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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- August 30, 2000
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o Judge Rules Against MP3.com in Trial
o Sundance Institute To Launch Online Film Festival
o BigBand Networks Raises $30 Million For Internet Content
o Garageband.com Acquires Getsigned.com
o Microsoft Partners With Big Huge Games; Takes Equity Stake
o Warner Music Grants License To Clickradio
o Briefly Noted: DEN - Bankruptcy Auction, Napster, Ecast,
Ticketmaster - Ask Jeeves, Universal Music, Burst.com,
Bijou Cafe
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o Judge Rules Against MP3.com in Trial
New York -- In a legal set-back to MP3.com, a federal judge on Wednesday
morning quickly ended testimony that was being given by Edgar Bronfman,
the CEO of Seagram's, which owns Universal Music Group. The judge also
rejected accusations by MP3.com that Universal was using its copyright
infringement case to shut down San Diego-based MP3.com. On Wednesday
morning, MP3.com called Bronfman as a witness and attempted to question
him about a variety of topics. After an hour of hostile questioning, the
federal judge quickly excused Bronfman, saying his testimony was
"completely irrelevant" to the hearing. MP3.com lawyers had tried to show
that Universal wants to bankrupt MP3.com because it might compete with
Universal's FarmClub.com service. The court is hearing testimony to decide
the scope of damages that MP3.com will pay Universal for infringing on its
copyrights.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000830/n30636586.html
http://www.thestreet.com/stocks/media/1060519.html
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o Sundance Institute To Launch Online Film Festival
Salt Lake City, Utah -- The Sundance Film Festival has announced a new
online film festival that will coincide with their festival in Park City,
Utah. The Internet event, called the Sundance Online Film Festival, will
feature new films that were developed "expressly" for the web. Officials
of the Sundance Institute, founded by Robert Redford, said it decided to
start the online festival after receiving numerous high-quality
submissions of Internet films and animation programs. The Internet films
will be shown on the Sundace Institute's web site -- sundance.org --
starting on January 18. Online viewers will be able to vote for the best
entries. In addition, terminals will broadcast the entries in Park City.
The Institute said it will receive submissions for the online film
festival until September 18.
http://www.sundance.org/filmfest/film_festival.html
http://www.upside.com/News/39ac4bc00.html
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o BigBand Networks Raises $30 Million For Internet Content
San Mateo, Calif. -- BigBand Networks, which develops technology to
deliver entertainment content over the Internet, announced today that it
has launched its service and raised $30 million in venture capital
financing. The company will focus on developing technology for
broadcasting movies and other forms of entertainment over broadband
networks. The lead investor was Redpoint Ventures, which invested $17
million. Other investors include Broadband Ventures Group, Cedar Fund, and
Evergreen Investments. San Mateo-based BigBand Networks has its research
and development center in Israel.
http://www.bigbandnet.com/
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o Garageband.com Acquires Getsigned.com
San Francisco -- Garageband.com, a web site that helps aspiring musicians
gain exposure, announced today that it has acquired Getsigned.com, a
similar service. The financial terms of the deal were not released. Under
the agreement, Shawn Fields, the founder of Ohio-based Getsigned.com, will
join San Francisco-based Garageband.com as director of artists' content.
http://www.garageband.com/
_____________________________________________
o Microsoft Partners With Big Huge Games; Takes Equity Stake
Redmond, Wash -- Microsoft Corporation announced an agreement with
Maryland-based Big Huge Games, Inc., a developer of strategy-oriented
computer games including "Civilization II." Under the deal, Microsoft will
be given the exclusive publishing and distribution rights to titles
developed by Big Huge Games. Microsoft also announced that it has made an
equity investment in Big Huge Games, which was founded in February by four
veteran game developers.
http://www.bighugegames.com/News/ms-pr.html
_____________________________________________
o Warner Music Grants License To Clickradio
New York -- Clickradio, an Internet-enabled digital radio service,
announced that Warner Music Group has granted it a license to play music
from its various labels. In addition, Warner has taken a small equity
stake in New York-based Clickradio. Other labels that have granted
licenses to Clickradio include BMG, Universal, and Alligator. Under the
terms of the agreement, Clickradio will pay Warner for access to songs
from the Atlantic, Elektra, Warner Bros., Rhino, and London-Sire record
labels.
http://www.clickradio.com
http://www.wmg.com
_____________________________________________
o Briefly Noted:
(Los Angeles) Red Herring reported today that Digital Entertainment
Network (DEN), which filed for bankruptcy in June, held a auction for its
few remaining assets earlier in the week. The company, which had elaborate
plans to build a vast entertainment network on the Internet, raised a
total of $54 million in venture capital. In June, the company filed for
Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The items that were auctioned included computers,
two 1969 Lincoln stretch limousines, DEN T-shirts, and a statue of Yoda
from the Star Wars movie. RedHerring reported that DEN owes about $10
million to 200 creditors, and is being investigated for fraudulent asset
sales prior to filing for bankruptcy.
http://www.redherring.com/industries/2000/0830/ind-den083000.html
(San Francisco) The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that it will hear
the oral arguments in the Napster case in the first week of October.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2645425.html?tag=st.ne.1005.thed.ni
(San Francisco) Ecast, Inc., a provider of broadband entertainment
content, today announced a partnership with RollingStone.com. Under the
terms of the deal, RollingStone.com will provide music news, album
reviews, and music photos to the Ecast entertainment network.
http://www.ecastinc.com
http://www.rollingstone.com
(Pasadena, Calif.) Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch and Ask Jeeves, Inc.
today announced that they have formed a strategic alliance. Under the
agreement, Ticketmaster Online will provide Ask Jeeves with information
relating to local content and live event tickets.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000830/ca_ticketm.html
(Santa Monica, Calif.) Universal Music Group today announced the launch
of its first series of broadband programs, featuring music-oriented pilots
for high-speed connections. Universal has partnered with Akamai and
iKnowledge for its broadband service.
http://www.musicUwant.com
(San Francisco, Calif.) San Francisco-based Burst.com, Inc., the developer
of Burstware Internet audio and video delivery technology, announced that
SBC Communications has made a $5 million investment in the company.
http://www.burst.com
http://www.sbc.com
(Van Nuys, Calif.) Loretta Farb has been named vice president of Bijou
Cafe, an independent film and digital entertainment site being created by
Streamedia.Net. Prior to joining Bijou Cafe, Farb worked with Jonathan
Demme on films including "Married to the Mob," "Something Wild," and
"Swimming to Cambodia."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000830/ca_streame.html
http://www.bijoucafe.com
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