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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- December 10, 2002
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o Aussie High Court Rules Alleged U.S. Defamer May Be Tried In Australia
o Satellite TV Giants Hughes, EchoStar Terminate Merger Agreement
o Russian Programmer Sklyarov Takes Stand In E-Book Copyright Trial
o Report: Online Consumers Break Single-Week Spending Record
> DMW Publications: Special Rates for DMW Subscribers
o Briefly Noted: Macrovision - InterVideo, 321 Studios - Tritton
Technologies, XM Satellite Radio - portable Delphi receiver, Blue Falcon
Networks - Radio Free Virgin, Altnet - TrueNames, Sorrent - Fox - "The
X-Files," Tira Wireless - Indiagames, BMI, Business 2.0, USA Today vs.
RIAA CEO Hilary Rosen
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> Events: Eventeurs
> 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 Tinzar Than at tinzar@digitalmediawire.com
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o Aussie High Court Rules Alleged U.S. Defamer May Be Tried In Australia
Canberra, Australia -- In a ruling that may prove to be landmark for the
borderless Internet's affect on international disputes, Australia's
highest court ruled on Monday that a U.S. publisher may be tried in
Australia for allegedly defaming an Australian resident. Australian mining
tycoon Joseph Gutnick sued Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street
Journal and Barron's, for allegedly defamatory comments that appeared both
in print and on the Internet, where he and other Australian residents
could access and read it. Publishers including News Corp., AOL Time
Warner, the Associated Press and Reuters submitted briefs siding with Dow
Jones, but the Australian high court voted unanimously to let the
defamation suit continue in Australia's jurisdiction. "The result means
that Dow Jones will defend those proceedings in a jurisdiction which is
far removed from the country in which the article was prepared and where
the vast bulk of Barron's readership resides," the company said in a
statement. Gutnick may now separately pursue his case against Dow Jones in
his home state of Victoria, Australia.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=1878725
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56793,00.html
http://www.findlaw.com.au/cases/default.asp?task=read&id=145638
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o Satellite TV Giants Hughes, EchoStar Terminate Merger Agreement
Littleton, Colo. -- Hughes Electronics Corp., a division of General Motors
that operates the DirecTV satellite broadcasting system, and rival
satellite TV operator EchoStar, which operates the DISH Network, announced
on Tuesday that they have terminated their proposed merger agreement. The
decision comes after the U.S. Justice Dept., 23 states and the Federal
Communications Commission all voiced opposition to the proposed $19
billion merger, saying it would effectively create a monopoly in the U.S.
market for satellite-delivered television programming. Under terms of the
settlement, EchoStar paid Hughes $600 million in cash, and Hughes will
retain its 81 percent ownership position in PanAmSat, a firm that owns a
global network of satellites. EchoStar said it will take a $700 million
charge in the fourth quarter of 2002 to account for costs associated with
the terminated agreement. "We continue to believe that the proposed merger
would have been a victory for consumers nationwide, and for our
shareholders," said Hughes president and CEO Jack A. Shaw. "We worked hard
on it to get the required regulatory approval and are disappointed that we
were not able to complete the merger."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021210/detu006_1.html
http://www.echostar.com
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o Russian Programmer Sklyarov Takes Stand In E-Book Copyright Trial
San Jose, Calif. -- Russian software programmer Dmitry Sklyarov took the
witness stand on Monday in the trial of his employer ElcomSoft, a software
firm accused of criminal violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
for its product that can crack the security on Adobe Systems' e-books.
Sklyarov was arrested at a U.S. software convention for his role in
creating the software, but charges were dropped in exchange for his
testimony against ElcomSoft. Sklyarov testified that his intentions when
developing the software were so that users could make backup copies of a
legally-purchased Adobe e-book, print pages, or transfer it to a reading
device for the blind, CNET News.com reported. Sklyarov said that his work
on the software was also part of his doctoral studies, to examine the
security flaws in e-book software programs such as Adobe's PDF format. He
also indicated he was not terribly concerned with whether or not his
Russian-made software conflicted with U.S. laws. "I believed that if the
license is not in accordance with Russian law, Russian law has priority,"
said Sklyarov, according to Wired News' account of his testimony on
Monday. U.S. prosecutors were expected to call Sklyarov to the stand last
week, but instead showed videotaped testimony from an earlier deposition.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56760,00.html
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-976621.html?tag=cd_mh
http://www.elcomsoft.com
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o Report: Online Consumers Break Single-Week Spending Record
Reston, Va. -- Online consumers spent the most money they've ever spent in
a single week during the period ending Dec. 6, according to figures
releases on Tuesday by Virginia-based ComScore, a provider of Internet
measurement services. Internet sales totaled $2 billion, a 34 percent
increase over last year's post-Thanksgiving week. Spending on non-travel
goods and services jumped 38 percent to a record $1.4 billion. "Holiday
e-commerce spending continues to gather momentum as retailers enter the
most intensive weeks of the holiday shopping season," said Michelle David
Adams, a vice president at ComScore. "While travel spending was the
dominant force pushing e-commerce trends higher in the off-season,
non-travel sales have now become the growth engine, as consumers come
online in droves."
http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=CpFv00eSbmdiWndK1mtC
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FEATURED SECTION
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Featured Section posting at:
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Briefly Noted:
(Santa Clara, Calif.) Macrovision, a developer of digital media
anti-copying technology, announced on Tuesday that InterVideo will include
the company's digital rights management software in its widely-used DVD
playback software. Fremont, Calif.-based InterVideo's WinDVD software is
bundled with 9 of the top 10 PC makers' products, including Dell, HP, Sony
and IBM. The inclusion of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Macrovision's
technology will allow WinDVD to recognize content that has been encrypted
and protected using the MacroSafe system, determine if a user has the
right to view the content, and inhibit unauthorized sharing on
peer-to-peer networks.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021210/100319_1.html
http://www.macrovision.com
http://www.intervideo.com
(St. Louis) 321 Studios, distributor of controversial software that allows
users to make exact backup copies of DVD discs, announced on Tuesday that
DVD recorder manufacturer Tritton Technologies will bundle the company's
DVD X Copy software with its recordable DVD drives. The drives are sold at
retailers including PC Mall, Comp USA and Tiger Direct. St. Louis-based
321 Studios said it has sold 125,000 copies of DVD X Copy since its
release. The company filed suit against nine major motion picture studios
in April, asking a federal judge to rule its software does not violate the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/223442157&ticker=
http://www.trittontechnologies.com
http://www.321studios.com
(Washington) XM Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital
radio programming, announced on Tuesday that consumer electronics firm
Delphi will ship the first portable "boom box" satellite radio receiver to
retailers next week. The $230 Delphi XM SKYFi Audio System will be sold in
stores including Circuit City and Best Buy.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021210/dctu012_1.html
http://www.xmradio.com
http://www.delphi.com
(Los Angeles) Blue Falcon Networks, a provider of content delivery network
services for audio and video, said that Radio Free Virgin will use its
distributed delivery technology and infrastructure to more efficiently
stream its Web radio stations to listeners. Radio Free Virgin provides
free, ad-supported streams of over 50 channels of live and pre-recorded
broadcasts.
http://www.bluefalcon.com
http://www.radiofreevirgin.com
(Woodland Hills, Calif.) Brilliant Digital Entertainment, a provider of
advertising delivery software and operator of the Altnet peer-to-peer
network, announced on Tuesday it has hired Ron Lachman as its new chief
scientist and licensed his patented TrueNames technology. TrueNames is a
method of identifying data based on the actual data contents, rather than
by their name or other information that can easily be changed, allowing
networking applications to identify files correctly, eliminate unnecessary
redundancies and operate more efficiently. The Altnet program piggybacks
on the Kazaa file-sharing service and offers users licensed content from
various copyright holders.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021210/100037_1.html
http://www.brilliantdigital.com
http://www.altnet.com
(San Mateo, Calif.) Mobile game developer and publisher Sorrent announced
on Tuesday a publishing agreement with Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and
Merchandising to develop games and entertainment content for cell phones
and other connected handheld devices based on Fox's "The X-Files"
property. The games and entertainment downloads will include single and
multiplayer adventure games, SMS games, downloadable ringtones and
wallpaper, and are due for release in the first quarter of 2003.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/223440201&ticker=
http://www.newscorp.com/management/20home.html
http://www.sorrent.com
(Toronto) Tira Wireless, a publisher of Java-enabled wireless games,
announced on Tuesday a publishing agreement with wireless game developer
Indiagames. Under the terms, Toronto-based Tira will publish six of
Mumbai, India-based Indiagames' titles for distribution to wireless
network operators and wireless portals in the Americas and European,
Middle Eastern and African markets.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/223442023&ticker=
http://www.tirawireless.com
http://www.indiagames.com
(New York) Performing rights organization BMI announced on Tuesday that it
has promoted Fred Cannon to the position of senior vice president of
government relations. "Fred joined BMI during a pivotal period in the
company's history. Over the past 8 years, his knowledge of the music
industry and his ability to make and retain important relationships with
the federal and individual state governing bodies added immeasurably to
the image of BMI as protectors of copyright," said BMI president and CEO
Frances W. Preston.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/223442315&ticker=
http://www.bmi.com
(San Francisco) Technology business publication Business 2.0 announced on
Tuesday that it has launched a new online column written by Jimmy
Guterman, editor of the defunct Industry Standard magazine's "Media Grok"
newsletter and its independently published spin-off, "Media Unspun." The
weekly column, "Media Notes," will be published on Wednesdays.
http://www.business2.com
(New York) USA Today on Tuesday published a point-counterpoint piece in
its op-ed section, focusing on the issue of peer-to-peer networks and the
response they have received from the recording industry. In its section,
USA Today argues that the industry must treat peer-to-peer users "as
ardent fans, not petty criminals" by creating services compelling enough
to woo users away from illegitimate services, rather than prosecuting
them. The response, written by Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) chairman and CEO Hilary Rosen, argues that the industry has in fact
set up legitimate services, but that "no business can be expected to
compete against an illegal service that is offering the same product for
free," and therefore it must take legal steps to eliminate the
unauthorized peer-to-peer services.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2002-12-09-our-view_x.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2002-12-09-oppose_x.htm
http://www.riaa.org
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CLASSIFIEDS - HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS & RED HOT DEALS
================================================
To Post Holiday Specials:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplacepostingpage.htm
Digital Media Wire's Gift Suggestions for the Holidays:
-The Palm Store: Free Software & Special Savings!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000564835
-Audiobookclub.com - The World's Greatest Selection of Audiobooks!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000555804
-Bose - Acoustic Wave Systems. Environmental Speakers. Quiet Comfort.
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000555807
-Directv DSL - Simply a better DSL connection. Get $19.99 for 3 months!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000555813
-Totally Fun Toys - Toys that stimulate creativity, learning, and healthy
play! http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000556187
-Watchzone - watches at great prices!!!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000556190
Other Great Gift Ideas:
-Wine Enthusiast - Ultimate Wine Cellar, Accessory, and Unique Gift Guide
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000555777
-Nirvana Chocolates - Delicious Belgium Chocolates!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000556080
-Eddie Bauer: Quality. Classic. Comfort.
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000554928
-Road Runner Sports - World's Largest Collection of Running Shoes
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000556083
-Feel Good Catalog - Your Source for Pain Relief & Comfort.
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000555917
-Jos. A Bank - Quality Men's Apparel.
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000000555991
______________________________________________________
HOLIDAY PERSONAL SHOPPER
I can help anyone in any department with any gift buying needs... or offer
suggestions... be it jewelry, home, accessories, mens or ladies clothing,
etc..and can be reached at 310-550-5900 ext 2007. GEMMI
______________________________________________________
Rock & Roll One Of A Kinds!
Hipsters Franky & Minx (www.frankyandminx.com) are getting attention with
their tattoo-designed products. There are only a few pieces left of their
hand made cami tops and undies -- which have been featured everywhere from
InStyle to Revolver. Inquiries: Christina Ward [oranjegift@yahoo.com] or
call (414) 294-4709 for availability. To purchase, go to
http://www.oranje.us
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CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
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To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobpostingpage.htm
_____________________________________________
====================
CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
====================
To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/eventpostingpage.htm
HOLIDAY CATERING...The best staff and food in town!
Eventeurs uses the top chefs and most attractive staff in the business. We
can do an amazing holiday party for you and work within your budget.
Please call Alan Dunn at 323.466.1835 or go to http://www.eventeurs.net
_____________________________________________
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CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
==========================
To Post Marketplace:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/marketplacepostingpage.htm
Only 35 copies remaining of Directory of Homeland Security
This is your company's final chance to purchase the inaugural edition of
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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
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toolset can be incorporated into content websites and portals, installed
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platforms and technologies. An Etronica Enabled(TM) site greatly enhances
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Copyright 2002 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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