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July 27, 2004 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o Microsoft and EU to Square Off at End of September
o Anonymous Kazaa Owner May Be Revealed in Aussie Copyright Case
o Judge Denies Free Speech Defense for Music File-Swappers
o House Judiciary Passes Bill Protecting Movie Filtering Technologies
o New Motorola Phones to Feature Apple iTunes Software
o Internet Video-on-Demand Service CinemaNow Raises $11 Million
o Report: 2003 Japanese Video Game Market Fell 10% to $10.3 Billion

 > DMW Announcements:
 --Future of Television: Next Generation - November 19, 2004

 > Featured Advertisement:
 --Billboard Digital Entertainment Conference & Awards - Nov. 4-5
 

o Briefly Noted: Nokia N-Gage QD - U.S. release, Yahoo HotJobs - "The Apprentice," Wippit - The Evening Standard of London, Ask Jeeves - Google, Musicmatch, iBiquity Digital - Denon & Marantz, MusiKube - m-Qube, Take-Two Interactive - new director, Vivendi Universal Games - "Thunderbirds," Arush Games' "Playboy: The Mansion" - Carmen Electra/Tom Arnold, Primedia - "In-Fisherman" PC game, "EverQuest: Platinum," "Bad Boys: Miami Takedown," VGames - college campus tour, Infineon - "mp3blue" wearable technology
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> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--Solutions Marketing Manager
--e-Business Product Analyst
--Program Manager
--Managing Editor
--Director of Public Relations
--Database Programmer
--VP of Sales - Web Hosting / Internetworking / Telecom Services
--Leverage the India Advantage -- For Your Data Needs 
--Strategy Firm Offers Customer Perception Study - $1,595 
 


o Microsoft and EU to Square Off at End of September

Brussels -- The European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg on Tuesday set for the date for the long-awaited battle between the EU and Microsoft. The court said it would hear the software giant's request for a suspension of sanctions against it on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. More than four months ago, the European Commission ruled that Microsoft violated antitrust law and ordered the company to offer a version of the Windows operating system without its Media Player. Microsoft was also ordered to provide rivals with more information and pay a $612 million fine. Microsoft says the sanctions will cause irreparable damage to the company and requests the court suspend them until the case runs its course -- a process that could take more than three years. The Commission, along with many of Microsoft's competitors in Europe, argue that, by the time the case is over, the remedies would be irrelevant. Microsoft said it looked forward to making its case before the court. "We believe we have a strong case for suspension," a spokesperson said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V677157E8     
_____________________________________________

o Anonymous Kazaa Owner May Be Revealed in Aussie Copyright Case

Sydney -- Legal motions filed by the major record labels may force the silent partner who owns Kazaa file-sharing network parent company Sharman Networks to reveal his or her identity, ZDNet Australia reported. Sharman is facing a copyright infringement suit in Australia that was filed in conjunction a raid on Sharman's offices and the homes of some of its executives. For tax purposes, and some would say to make such copyright suits more difficult to prosecute, Sharman maintains offices in Australia but is legally registered on the island nation of Vanuatu. The notice submitted to Justice Murray Wilcox from Universal's lawyers requests specific details about Sharman's corporate structure, including the identity of its anonymous owner. "It is not an unreasonable thing for the applicants to know who it is that's controlling the system," said Justice Wilcox. The judge ordered both parties to resubmit their arguments for another hearing scheduled for Nov. 29.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/0,39023166,39154535,00.htm
http://www.sharmannetworks.com    
____________________________________________

o Judge Denies Free Speech Defense for Music File-Swappers

New York -- In a victory for the recording industry, a federal judge has ruled that cable TV operator Cablevision must reveal the identities of its subscribers whom record labels believe are using their high-speed connections to pirate music on file-sharing networks, CNET News.com reported. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said that while file-swapping does qualify as "speech," Cablevision subscribers sued via "John Doe" lawsuits are not entitled to First Amendment protections, in the first ruling to directly address the issue with regard to copyright infringement on Internet file-sharing networks. The copyright suits were filed in February against 40 "John Doe" Cablevision subscribers; to date, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) member labels have sued nearly 3,000 individuals for copyright infringement on peer-to-peer networks.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G14F218E8       
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o House Judiciary Passes Bill Protecting Movie Filtering Technologies

Washington -- The House Judiciary Committee last week voted in favor of a bill to legalize technology that edits foul language, sexual and violent content from DVD movies. The "Family Movie Act" is intended to protect companies like ClearPlay and Nissim, which have developed technology that can be embedded into DVD players to mute or skip past potentially offensive material on DVD discs. The Directors Guild of America sued a number of companies distributing movie filtering technologies, saying that they alter a director's vision and amount to trademark infringement. The bill, which now moves on to a vote in the full House, would trump such lawsuits. "This pro-family legislation ensures that unnecessary litigation will not prevent parents from having available a valuable tool to protect young kids from objectionable content such as obscenity, sex, and violence," said House Judiciary Committee chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). "This targeted legislation allows neither a copy of the movie to be made nor sold, but rather provides parents with a little more control over what is viewed in their homes."
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/news072104.htm 
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c108:./temp/~c108n62pDM
http://www.clearplay.com   
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o New Motorola Phones to Feature Apple iTunes Software

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Motorola to develop a new iTunes mobile music player to be incorporated into Motorola cell phones. The technology, expected to be available on phones released in the first half of 2005, will allow users to transfer iTunes songs from their Mac or PC to the phone via a USB or Bluetooth wireless connection. "Being able to transfer songs you've purchased from iTunes to Motorola mobile handsets expands the market reach for both of us and drives new revenue for customers, delivering an amazing music experience to millions of wireless users," said Motorola chairman and CEO Ed Zander. The companies did not release details on specific features of either the stripped-down version of iTunes or the new handsets, including how many songs the phones will be able to store.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040726/cgm065_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/040727/cell_phone_tunes_8.html  
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o Internet Video-on-Demand Service CinemaNow Raises $11 Million

Santa Monica, Calif. -- CinemaNow, an Internet video-on-demand service owned by Canadian film studio Lions Gate Entertainment, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $11 million in its fourth round of venture capital financing. Menlo Ventures led the investment round; Cisco Systems and Lions Gate also participated. Santa Monica, Calif.-based CinemaNow offers a library of 5,000 titles from studios including Disney, Fox, MGM, Miramax and Warner Bros. The company also markets its proprietary secure Internet video-on-demand delivery technology to third parties. The funds will be used for further technology development, content acquisition and marketing.
http://www.cinemanow.com   
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o Report: 2003 Japanese Video Game Market Fell 10% to $10.3 Billion

Tokyo -- Total video game shipments from Japan in 2003 totaled $10.3 billion, down 10% from 2002's $11.5 billion, according to the 2004 Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association white paper on the Japanese gaming market. Of this total, $3.2 billion in video game products were distributed in Japan and $7.1 billion exported overseas; $6.4 billion was in the form of hardware such as Sony PlayStation 2 or Nintendo Game Boy Advance consoles, while $3.9 billion came from video game software. The report also found that Japan's gaming audience leapt from 23.6 million in 2002 to 34.4 million gamers last year.
http://report.cesa.or.jp/english/whitepaper/index.html 

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 > DMW Events:

Future of Television Forum: Next Generation
November 19, 2004  |  New York City

www.televisionconference.com
Phone Registration Available Now
323-822-0936

OVERVIEW
Last year 370+ attended Future of Television Forum, which included keynotes from Mark Cuban (Chairman, HDNet / Owner, Dallas Mavericks), Joshua Sapan (President & CEO Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.), and David Zaslav (President, NBC Cable). This year's event is scheduled for November 19, 2004 at NYU's Stern School of Business and will feature an impressive line-up of speakers and cutting-edge topics focused on the "Next Generation" of television.

REGISTRATION
Early Bird: $195 (until August 31)
Pre-Registration: $295
(until November 12)
Registration: $395 (after November 12 & at Door)
Online Registration: http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1074

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:
 

The Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards honor this vision, along with innovation, entrepreneurship and brand development in digital entertainment.

With awards in 30 unique categories honoring achievements involving games, music and film, television and video, Billboard recognizes the cutting-edge developments and forward thinkers shaping the future of entertainment.

The Conference will feature provocative panel sessions on current digital entertainment issues. For a complete list of speakers, panel and keynote addresses, visit the site below. Early bird registration ends August 31st!

For more information, please call 323-822-0936 or visit www.digitalentertainmentawards.com

For online awards submissions, conference registrations and purchasing Awards Gala Dinner tickets, please click here.

Deadline for Submissions: September 15, 2004

Conference & Awards Show: November 4 and 5, 2004

AWARDS CATEGORIES
(click here for category descriptions)
AWARDS ENTRY FORM
(click here to download entry form)

 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Irving, Texas) Cell phone maker Nokia on Tuesday released its N-Gage QD in the U.S., the follow-up model to its original N-Gage hybrid cell phone/video game deck. The device, which corrects several design flaws that hampered sales of its predecessor, is being offered at some retailers for $99, with a contract or activation rebate. Nokia said that the N-Gage QD will come bundled with one title, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040727/datu021_1.html 
http://www.n-gage.com/qd

(New York) Yahoo announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Mark Burnett Productions to "recruit" applicants for the next season of Donald Trump's reality TV series, "The Apprentice." Yahoo HotJobs has launched a website through which prospective participants in the series may submit their resumes, and be entered for the chance to win a $25,000 "signing bonus." The co-branded marketing campaign is slated to run through spring 2005.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040727/275152_1.html
http://hotjobs.promotions.yahoo.com/apprentice

(London) Wippit, a U.K.-based digital music service provider, said it has entered into a partnership with The Evening Standard of London. Under the agreement, Evening Standard readers who collect any two passwords -- which will be published every day this week -- will be able to download 50 songs from Wippit's service for free. The Evening Standard said readers must visit the Web address published in Wednesday's newspaper in order to activate their passwords. Wippit said that it offers music in both Windows Media and MP3 formats. Both OD2 and Napster UK have struck similar partnerships with other U.K. newspapers.
http://www.wippit.com/company.aspx 
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk

(Emeryville, Calif.) Search engine firm Ask Jeeves announced that it has extended its relationship with Google. Under the deal, Google will remain the provider of sponsored advertising links on Ask Jeeves' global search and portal brands through 2007.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040726/sfm067_1.html 
http://www.ask.com

(San Diego) Music jukebox software maker Musicmatch on Tuesday announced the release of its latest upgrade, Musicmatch 9.0, which for the first time integrates unlimited access to the company's On Demand streaming service, which offers 650,000 tracks. Subscribers can now save any On Demand track to playlists and their music library, and mix and match with their own MP3s and purchased downloads. The Musicmatch On Demand service starts at $7.95 per month for a one-year subscription.
http://www.musicmatch.com

(Columbia, Md.) IBiquity Digital, developer of the HD Radio digital radio broadcast technology being adopted by some radio stations, announced on Tuesday that consumer electronics firm D&M Holdings has licensed its technology for inclusion on home audio products made under its Denon and Marantz brands. Currently, about 350 U.S. radio stations are broadcasting using Maryland-based iBiquity's technology, which enables stations to broadcast a digital signal alongside their traditional analog signals.
http://www.dm-holdings.com 
http://www.ibiquity.com

(New York) MusiKube, a developer of mobile music recognition and recommendation software, announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with m-Qube, a provider of mobile content delivery technology. Under the terms, New York-based MusiKube's technology -- which enables users to identify a song by dialing a code and placing the phone near a stereo speaker -- will be offered to m-Qube's wireless carrier customers, including Verizon, Cingular, Sprint, AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile.
http://www.m-qube.com 
http://www.musikube.com

(New York) Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, known for its Rockstar Games unit's "Grand Theft Auto" franchise, announced on Tuesday that it has appointed former National Football League CFO Barbara Kaczynski to its board of directors. The company is still the subject of an SEC investigation into its accounting practices, and earlier this year restated its results since 1999. New York-based Take-Two said Kaczynski will head the board's audit committee.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040727/275194_1.html 
http://www.take2games.com

(Los Angeles) Vivendi Universal Games said on Tuesday that it will ship its "Thunderbirds" title for Nintendo Game Boy Advance to retailers on Aug. 4. The game is based on Universal Pictures' live-action feature film remake of the classic 1960s TV series.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040727/latu014_1.html 
http://www.vugames.com 
http://www.thunderbirdsmovie.com

(Scottsdale, Ariz.) Game publishers Groove Games and Arush Entertainment said on Tuesday that they have signed celebrities Carmen Electra and Tom Arnold to appear in "Playboy: The Mansion," their simulation game that puts players in the shoes of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Developed by Massachusetts-based Cyberlore Studios, the title will be released for PlayStation 2, Xbox and the PC in the fall.
http://www.arushgames.com 
http://www.cyberlore.com 
http://www.playhef.com

(Minneapolis) Publisher Primedia said on Tuesday that it partnered with video game publisher Destineer's Bold Games division to develop "In-Fisherman Freshwater Trophies," a 3D fishing simulation PC game based on Primedia's "In-Fisherman" magazine.
http://www.in-fisherman.com 
http://www.boldgames.com

(San Diego) Sony Online Entertainment said that it has released "EverQuest: Platinum," a value-priced ($29) box set that includes the original "EverQuest" massively multiplayer online roleplaying PC title, as well as its first seven expansion packs.
http://www.everquest.com

(Los Angeles) Video game publisher Crave Entertainment said on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with fellow publisher Empire Interactive to co-publish "Bad Boys: Miami Takedown," based on the Sony Pictures action movies starring Will Smith. Developed by U.K.-based Blitz Games, the title will be released for PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube in the third quarter.
http://us.empireinteractive.com 
http://www.cravegames.com 
http://www.blitzgames.com

(New Orleans) VGames, an organizer of video gaming events, said on Tuesday that it will host 500 VGames College Campus Challenge live events beginning in August. The tour will promote various PC and console video games through campus tournaments that will award over $500,000 in cash and prizes. Sponsors include Ziff Davis Media Game Group and Logitech.
http://www.vgamesc3.com

(Frankfurt) Infineon, a German semiconductor maker, said on Tuesday that next month it will begin selling a new jacket for men called the "mp3blue," which includes a built-in MP3 player and can connect with mobile phones using Bluetooth technology. Fibers in the jacket conduct electrical currents and link the player to headphones, a microphone in the collar and a keyboard on the left sleeve. When a user wearing the jacket receives a call when listening to the MP3 player, the song is automatically paused and the call routed through the headphones. Infineon said it designed the jacket along with Rosner, a German clothing manufacturer.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H460317E8 
http://www.mp3blue.de 
 
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> Classifieds -- Ad Postings

> Solutions Marketing Manager

Software AG, a global leader in information integration, is seeking motivated marketing professionals to shape our go-to-market strategy. Define how our leading XML Business Integration portfolio can create business value for specific vertical market segments. Manage a cross-functional team, guiding its members toward successfully implementing and executing on your marketing plan. Experience in a solution marketing role with a technology company a plus. MBA a plus. Knowledge of XML, web services and/or service oriented integration a plus. Federal or State and Local Government experience a strong plus. Send resumes to maureen.brennan@softwareagusa.com
_________________

> e-Business Product Analyst

Airlines Reporting Corporation - Arlington, VA is looking for a product-oriented individual to build and manage the user and business requirements for web-based applications, including a customer portal and other e-Business initiatives. Must have 4+ years product support experience. For consideration, send resume with salary requirements to jobs@arccorp.com
_________________

> Program Manager

Seeking program manager with 15 plus years of progressive experience managing, directing and implementing IT projects in the government arena. Requires strong background in resource management and budget control. Excellent communication skills. Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science or Information Systems preferred. Send resumes to janej@cigital.com  Visit http://www.cigital.com/careers
_________________

> Managing Editor

Respected, profitable, Fairfax-based consumer news & advocacy site seeks Managing Editor. The successful candidate has a journalism degree (or equivalent experience) and knows or can quickly learn basic HTML (no FrontPage, Dreamweaver, etc.). Excellent pay, benefits, future. E-mail resume to jim.hood@gmail.com
_________________

> Director of Public Relations

Vocus has an opening for a Director of Public Relations. Responsibilities include press releases, media interviews, pitching stories, speaking opportunities, and product launches. Vocus is the leading provider of on-demand software for public relations and government relations. Our products help thousands of customers to plan, execute and measure communications programs. Join a company with 12yrs success celebrating its 19th straight quarter of growth. Send resumes to cshilling@vocus.com
_________________

> Database Programmer 

Judy Diamond Associates, a leading provider of employee benefits databases located near the McPherson Square Metro station, is looking for a database and Internet savvy programmer to assemble its products. Candidates must be able to learn quickly, self-start, and follow through on projects without supervision. Two years experience and proficiency with FoxPro, Microsoft Excel, and SQL preferred. Candidates must demonstrate excellent communication skills and a thorough knowledge of database and Internet technologies. Benefits include competitive salary, 401(k), and health. E-mail resume to dcole@judydiamond.com, or fax 202-728-0845 (no phone calls, please).
_________________

> VP of Sales - Web Hosting / Internetworking / Telecom Services

XIF is an 8-year old Internetworking Solutions firm. We are a small firm with a start-up mentality, but with the luxury of having been a profitable entity since 1997 with a strong customer base and a stable source of revenue. We are currently seeking to hire a VP of Sales. We view this position as a critical component to our future growth, and are looking for a true equity partner. We are looking for someone with 8+ years experience in sales and sales management, preferably in Web Hosting and/or Telecom. Send inquiries to jobs@xif.com.
_________________

> Leverage the India Advantage -- For Your Data Needs

DC-based outsourcing firm String Information Services offers online data collection & telephone verification solutions from its operations centers in India. String guarantees 30%-50% cost savings, world-class quality and quick turn-around. Our marquee client list includes firms from all over North America. To learn more, and to set up a free trial, contact Prashant Kothari at 1-888-3STRING, Box 702 or marketing@stringinfo.com
_________________

> Strategy Firm Offers Customer Perception Study - $1,595

How likely is it you will continue to purchase products/services from us? What can we do to earn more of your business? Would you recommend our products /services to a colleague? For a limited time, capture these and other critical customer perception indicators with Velociti Partners' Customer Perception Study for only $1,595 USD. This is not a canned service - Velociti will work directly with your team to develop the focus and methodology to capture important data that is currently slipping through the cracks. Contact sales@velocitipartners.com  today to discuss the opportunity with one of our consultants.
 
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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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Editor: Mark Hefflinger

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