Main Stories
o Report: Microsoft to Launch Music Download Store Next Year
o Technology Publisher CNET Networks to Acquire Vivendi's MP3.com
o Despite Meeting With Indie Filmmakers, MPAA Holds Fast On "Screener" Ban
o Nine Consumer Electronics Firms Unite to Promote DVD-RAM Format

o Briefly Noted: Delta's Song Airlines - in-flight entertainment, Swisscom Mobile - M-USE music service, XM Direct, ATI Technologies - Eazyshare, Movielink - BBC, Sony Computer Entertainment America - $1 million PlayStation 2 giveaway, Nintendo - "Mario Kart: Double Dash," THQ - "Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior," Electronic Arts - "Need for Speed Underground," Cyan Worlds - "Uru: Ages Beyond Myst" soundtrack, Square Enix U.S.A. - AOL's Radio@Network

Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft has confirmed reports that it plans to launch a digital music download store next year that will compete with Apple's iTunes and the newly re-launched Napster service. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company's website recently posted a job listing for a senior marketing executive for the service, and a spokesperson for Microsoft's MSN service confirmed that a download store will launch sometime in 2004. The company did not provide any additional details. It is unclear whether such a music service would be embedded into the Windows operating system in some way, or offered as a separate service through the company's MSN network of websites.
http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/031117/0035000033_1.html
http://news.com.com/2100-1027-5108173.html
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o Technology Publisher CNET Networks to Acquire Vivendi's MP3.com

San Francisco -- CNET Networks, a San Francisco-based publisher of online technology news, said on Friday that it will acquire MP3.com, a San Diego-based Internet music portal, from Vivendi Universal's U.S. Internet unit for an undisclosed price. The deal is expected to close next month. MP3.com, which features streaming and downloadable music from more than 250,000 artists and over 750,000 songs, had a market cap as high as $7 billion in 1999, but has struggled to recover from several lawsuits filed against it for illegal downloading. The company was acquired by Vivendi for $372 million two years ago. CNET Networks operates such technology-oriented sites as News.com, ZDNet, Download.com, GameSpot and mySimon.com. A company representative told reporters for News.com that said the version of MP3.com will not compete with music download services like iTunes and Napster, but instead serve as a source of information for digital music. In fact, all of the music currently available on MP3.com will be deleted, and artists were notified that tapes and other source materials submitted for inclusion will be destroyed.
http://news.com.com/2100-1027-5107696.html
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5D024196
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/34009.html
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o Despite Meeting With Indie Filmmakers, MPAA Holds Fast On "Screener" Ban

Los Angeles -- Following a meeting last week with members of the independent film community and various film critics' societies, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said it will not grant any further exceptions to its ban on the distribution of "screener" copies of movies for awards voting purposes. The ban was originally intended to stem potential piracy by totally eliminating the copies of movies -- not yet released on home video -- that were traditionally sent to voting members of various film societies like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars), Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG Awards). The MPAA soon after eased the ban to allow watermarked VHS screeners to be sent only those who vote on the Academy Awards, but denied copies to any of the myriad other film awards. The exemption for Academy voters is being called a "one-year experiment" by the MPAA. "To extend screeners beyond the Academy would just demand so many thousands more screeners, which would greatly increase the risk of piracy," MPAA CEO Jack Valenti told the Los Angeles Daily News. "That's a risk that the studios aren't willing to take."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F20532196
http://www.indiewire.com/biz/biz_031117mpaa.html
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o Nine Consumer Electronics Firms Unite to Promote DVD-RAM Format

Las Vegas -- Nine consumer electronics firms on Monday announced the formation of a trade group that will work to promote the DVD-RAM recordable DVD format over the competing DVD+RW format. Companies joining the RAM Promotion Group include Hitachi, HLDS, Hitachi Maxell Ltd., LG Electronics, Matsushita (Panasonic), Samsung, TEAC Corporation, Toshiba and Victor Company. The companies are also members of the Recordable DVD Council, another trade group that supports DVD-RAM and DVD-RW formats developed by the DVD Forum. The RAM Promotion Group cited NPD Group data, saying 59.2% percent of DVD recorders sold in the U.S. in roughly the last three years have supported DVD-RAM. The group's main rivals include members of the DVD+RW Alliance, such as PC makers Dell, H-P and Apple; firms including Sony and Pioneer have released products that support both competing formats.
http://www.ramprg.com

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(New York) Song, a specialty carrier launched by Delta Air Lines, on Monday announced details of its in-flight digital entertainment system. In addition to 24 channels of satellite TV provided by DISH Network, the airline will offer video-on-demand, MP3 music and video games to passengers. Song's on-board Matsushita entertainment servers will be upgraded in the second quarter of 2004 to include features like the ability to create MP3 playlists and challenge other passengers in multiplayer gaming.
http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/031117/0927000802_2.html 
http://www.mascorp.com 
http://www.flysong.com

(Berne, Switzerland) Wireless network operator Swisscom Mobile has become the first mobile network to launch M-USE, a mobile music service developed by Sony Music Germany and wireless developer Ericsson. The service will offer artist pictures, ringtones, mobile music clips, artist news, and an advanced music recommendation service to subscribers of Swisscom Mobile's Vodafone Live service. Music will initially come exclusively from Sony artists, with content from other labels promised to be added soon.
http://www.swisscom.com/mr/content/media/2003/20031112_EN.html

(Washington) XM Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, announced on Monday the release of the XM Direct, a universal tuner that can be connected to any satellite-radio-ready car stereo with a third party adaptor. Electronics firms Terk Technologies and Blitzsafe are currently developing smart digital adaptors for XM Direct. Blitzsafe will offer a $299 adaptor for 2003 and 2004 BMW and Mini vehicles, and plans to work with car stereo maker Alpine on an adaptor for aftermarket car stereos.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031117/dcm015a_1.html 
http://www.xmradio.com 
http://www.terk.com 
http://www.blitzsafe.com

(Markham, Ontario) Chipmaker ATI Technologies announced on Monday the release of software that enables PCs equipped with its "All-In-Wonder" video card to share TV programs and personal video recorder functionality over a home network. The free Eazyshare software allows any PC on a home network that has an ATI Radeon video card to access TV programming with all the functions of a personal video recorder.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031117/175438_1.html 
http://www.ati.com

(Santa Monica, Calif.) Movielink, an Internet video-on-demand joint venture between a number of Hollywood movie studios, announced on Monday that it has licensed a library of literary adaptations produced by the BBC for its service. The first titles to be released online under the agreement include the BBC productions of Shakespearian classics including "Hamlet," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Much Ado About Nothing," which feature performances from actors including Anthony Hopkins, Nigel Hawthorne and John Cleese.
http://www.movielink.com

(Foster City, Calif.) Sony Computer Entertainment America on Monday announced a sweepstakes that will reward one purchaser of its $199 PlayStation 2 Combo Pack with a $1 million cash prize. The Combo Pack includes the game console, Network Adaptor for connecting to the Internet, and a copy of Phoenix, Ariz.-based developer Rainbow Studios' "ATV Offroad Fury 2."
http://playstationmillion.com

(Redmond, Wash.) Nintendo of America on Monday announced the release of its "Mario Kart: Double Dash" title for Nintendo GameCube. Nintendo said the "Mario Kart" franchise, which features favorite Nintendo characters in a multiplayer racing game, has sold 23 million units worldwide during the past 11 years. The new release features a "co-op" mode, where, in conjunction with a LAN connection, up to 16 players may compete at one time.
http://www.nintendo.com

(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) Video game publisher THQ on Monday shipped its "Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior" title for PlayStation 2 and the PC to retailers. The game is based on "Warhammer 40,000," the tabletop war game created by U.K.-based Games Workshop.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031117/175236_1.html 
http://www.games-workshop.com

(Redwood City, Calif.) Game developer Electronic Arts announced on Monday the release of "Need for Speed Underground" for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and the PC. Developed by EA Canada, the game features online play enabled through the Network Adaptor and a soundtrack with tracks and remixes from The Crystal Method, Rob Zombie and others.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031117/175322_1.html 
http://www.needforspeed.com

(Spokane, Wash.) Video game developer Cyan Worlds said on Monday that it plans to release a soundtrack album to accompany its recently released PC game, "Uru: Ages Beyond Myst." The game's music was composed by Washington-based Cyan Worlds' music director, Tim Larkin.
http://www.cyanworlds.com/urumusic

(Los Angeles) Square Enix U.S.A., the U.S. distribution arm of the Japanese video game developer, announced on Monday the launch of a "Final Fantasy"-themed streaming radio station on America Online's Radio@Network. The station will spin 200 tracks from the titles in Square Enix's "Final Fantasy" game franchise, which will be featured on Radio@AOL, Radio@AOL for Broadband and Radio@Netscape.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031117/lam054a_1.html 
http://www.square-enix-usa.com

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