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December 20, 2005 --
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Stories
o
Proposed Legislation Would Plug "Analog Hole" in Consumer
Electronics
o Leaked
Oscar Screener DVDs Already Appearing Online
o Two Charged With Insider
Trading in Connection With Stern Move to Sirius
o Video Game Publisher Midway
Games to Lay Off Up to 11% of Staff
o Music Publisher Apologizes to
Lyrics Aggregation Software Maker
o Note to
Readers: Holiday Publishing Schedule
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Briefly Noted
o
Reuters Launches Free Video
News Feeds for Websites
o
Tiscali UK to Offer PlayLouder Music ISP Service
o
Jamster to Distribute Master Ringtones from Notorious B.I.G. Album
o
Groove Mobile Powers Mobile
Music Service for Telecom New Zealand
o
"King Kong" Video Game Features Unlockable Alternate Ending
o Wikipedia Founder
Criticized for Editing Own Online Bio
o
N.Y. Times: Walkman Inventor Finally Gets
Credit, Royalties from Sony
_____________________________________________
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Top
Stories
o Proposed Legislation Would Plug
"Analog Hole" in Consumer Electronics
Washington - A new anti-piracy bill introduced in the U.S.
House aims to plug the "analog hole," by outlawing devices that can
convert analog video into digital unless they contain certain
copy-protection technologies, CNET News.com reported. Backed by Rep.
James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee, and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the Digital Transition
Content Security Act is also endorsed by the Motion Picture
Association of America (MPAA). "This legislation is designed to
secure analog content from theft that has been made easier as a
result of the transition to digital technologies," Sensenbrenner
told News.com. "[Criminals] obtain copyrighted content and then
redistribute for profit at the copyright owner's expense." The bill
would affect PC TV tuners, digital video recorders and other devices
that can make copies of copyrighted content, degrading their
features so that, for instance, copy-protected shows could only be
recorded for 90 minutes, and only in lower-quality format. The
proposed legislation will likely not be taken up for several months,
after Congress returns from its holiday break.
http://tinyurl.com/a4qyk
(CNET)
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117934938?cateoryid=1009
http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner
_____________________________________________
o Leaked
Oscar Screener DVDs Already Appearing Online
Los Gatos, Calif. -- Several of the advance DVD screener
copies of movies up for Academy Awards, sent to members of the
Academy for voting purposes, have already popped up on file-sharing
services, according to BayTSP, an anti-piracy firm working with
studios to monitor file-sharing networks. "Screeners have been
distributed to Academy members and many of them are already
appearing online," said BayTSP CEO Mark Ishikawa. "It's common
knowledge in the pirate community that screeners are digitally
watermarked and some groups make attempts, usually unsuccessfully,
to erase those marks." The leaks come despite the well-publicized
ouster of a member of the Academy last year for passing his
screeners to several others, who were then prosecuted for posting
them online. BayTSP did not disclose which studios it has worked
with to watermark their screener DVDs, which Oscar contender films
are now available online, or what actions are being taken to
potentially identify any leakers.
http://www.baytsp.com
____________________________________________
o Two
Charged With Insider Trading in Connection With Stern Move to Sirius
Washington - Radio shock jock Howard Stern's former
accountant has pleaded guilty to insider trading in connection with
information he received about Stern's move to Sirius Satellite
Radio. Gary Herwitz, formerly of Mahoney Cohen & Co., now faces up
to 16 months in prison for buying shares of Sirius, after Stern told
him in confidence that Sirius had made him an offer. The Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC) also charged Herwitz and a former
Sirius executive with insider trading, also for acting on
information before the Sirius deal was made public. Both Herwitz and
former Sirius executive Tracey Stanyer settled the SEC charges and
agreed to pay fines without admitting wrongdoing.
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2005-178.htm
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/051219/sirius_insider_trading.html?.v=6
(AP)
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/051219/financial_sec_stern.html?.v=6
(Reuters)
http://www.siriusradio.com
____________________________________________
o Video Game
Publisher Midway Games to Lay Off Up to 11% of Staff
Chicago - Video game publisher Midway Games, creators of
the "Mortal Kombat" franchise, plans to lay off up to 11% of its
global workforce, or up to 96 jobs, the company said in an SEC
filing on Friday. The company said the cuts will "reduce the
company's cost structure and increase product development synergy
and efficiency," adding that it will incur $13 million in charges
related to severance and other costs. Last week, the company
shuttered its Midway Australia unit -- formerly developer Ratbag
Studios -- only four months after completing the acquisition.
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/051216/mwy8-k.html
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=13717
http://www.midway.com
____________________________________________
o Music
Publisher Apologizes to Lyrics Aggregation Software Maker
San Francisco - Music publisher Warner/Chappell Music has
apologized to a lyrics website operator after sending a threatening
cease-and-desist letter, and in fact now plans to collaborate with
him, according to published reports. Publishers have taken steps to
shut down websites that offer databases of song lyrics, which are
copyrighted works owned by publishers and songwriters. But the
operator of PearLyrics, a free software program that aggregates song
lyrics available online and imports them into iTunes, received an
apology from Warner/Chappell after becoming the target of similar
action. "The goal of Warner/Chappell's prior letter to Pearworks was
to gain assurance that PearLyrics operated according to [legal]
principles," the apology reads. "However, in both tone and
substance, that letter was an inappropriate manner in which to
convey that inquiry. Warner/Chappell apologized to Walter Ritter and
Pearworks."
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,69856,00.html
http://tinyurl.com/8fa2q
(CNET)
____________________________________________
o Note to Readers
Today's edition of Digital Media Wire will be the last of 2005. We will resume our normal publishing schedule
again on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
Top
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DMW Announcements
2006 Digital
Entertainment & Media Directory
$395 for hardcopy
and $795, for both the hardcopy and CD.
The Directory is an invaluable resource for
companies working in the rapidly expanding digital entertainment
and media industries, and will make the following corporate
activities much easier: business development; direct marketing;
sales prospecting; market research & competitive analysis; and
recruitment.
To purchase the directory, click here:
http://www.digitalentertainmentdirectory.com/purchase.htm
_____________________________________________
Digital Commerce Summit
2006 - January 31, 2006 - NY
Harold M.
Proshansky Auditorium
The Graduate Center
City University of New York (CUNY)
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4309
www.digitalcommercesummit.com
Digital Media
Wire invites you to attend 2006 Digital Commerce Summit
on January 31, 2006 in New York City. This 1-day
executive forum is a "must attend" event for content owners;
merchants; payments & technology companies; banks & financial
services institutions; ISP’s; MSO’s; P2P vendors; and wireless &
mobile companies focused on
payment solutions and commerce strategies for digital content,
including games, music, film, television and video products.
Topics to be
covered will include:
-
Monetizing Digital Content:
Commerce Strategies for Content Owners and Merchants
-The Music Industry Perspective
-The Game Industry Perspective
-The Film and Television Industry Perspective
-
The Payment Industry’s View of Digital Commerce
Opportunities
-
The Explosion of Mobile Commerce
-
Marketing Strategies, including Search Engine Marketing
& Optimization
-
Developments in Digital Rights Management
-
Commercial Development of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Networks
-
Are there Big Bucks in Micropayments? Assessing Opportunities
involving Small Payment Transactions
CONFIRMED
SPEAKERS for the 2006 conference include:
Mike Bebel,
CEO, Mashboxx
Vince Broady, SVP, Games & Entertainment,
CNET Networks
Derek Coetzee, CTO, Digisoft.tv Limited
Ted Cohen, SVP, Digital Development & Distribution,
EMI Music
Douglas Knopper, CEO, BitPass
Mark Donovan, Vice President of Products
& Senior
Analyst, M:Metrics
Mark Friedman, CEO,
Peppercoin
Brian Garrity,
Senior Business Writer,
Billboard Magazine
Thomas Gewecke, SVP, Digital,
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Dave Jaworski,
Founder & CEO, PassAlong
Networks
Joe Laszlo, Research Director, Broadband/Wireless,
Jupiter Research
Robert Spears, VP of Publishing & Online GM,
Digital Media Wire
Lydia Loizides, Principal / Analyst,
Paphion
Jennifer MacLean, Senior Director, Games &
Entertainment, Comcast
Ralph Rivera, Vice President & GM,
AOL Games
Rich Roberts, VP of Sales & Business Development, PlayFirst
Ned Sherman, CEO & Publisher,
Digital Media Wire
Jon Vlassopulos,
VP,
New Media, Endemol USA
more to come...
Early Bird:
$295 until December 31, 2005
Pre-Registration: $395 until January 27, 2006
$495 after January 27, 2006
Online Registration:
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1107
Phone: (310) 855-0033
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Featured Advertisement
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_____________________________________________
Developer/Quality Assurance Specialist
-
NPR Online
Works with NPR’s Online Development Team to build and
maintain npr.org. BS w/3 years exp developing web-based
applications in Java, Struts and JSP; 3 years exp in database
development and SQL; knowledge of versioning and deployment
software, experience w/XML desired, preferably CVS and Ant; working
knowledge of HTML, JavaScript; understanding of CSS; exp writing
automated test scripts against web-based applications essential;
media industry exp preferred, including knowledge of streaming
media. Apply to
employment@npr.org. EOE
_____________________________________________
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Top
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Briefly Noted
o Reuters
Launches Free Video News Feeds for Websites
London - News agency Reuters has launched a new video
news feature that lets any website host a Reuters video news feed
with up to 20 stories daily. Usually such content is reserved for
Reuters' network of newspaper and broadcast partners. Reuters
partnered with video distributor Brightcove on the ad-supported
service, which is aimed at increasing the agency's audience. "Video
is a key part of our strategy," Stephen Smyth, vice president of the
media division at Reuters, told CNET News.com. "What we want to do
is offer another approach (to content distribution) and following
the trends, we want to take advantage of the growing use of online
video."
http://tinyurl.com/9oq8q
(CNET)
http://www.reuters.com
____________________________________________
o Tiscali UK to
Offer PlayLouder Music ISP Service
London - PlayLouder MSP, the provider of an Internet access
service that includes a private peer-to-peer music file-sharing
network, announced that it has signed a distribution deal with
European broadband provider Tiscali. Under the deal, Tiscali UK will
offer the PlayLouder service to its ADSL customers. For about $47
per month, subscribers get both broadband Internet and unlimited
downloads through PlayLouder's legal peer-to-peer file-sharing
service, which uses audio fingerprinting to track distribution and
compensate rights owners.
http://www.playloudermsp.com/pressrelease.html
http://www.tiscali.com
____________________________________________
o Jamster to
Distribute Master Ringtones from Notorious B.I.G. Album
Mountain View, Calif. - Mobile entertainment publisher Jamster
said on Tuesday that it will offer exclusive master recording
ringtones from Bad Boy Records' "The Notorious B.I.G. Duets: The
Final Chapter" album, which was released today. Bad Boy Records
founder and CEO Sean "Diddy" Combs will also appear in a Jamster TV
spot promoting the product. Jamster, a unit of VeriSign, has
distribution rights to Warner Music Group's mobile personalization
products catalog. In a related announcement, Virgin Mobile USA said
the Biggie ringtones will first be offered exclusively to its
subscribers through Jan. 30.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051220/sftu040.html?.v=38
http://www.biggieduets.com
http://www.jamster.com
____________________________________________
o
Groove Mobile Powers Mobile Music Service for Telecom New Zealand
Andover, Mass. - Groove Mobile, a provider of mobile
digital music distribution services, announced on Tuesday that it
has partnered with Telecom New Zealand, and will power the company's
Telecom Music Store. Massachusetts-based Groove Mobile's service
allows users to download full-track songs from major labels
Universal, Warner and EMI. The New Zealand service is currently only
available on the Sanyo 9000 handset, which features a 1GB mini-SD
memory card.
http://tinyurl.com/9nhtf
http://www.telecom.co.nz
http://www.groovemobile.net
____________________________________________
o
"King Kong" Video Game Features Unlockable Alternate Ending
San Francisco - French video game publisher Ubisoft announced on
Tuesday that its video game based on director Peter Jackson's "King
Kong" features an unlockable alternate ending, in which players can
"save the giant ape from his cinematic death, pilot an airplane and
discover Kong back home on his native Skull Island." "I wanted the
game to be able to take the audience a bit further than what the
film could," said Jackson. "And the final climax of the game gave us
an opportunity to do something that the film could not do, which was
to have an alternate ending." "Peter Jackson's King Kong: The
Official Game of the Movie" was released for PlayStation 2, Xbox
360, Xbox, GameCube, PSP, Nintendo DS and the PC.
http://www.ubisoft.com
http://www.kingkonggame.com
____________________________________________
o Wikipedia Founder
Criticized for Editing Own Online Bio
San Francisco - Wired News reported on Tuesday on a new
controversy surrounding Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that has
in recent weeks been criticized for its accuracy and editorial
standards. A blogger recently discovered that Wikipedia founder
Jimmy Wales had edited his own biographical entry on the site,
diminishing the contributions of co-founder Larry Sanger, as well as
references to an adult site Wales once operated. "People shouldn't
do it, including me," Wales told Wired News. "I wish I hadn't done
it. It's in poor taste...People have a lot of information about
themselves but staying objective is difficult." Sanger responded to
the revelation in a posting on Wikipedia. "Having seen edits like
this, it does seem that Jimmy is attempting to rewrite history. But
this is a futile process because in our brave new world of
transparent activity and maximum communication, the truth will out,"
Sanger wrote.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,69880,00.html
http://www.wikipedia.org
____________________________________________
o N.Y. Times: Walkman
Inventor Finally Gets Credit, Royalties from Sony
New York - The New York Times recently reported on Andreas Pavel,
a Brazilian who has finally won his claim to be the inventor of the
Walkman. Pavel patented his idea for a portable tape player with
headphones in several countries during the late 70's, and shopped
his idea to electronics firms including Grundig, Philips and Yamaha,
before Sony came out with its Walkman in 1979. Pavel eventually sued
Sony, but lawsuits and negotiations dragged out for 25 years before
he reached a reported eight-figure settlement with the company,
which now also pays Pavel royalties on several Walkman models.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/17/international/americas/17pavel.html
Top
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Classifieds --
Advertise
Mobile Programmer
- NPR Online
NPR has an opening for key position on its application
development team focusing on mobile environment such as WAP,
SMS, MMS and iMode. 2 years experience developing
database-driven web-based applications using PHP, Java, and
Struts, as well as a year of experience developing
applications for mobile devices; knowledge of Perl, CVS and
ANT a plus. Apply to
employment@npr.org job #DMW1511. EOE
___________________
Systems Administrator - NPR Online
NPR (npr.org) has an opening for a key position on its
infrastructure team to maintain and improve systems that
drive NPR.org. 7 years exp maintaining enterprise-level,
high-traffic systems, including Web and database servers;
knowledge of networking protocols and custom-compiled
applications and kernels. Apply to
employment@npr.org,
job #DMW573. EOE.
___________________
NPR.org Supervising Producer
-
NPR Music
Dynamic music producer, journalist and new-media thinker to
develop/implement online strategy and produce
musical/journalistic offerings. Plans/creates online music
events; edits/produces music pages; assigns/writes/edits
stories; creates multimedia content. Encyclopedic musical
knowledge; professional exp in music industry; excellent
writer/editor/ music journalist; commitment to digital
media, incl exp w/online publications or creating new-media
products; exp w/issues of intellectual property. Apply to
employment@npr.org.
EOE
___________________
Interactive
& Multi-Media Web Designer
- NPR Online
Responsible for daily art/design needs of NPR.org. Designs
and produces news and editorial graphics and interactive
storytelling applications. BA in Design or Art w/3 years
professional exp as graphic artist/designer and with Web
design and/or graphics; demonstrated ability as illustrator;
command of Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash and web design
technologies; information architecture, accessibility, and
usability matters; ability to present ideas and designs to a
group. Apply to
employment@npr.org. EOE
___________________
Developer/Quality Assurance Specialist
-
NPR Online
Works with NPR’s Online Development Team to build and
maintain npr.org. BS w/3 years exp developing
web-based applications in Java, Struts and JSP; 3 years exp
in database development and SQL; knowledge of versioning and
deployment software, experience w/XML desired, preferably
CVS and Ant; working knowledge of HTML, JavaScript;
understanding of CSS; exp writing automated test scripts
against web-based applications essential; media industry exp
preferred, including knowledge of streaming media.
Apply to
employment@npr.org. EOE
___________________
Director of Business Development -
Mobile Gaming - SkillJam Technologies
SkillJam Technologies has an open position for a Director of
Business Development. This position's primary objective will
be responsible for the identification, pursuit, and capture
of new business for our gaming solutions targeted at the
Mobile industry. You will also be expected to suggest and
identify new solutions to quickly address evolving market
opportunities in the space. In that capacity, you will be
the mobile product liaison with our technology, game and
platform development teams. Send resumes to
jobs@skilljamcorp.com
___________________
VP of Business Development - SkillJam
Technologies
SkillJam Technologies has an open position for a VP of
Business Dev. This position's primary objective will be to
drive the identification, pursuit, and capture of new
partnership opportunities (U.S.& International) across our
overall portfolio of client solutions (online, iTV, mobile,
Kiosk, etc.). The primary focus of this role will be in the
online realm however given your sr. position in the
organization, you will be expected to help drive the pursuit
of opportunities in other nascent distribution channels as
well. Send resumes to
jobs@skilljamcorp.com
___________________
Public Relations Account Executive -
Germantown, MD
DPR Group (http://www.dprgroup.com),
a successful, full-service public relations agency, is looking
to add experienced public relations professionals at our
headquarters in Germantown, Maryland. DPR Group represents a
broad range of high-tech clients including software
developers, system integrators, electronics manufacturers, and
government contractors. DPR offers a competitive salary,
excellent benefits, and a great environment for talented,
hardworking people. Please send resumes to:
careersmd@dprgroup.com
___________________
Sr. Marketing Communications
Director - KLA-Tencor
The role of Sr. Director, Marketing Communications and
Brand Management is to enhance the KLA-Tencor brand and to
create a strong link between the company's branding/messaging
efforts and revenue/share growth. The Sr. Director will create
and foster an environment where corporate marketing, sales,
service, and product marketing are aligned for success. Send
resumes to:
ruta.joshi@kla-tencor.com
___________________
Vice President/Senior Account Executive
- Welz & Weisel Communications
Welz & Weisel Communications (http://www.w2comm.com), a fast
growing technology public relations firm is seeking smart,
proactive public relations professionals - Vice
President/Senior Account Executive. 5 plus years of technology
PR experience required. The ideal candidate will recommend and
implement results-oriented public relations programs in line
with clients' goals and budgets. Welz & Weisel Communications
offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits. Send
resumes to
evan@w2comm.com
___________________
Direct Marketing Executive
- Boston
We are looking for a marketing professional with 2-4 years
direct marketing
agency experience to plan and implement the retention direct
marketing
initiatives at a dynamic e-commerce company. For more
information, call
617 971-0300. Send inquiries to
info@market-search.net
___________________
Director,
Business Development Real-Time Publishing Services
This positions primary focus will be developing business deals
with major on-
line publishers, advertising networks, and related technology
partners.
Candidates should have experience with technology partnerships
and market
development supporting the business of Internet publishing,
blogging, and/or
rich media. Technology coverage should include RSS/ATOM, Blog/News
readers, Content Aggregation, Internet web services, and
enterprise website
products. Send resumes to
mdriscoll@verisign.com
___________________
SVP Internet Marketing
Candidate Requirements: Exceptional skills at guerrilla
marketing, search engine optimization, web marketing, database
marketing, end-user experience, and search engine marketing.
We are targeting executives that are coming from either a
consumer services or business services company who have
managed the internet as a sales channel. Send resumes to:
marketing@cxosearch.net
___________________
MidemNet Forum at MIDEM - Cannes, France
- January 21-22, 2006
The World's Annual Forum for Digital & Mobile Music. Confirmed
keynotes to date are NTT DoCoMo SVP Takeshi Natsuno ; Warner Music
Group EVP Digital Strategy & Business Development Alex Zubillaga ;
EMI Group Chairman Eric Nicoli ; Ken Lombard, President of Starbucks
Entertainment ; Patricia Langrand, EVP Content Division for France
Telecom and Nokia's EVP and GM Multimedia Anssi Vanjoki. For its
2006 edition, MidemNet forum will welcome both the world's leading
digital music experts and global authorities on mobile music.
Register on www.midem.com
before
December 20 and save € 350 on your MidemNet Forum + MIDEM
registration.
___________________
The 64 Second Film Contest
- Judge Now
Film
Fanatics, Digital Hipsters, Mixmasters, Photophiles.
Check out the best 64-second films at
www.64seconds.com.
Make sure to get in your vote by December 18th. Your voice will help chose the best films and send a
movie-mogul-in-the-making to Hollywood.
___________________ |
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About Us
Digital Media Wire, Inc. is a news organization,
publisher and events company serving the digital media industry
since May 2000. Our daily newsletter delivers original briefings on
business, legal and financial developments shaping digital media and
read by over 30,000 executives and professionals.
Digital Media
Wire, Inc. is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international
network of publications that includes Potomac Tech Wire, New England
Tech Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire, Tri-state Tech
Wire, Thames Tech Wire and European Tech Wire. The network reaches
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day.
For more information, visit our network of sites:
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www.europeantechwire.com
Executive & Editorial Team
CEO &
Publisher: Ned Sherman
Co-Founder & Executive Editor: Paul Sherman
VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than Sherman
Editor: Mark
Hefflinger
Contact Us
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Copyright 2005 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All
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