shooter Title on July 11

New York - 2K Games, a unit of video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, announced on Wednesday that its "Prey" title for Xbox 360 and the PC has gone gold, and will ship to retailers on July 11. The first-person shooter game was developed by Human Head Studios under the supervision of 3D Realms.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060628/20060628005242.html?.v=1
http://www.humanhead.com
http://www.3drealms.com
http://www.prey.com
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o Eidos to Publish PlayFirst's "Diner Dash" PC Game for Handhelds

San Francisco - U.K. video game publisher Eidos said on Wednesday that it will publish versions of developer PlayFirst's "Diner Dash" downloadable PC game for the Sony PSP, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance in 2007.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060628/sfw025.html?.v=65
http://www.eidos.com
http://www.playfirst.com

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