===================================================
DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- October 28, 2002
===================================================
To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o DVD Copy Software Firm Sues Studios for Right to Distribute Product
o European Union to Fine Nintendo for Sales Practices
o Broadband Content Delivery Provider Kontiki Raises $16 Million
o DataPlay Investor Trans World to Record $5.3 Million Charge
o Swedish IT Firm Files Hacking Charges Against Reuters
o Asian Broadband, VOD Provider GigaMedia Gets Notice from Nasdaq
> Digital Media Wire Event: "iTV Visions" | NYC | Nov. 14
> Featured Event: Post-Enron Corporate Seminar
o Briefly Noted: Xbox - Budweiser, Listen.com - Rhapsody 2.0, Javakitty
Media - Arista Records, Universal Music Group - Super Audio CDs, Charter
Communications - video-on-demand, Infogrames - Donovan McNabb, Microsoft
Palladium, Freenet
_____________________________________________
> Jobs: East Coast Sales Rep.
> Events
> Marketplace: Homeland Security Directory, Interest-Based Navigation
Full Classifieds located beneath "Briefly Noted" section below.
To post a Classified Ad:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/mainpostingpage.html
or contact David Peebler at david@digitalmediawire.com
_____________________________________________
o DVD Copy Software Firm Sues Studios for Right to Distribute Product
Los Angeles -- The software firm that makes DVD Copy Plus, a program that
can copy DVD discs, has sued major Hollywood films, asking a judge to
declare its product legal or else rule the anticircumvention provisions of
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to be unconstitutional, The Los
Angeles Times reported. 321 Studios, which distributes DVD Copy Plus, and
its founder Robert H. Moore filed suit in U.S. District Court in San
Francisco against studios including Sony Pictures, Time Warner, Universal,
MGM and Disney. Moore and 321 Studios argue that the DVD Copy Plus program
allows those who have purchased a DVD to make a backup copy for their
personal use; however, the program may also be used to copy rented or
borrowed DVDs, not in line with the company's "fair use" defense. Moore
said that to date, various versions of DVD Copy Plus have sold over
100,000 units.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-dvdcopy28oct28001424,0,118390
.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dtechnology
http://www.msnbc.com/news/827054.asp?0dm=C12JT
http://www.321studios.com/
_____________________________________________
o European Union to Fine Nintendo for Sales Practices
Brussels -- The European Union will fine Japanese video game maker
Nintendo and a number of its distributors this week for sales practices it
employed in the mid-1990s, according to Reuters. The EU charges that
Nintendo conspired with distributors to limit the cross-border flow of its
products in an effort to boost wholesale prices. A decision is expected on
Wednesday. Nintendo confirmed to Reuters that it has already set aside an
undisclosed sum to account for the fines.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search&StoryID=1636085
_____________________________________________
o Broadband Content Delivery Provider Kontiki Raises $16 Million
Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Kontiki, a provider of secure digital video and data
delivery technology to businesses, announced on Monday that it has raised
$16 million in its second round of venture capital financing. Adobe
Ventures and VeriSign led the investment round; previous investors
Benchmark Capital and The Barksdale Group also participated. The company
has raised a total of $34 million. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Kontiki's
technology is used by customers including Adobe and VeriSign to securely
distribute digital media such as training videos, product launch
presentations, and customer support videos to employees.
http://www.kontiki.com/company/press/pressrelease021028.html
_____________________________________________
o DataPlay Investor Trans World to Record $5.3 Million Charge
Albany, N.Y. -- Trans World Entertainment, an online and off-line seller
of music and videos, announced on Monday it will take a $5.3 million
charge in the third quarter for its lost investment in DataPlay, the
optical discmaker which filed for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection last week.
New York-based Trans World, which owns retail chains Coconuts Music and
Movies, Strawberries Music, Spec's and Planet Music, in addition to the
FYE (For Your Entertainment) stores and FYE.com e-commerce site, made the
investment in June 2001. Although consumer electronics firms had already
begun to sell devices capable of playing the quarter-sized DataPlay discs,
the company was not able to raise enough funds to continue operations.
Trans World said that it and other retailers had "anticipated that this
new format would be a driver for new music sales."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021028/nym085_1.html
http://www.fye.com
http://www.dataplay.com
_____________________________________________
o Swedish IT Firm Files Hacking Charges Against Reuters
Stockholm -- Intentia International, a Swedish technology group, on Monday
filed criminal charges against Reuters Group after the U.K.-based news
agency allegedly hacked into the company's IT system and then published
the company's third-quarter results before they were officially announced
last week. "The incident has severely damaged confidence in us as
individuals and in Intentia as a company," Intentia CEO Bjorn Algkvist
said in a statement. Reuters has rejected the allegations.
http://www.intentia.com
_____________________________________________
o Asian Broadband, VOD Provider GigaMedia Gets Notice from Nasdaq
Taipei -- GigaMedia, a broadband ISP and distributor of music and
video-on-demand programming, said on Monday it received notice from the
Nasdaq that its shares are in danger of being delisted from the exchange.
Taipei-based GigaMedia's shares have traded below the Nasdaq's $1 minimum
since the middle of September. GigaMedia operates a broadband ISP and also
owns two large record store chains in Taiwan. The company laid off 17
percent of its employees in September.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021028/nym104_1.html
http://ir.giga.net.tw
_____________________________________________
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
===================================
EVENT -- DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE Presents...
===================================
iTV Visions: Technology Transforming Entertainment
New York City | Thurs. November 14 | 1:30-7:30 PM
In association with the Interactive Television Alliance
Sponsors: Etronica | ITA | Filter Media | AIM
This half-day executive forum will present views on the future of
entertainment based on next generation interactive television technologies
emerging today. Thought leaders from leading edge companies that are
driving these technologies into the marketplace will gather to show how
entertainment is on the verge of yet another radical transformation.
For more information and to register:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events/itv_visions_111902.htm
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_____________________________________________
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
==================
FEATURED SECTION
==================
Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
What are businesses doing to survive and thrive after Enron?
Find out on Friday, November 1st at "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Life and
Liability after Enron," a San Diego seminar designed to answer your
questions about the tough new regulations facing corporate America.
Presented by Ross, Dixon & Bell, L.L.P. and the California Western School
of Law. To register and for more information:
http://www.rdblaw.com/Registration/SignUp.html, or call: 619-557-4329
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_____________________________________________
Briefly Noted:
(Redmond, Wash.) Microsoft on Monday announced a promotional campaign in
conjunction with Budweiser for its Xbox video game console, which will
bring the game to bars and clubs in 100 U.S. markets. Anheuser-Busch
wholesalers will hold around 1,200 promotions per week through the end of
the year, letting let bar patrons play Xbox games and win prizes.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021028/sfm076_1.html
(San Francisco) Digital music company Listen.com on Monday released
version 2.0 of its Rhapsody digital music subscription service. The
upgrade launched features including 75,000 tracks from major and
independent labels that may be burned to CD for $0.99 each, and the
ability to access personal playlists and favorite streaming stations from
any Internet-connected PC.
http://www.listen.com/about.jspsect=press&subsect=release&page=rhapsodytwodotoh102902
(Atlanta) Javakitty Media said on Monday that BMG-owned Arista Records
plans to use its Bandlink enhanced CD software on several upcoming
releases, including new albums from Santana and Adema. Atlanta-based
Javakitty's Bandlink CD Intelligence service will access an online
community for other fans when inserted in the CD-ROM drive of an
Internet-connected PC, featuring bios, news, tour info, lyrics, photos,
videos and mailing lists.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/223010161&ticker=
http://www.arista.com
http://www.javakitty.com
http://www.bandlink.com
(Santa Monica, Calif.) Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group announced
on Monday the release of its first albums in the Super Audio CD format, a
new proprietary format developed jointly by Sony and Philips. In addition
to elevated sound quality, the format offers four times the storage
capacity of a normal CD, for adding text and images, disc variations and
copyright protection. UMG titles in SACD format include recordings from
artists Diana Krall, Andrea Bocelli, Natalie Cole and Muddy Waters.
http://www.sonymusic.com/sacd
http://www.umusic.com
(St. Louis) Cable TV operator Charter Communications announced on Monday
that it will launch video-on-demand services in nine additional markets by
the end of this year. St. Louis-based Charter said it will use
Atlanta-based Concurrent's video-on-demand delivery technology in five of
the new markets, and Oregon-based NCube's system in the remaining four new
markets.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021028/280153_1.html
http://www.charter.com
http://www.ccur.com
http://www.ncube.com
(New York) Game developer Infogrames on Monday announced the release of
"Backyard Football" for Nintendo's GameCube console and Game Boy Advance
handheld. Developed by Left Field and Humongous Entertainment, the game
features Donovan McNabb of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles as spokesman, and
aims to help teach kids the basics of the game of football. The game is
accompanied by a TV special featuring McNabb called "NFL Backyard Basics:
Football Tips from the Pros," which will air on CBS.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021028/nem033_1.html
http://www.infogrames.com
(London) U.K. news site TheRegister reported on a recent debate at the
Oxford Union, a debating club at the university, that featured Recording
Industry of America chairman Hilary Rosen and International Federation of
the Phonographic Industry chairman Jay Berman arguing against music
piracy. The audience seemed not to agree with the recording industry's
sentiments, however, as they voted 256 to 72 against a notion proclaiming
that, "This House believes that the free music mentality is a threat to
the future of music."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/27796.html
http://tirian.magd.ox.ac.uk/~nick/UnionDebate
http://www.oxford-union.org
(Cambridge, Mass.) MIT's Technology Review recently featured commentary on
Microsoft's Palladium project, designed with the intent of adding security
and privacy to PCs, but also offering a nearly copy-proof solution for
Hollywood copyright owners to distribute their music and movies.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/wo_weinberger102502.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/Features/2002/Jul02/07-01palladium.asp
(San Francisco) CNET News.com on Monday reported on the new release of
Freenet, an encrypted peer-to-peer network technology created by a group
of independent developers led by Scotsman Ian Clarke. Freenet does more to
protect the identity of those using the program, as well as what content
is being traded among its users, than do other more popular programs such
as Kazaa or Morpheus, although Freenet has suffered from lack of usability
and long delays in the release of the current version. "This is the first
(release) where we can confidently encourage people to go download the
software and comfortably expect it to work for them," Clarke told
News.com. "Before it's always been a bit of a case of having our fingers
crossed."
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-963459.html?tag=fd_top
http://freenet.sourceforge.net
_____________________________________________
===================
CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
===================
To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobpostingpage.htm
East Coast Sales Rep - Imaging and Music Software Firm
Imaging and music software firm is seeking an independent, East Coast
sales representative. We have great products - you have strong
relationships with camera and computer hardware manufacturers and
marketers. Significant OEM experience strongly preferred. Position offers
a retainer and generous commissions. Interested parties should forward
their resume to David McKie at: david@simplestar.com
_____________________________________________
====================
CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
====================
To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/eventpostingpage.htm
_____________________________________________
==========================
CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
==========================
To Post Marketplace:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplacepostingpage.htm
Only 90 copies remaining of Directory of Homeland Security
This is your company's final chance to purchase the inaugural edition of
the Directory of Homeland Security: a 160-page book that lists all federal
and state agencies involved in homeland security. The directory includes
names of over 1,500 homeland security officials, profiles of 500 agencies
involved in homeland security, and a detailed list of technology companies
in this sector. The directory is sponsored by NETSEC, Greenberg Traurig,
AT&T and the Northern Virginia Technology Council.
To purchase the directory, go to: http://www.homeland-directory.com
_____________________________________________
New!! Advanced Search & Personalization Technology by Etronica
Etronica has developed a unique software toolset to enable "Interest Based
Navigation" of digital content. The Patent Pending technology provides for
automated tagging, indexing, and categorization of content. The software
toolset can be incorporated into content websites and portals, installed
in TV settop boxes or integrated as OEM components into various software
platforms and technologies. An Etronica Enabled(TM) site greatly enhances
the user experience. Contact us to learn more: info@etronica.com
http://www.etronica.com
_____________________________________________
Digital Media Wire, Inc. leverages its integrated media network to provide
exceptional value for individuals and companies determined to capitalize
on the convergence of media, entertainment and technology. Digital Media
Wire, the first in a series of business-intelligence publications,
delivers original daily briefings on the business, legal and financial
developments shaping digital media.
Digital Media Wire is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, a national
network of publications that includes Potomac Tech Wire, New England Tech
Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire and European Tech Wire. The
network reaches more than 62,000 individuals from over 70 countries
worldwide each business day.
Upcoming publications, events & information at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com
Questions, Comments & Suggestions to:
david@digitalmediawire.com
News Tips, Scoops & Press Releases to:
editorial@digitalmediawire.com
_____________________________________________
Editor: Mark Hefflinger
Executive Officer: Edward F. Sherman, Jr.
Operating Officer: David J. Peebler
Copyright 2002 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|
