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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- October 16, 2002
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o Sklyarov, Elcomsoft CEO Denied Visas to Return to U.S. for DMCA Trial
o Ecast Merges with RioPort, Secures $14 Million in Funding
o Warner Music Group Licenses Music to AT&T Wireless
o Report: Game Console Sales to Top 41.9 Million Units in 2002
o Tira Wireless Raises $3 Million In First Round
o Interactive TV Firm Liberate Finds Accounting Flaw, Will Restate Results
> Digital Media Wire Event: "iTV Visions" | NYC | Nov. 14
> Featured Event: Digital Publishing Conference, USC M-Commerce Event
o Briefly Noted: Damage Studios - "Rekonstruction," Nokia Game 2002, "ATV
Off Road Fury 2" soundtrack - Sony Music artists, Electronic Arts - Right
Hemisphere, Fileshack, MusicMatch - Apple, U.S. Copyright Office -
anticircumvention rulemaking
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> Jobs
> Events
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o Sklyarov, Elcomsoft CEO Denied Visas to Return to U.S. for DMCA Trial
Moscow -- The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has denied travel visas for Dmitry
Sklyarov and Alexander Katalov of Russian software firm Elcomsoft, to
return to the U.S. to defend themselves against criminal charges under the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), PlanetPDF.com reported. No reason
was given for the denials, which will likely impede a planned court date
on Oct. 21. Sklyarov, who was arrested at a convention in the U.S. for his
role in developing software that can be used to crack encryption software
on Adobe e-books, was to see federal charges against him dropped if he
testified in the ongoing criminal trial against his employer, Elcomsoft.
An attorney representing the two defendants in immigration matters said
she would take the matter up with the Moscow consulate, hoping to secure
them passage to the U.S. soon. "If, however, Alexander and Dmitry are
unable to come to trial at all, we are likely to face a host of legal
issues, including constitutional issues," San Francisco-based attorney
Marina Serebryanaya told PlanetPDF.com.
http://www.planetpdf.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=2400
http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/US_v_Elcomsoft
http://www.elcomsoft.com
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o Ecast Merges with RioPort, Secures $14 Million in Funding
San Francisco -- Ecast, a provider of digital jukeboxes and broadband
content delivery services, said on Wednesday that it has merged with
RioPort, a maker of software for digital music downloads, and secured $14
million in new funding. The combined company, which will operate under the
Ecast corporate name, hopes to take a strong position in the rapidly
expanding field of digital media content delivery. "The merger clearly
lays the groundwork for creating compelling new services for
cross-promoting and merchandising digital content to consumers," said
Ecast. The funding was co-led by Oak Investment Partners and Doll Capital
Management, with participation from previous Ecast investors St. Paul
Venture Capital and El Dorado Ventures.
http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=CpAZKqbKbytaXmZu
http://www.rioport.com
http://www.ecastinc.com
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o Warner Music Group Licenses Music to AT&T Wireless
New York -- AT&T Wireless announced on Wednesday it has signed a licensing
agreement with Warner Music Group, allowing the network operator to
distribute music clips, artist news, tour dates and artist images, as well
as enable its subscribers to purchase ring tones and CDs using their cell
phones. The service will be available to those of AT&T Wireless' 20
million customers subscribed to its mMode service, with standalone
ringtones selling for between $0.99 and $1.99.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021016/nyw087_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021016/nyw043_1.html
http://www.attwireless.com
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o Report: Game Console Sales to Top 41.9 Million Units in 2002
London -- As the video game industry enters the crucial three-month
holiday shopping period, game console sales are predicted to reach 41.9
million units for the year, an increase of 84 percent over 2001, according
to a report released on Wednesday by London-based research firm Strategy
Analytics. Sony's PlayStation 2 console is expected to account for 63
percent of sales, followed by Nintendo's GameCube with 21 percent and
Microsoft's Xbox with 16 percent. Strategy Analytics predicts that
"Nintendo will probably exit the console market since the survival
threshold for any game platform is now in the region of 15-20 million
systems deployed," a number that "continues to rise as games development
costs increase." The firm sees Microsoft continuing to fund its Xbox as it
evolves the device into a broadband home entertainment system. "This is a
race for second place, said Strategy Analytics' David Mercer. "The
question now is whether the market can sustain three players in the longer
term."
http://www.strategyanalytics.com/press/PR00023.htm
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o Tira Wireless Raises $3 Million In First Round
Toronto -- Tira Wireless, a publisher of Java-based games and other
wireless applications, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $3
million in its first round of venture capital financing. Flagship Ventures
and Brightspark Ventures led the investment round. Toronto-based Tira also
announced that it will distribute games such as "Ski Slalom" and "Logjam,"
as well as a voting application through AT&T Wirless' mMode subscription
service. The company will use the new funds on developing additional Java
applications, as well as for sales, marketing and expansion into European
markets.
http://www.tirawireless.com/news_press_release_10_16_2002_b.htm
http://www.tirawireless.com/news_press_release_10_16_2002.htm
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o Interactive TV Firm Liberate Finds Accounting Flaw, Will Restate Results
San Carlos, Calif. -- Liberate Technologies, a provider of interactive TV
software and services, announced on Wednesday that it will re-file its
fourth-quarter and fiscal-year financial results for the year ended May
31, in light of "recently discovered facts calling into question the
appropriateness and timing of revenue recognition involving a
single-transaction license fee of $1.84 million." The sum represents about
10 percent of the company's sales for the quarter. San Carlos,
Calif.-based Liberate has hired independent outside counsel to conduct an
inquiry, and believes it will deduct $1.84 million in revenue from total
revenues reported for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2002 and re-classify
some or all of this revenue as deferred revenue.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021015/sftu146_1.html
http://www.liberate.com
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EVENT -- DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE Presents...
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==================
FEATURED SECTION
==================
Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
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Briefly Noted:
(San Francisco) Damage Studios, a new game development studio founded by
VA Software employees Anthony T. Guntharp and Chris DiBona -- also a
fixture on Slashdot.org -- on Wednesday announced its first product.
"Rekonstruction," a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, will
support over 1 million concurrent users and is scheduled for release in
the fall of 2004.
http://www.damagestudios.com
(Helsinki) Cell phone maker Nokia on Wednesday announced details for Nokia
Game 2002, the company's annual interactive adventure game featuring its
own products. The game will be played from November 11 to 29 in nine
languages across 25 countries simultaneously, utilizing the Internet, SMS,
chat, interactive voice response (IVR) calls and mini-movies distributed
over the web to share information and provide clues and instructions to
the players. Nokia said that it worked with many music publishers to
develop "a game theme that will teach participants the ins and outs of
today's music business."
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200210/876827_5.html
http://www.nokiagame.com
(Foster City, Calif.) Sony Computer Entertainment America said on
Wednesday that the in-game soundtrack for its upcoming "ATV Offroad Fury
2" title for PlayStation 2 will feature tracks from Sony Music artists
including Cypress Hill, Quarashi, System of a Down, Garbage and
Blackalicious. The game is scheduled for release on Nov. 12.
http://www.us.playstation.com/games/SCUS-97211.asp
(Los Angeles) Game developer Electronic Arts said on Wednesday that it
will use Los Angeles-based Right Hemisphere's 3D graphics production
software in The Sims Creator, a feature that lets players customize the
look and features of their Sims in its hit game, "The Sims."
http://www.righthemisphere.com
http://thesims.ea.com
(Dallas) Fileshack, an online games service operated by Shacknews that
lets subscribers download new games, game related movies, updates and game
patches, on Wednesday announced its launch. Shacknews and nationwide
broadband provider Speakeasy will distribute Fileshack, which will cost
$6.95 per month for those not already subscribed to Speakeasy's gaming DSL
packages.
http://www.speakeasy.net
http://www.fileshack.com
(San Francisco) CNET News.com reports that San Diego-based MusicMatch, a
developer of digital music player software, plans to discontinue support
for Apple products. However, the company confirmed that it will continue to provide the software
that allows Apple's iPod digital music player to work with Windows-based PCs..
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-962120.html?tag=cd_mh
http://www.musicmatch.com
(San Francisco) Wired News on Wednesday reported on the rulemaking process
currently being undertaken by the U.S. Copyright Office, which aims to
determine if there should be any further exemptions from the portion of
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that makes it illegal to circumvent
the copyright protection on a digital device. Many technologists have
argued that the law impedes their ability to conduct research on such
security methods, while consumer advocates say that the law strips
consumers of traditional "fair use" rights to make personal copies of
media. The Copyright Office is currently seeking public comments on the
matter.
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,55801,00.html
http://www.copyright.gov/1201
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Copyright 2002 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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