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ArchivesVerizon Appeals Ruling Ordering Subscriber Data Turned Over to RIAAAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 31, 2003 - 4:22am.
Washington -- Internet service provider Verizon on Thursday filed a motion in federal court asking for a stay of a judge's ruling ordering the company to turn over the identity of an alleged online music file-trader to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The company also filed an appeal of the District Court's ruling with the U.S. Court of Appeals. "Verizon will use every legal means to protect its subscribers' privacy," said John Thorne, senior vice president and deputy general counsel for Verizon. "If this ruling stands, consumers will be caught in a digital dragnet -- not only from record companies alleging infringement of their copyright monopolies -- but from anyone who can fill out a simple form." Thorne refers to the relatively hassle-free process by which the RIAA asked for the alleged pirate's identity; Verizon has argued that the RIAA and others seeking personal data on its subscribers should have to first file a "John Doe" lawsuit -- a much more tedious legal process. In its efforts to protect the subscriber's privacy, Verizon has garnered support from groups including the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Alert, National Consumers League, U.S. Internet Industry Association, Alliance for Public Technology and Telecommunications Research and Action Center. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030130/nyth146_1.html
Survey: 'Net An Important Information Source, Though Credibility SketchyAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 31, 2003 - 4:22am.
Los Angeles -- A survey of U.S. Internet users has found that while people are increasingly turning to the Internet as a source of news and entertainment, they are retaining a level of skepticism as to the validity of information they find online. The survey, conducted by the UCLA Center for Communication Policy, found that of the 71.1 percent of Americans who report using the Internet, 61 percent consider it a "very" or "extremely" important source of information, compared with 60 percent for books; 58 percent for newspapers; 50 percent for television; 40 percent for radio and 29 percent for magazines. However, only 52.8 percent of users said they found "most" or "all" of the information they found online to be "credible," down from 58 percent last year. The survey also found that Internet users average 11 hours per week online, up one hour from the previous year. 'Net users also average 11 hours of TV-watching per week -- down an hour from 2001 -- and an average of 5 hours less than those who don't use the Internet.
Music Choice, Record Industry Groups Reach Settlement on Music RoyaltiesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 31, 2003 - 4:20am.
Horsham, Penn. -- Music Choice, a provider of digital music programming to cable and satellite TV operators, announced on Friday that it has reached a joint settlement with key music industry groups for royalty rates and terms through 2007, averting the need for a federal arbitration proceeding. Parties to the settlement, which will apply to the period between Jan. 1, 2002 and Dec. 31, 2007, included the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and American Federation of Musicians (AFM). Terms of the settlement will also apply to fellow music subscription services DMX Music and Muzak. The U.S. Copyright Office must now officially ratify the terms of the agreement before SoundExchange, a recording industry entity, may begin collecting royalties and distributing them to artists, record companies and other copyright holders
Danish Library Service Offering Free Music Downloads to PatronsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 31, 2003 - 4:20am.
Copenhagen -- The Copenhagen Post reported on Friday on a new nationwide Danish library service that lets patrons browse and download songs from a 700-track catalog -- including major label artists -- for free. The site, nicknamed "Project Nemus," requires prospective users to register and download a proprietary music player that expires each song download after 30 days, making them unplayable. A limited version of the service has been offered since November 2002 by the Danish Library Service, which said around 900 patrons had used it before its recent nationwide launch.
Infogrames Sells Mac Video Game Publishing Unit to DestineerAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 31, 2003 - 4:18am.
New York -- Video game publisher Infogrames announced on Friday that it has sold its Apple Macintosh game publishing unit, MacSoft, to Minneapolis-based game developer Destineer. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "We are focusing our attention on our biggest growth areas: PC and video games," said Paul Rinde, senior vice president and general manager of Infogrames' Minneapolis studio, which included the MacSoft label. Infogrames said the majority of its MacSoft employees will become employees of Destineer. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030130/nyth140_1.html
MusicMatch Licenses Maverick Records Catalog for Subscription ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 31, 2003 - 4:17am.
San Diego -- MusicMatch, a provider of digital music player software and operator of music subscription services, announced on Friday that it has licensed Maverick Records' catalog for inclusion in its Artist On Demand interactive streaming radio service. The agreement gives the 115,000 subscribers to San Diego-based MusicMatch's service access to songs from artists including the Deftones, Alanis Morissette and Paul Oakenfold.
AOL Time Warner Sees $99 Billion Loss; Ted Turner Leaves as Vice ChairmanAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:30am.
Dulles, Va. -- Struggling media conglomerate AOL Time Warner reported on Wednesday that, for the full year, the company posted a net loss of $98.7 billion -- reportedly the largest annual loss in U.S. corporate history. The loss is attributed mainly to Internet service America Online, for which the company posted a $45.5 billion writedown in the fourth quarter alone. The news resulted in AOL Time Warner's stock plunging 13.9 percent on Thursday. The company also announced that, following a rash of management changes, CNN founder Ted Turner plans to step down as vice chairman of the company in May. "It will allow him to devote more time to his philanthropic and other interests," said AOL CEO Richard Parsons. Turner merged his Atlanta-based media and sports company with Time Warner, prior to the merger with AOL. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030129/292557_1.html
Japanese Labels Win Copyright Judgment Against FileRogue P2P ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:28am.
Geneva -- The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an international recording industry trade group, announced on Thursday that The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) secured a judgment against Japanese peer-to-peer service FileRogue. A Japanese court ruled that FileRogue, operated by Japan MMO, violated RIAJ member label copyrights and must pay damages, which will be determined at a later hearing. The RIAJ and Japanese authors' society JASRAC initially sued FileRogue in November 2001. "Today's ruling will significantly help in preventing Japan from degenerating into a 'pirate paradise' in the borderless world of the Internet," the RIAJ said in a statement. "Online music piracy causes substantial damage to record companies, artists and others in the music business," added IFPI general counsel Allen Dixon. "The Japan MMO decision helps to get this point across, and is fully consistent with the growing international consensus that putting other people's music on the Internet is illegal."
Electronic Arts Reports Record Earnings, Weak Sales for "The Sims Online"Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:28am.
Redwood City, Calif. -- Video game developer Electronic Arts has reported record earnings for its third quarter, which included the 2002 holiday shopping season, posting net income of $250.22 million, or $1.69 a share, compared with $132.29 million and 92 cents a share in its third quarter last year. The company also revealed that it has signed up only 82,000 subscribers thus far for "The Sims Online," the online version of its million-selling PC simulation game franchise, since its release on Dec. 17. EA had expected to sign up 200,000 for the $10 monthly game by the end of March. "The level of content we'll have in this product by April, we'd like to have had that at launch," Electronic Arts COO John Riccitiello told analysts in a conference call. "We probably made an error in expectations. We feel great about the intellectual property, and we expected the transfer to an online model to be a quick hit in the marketplace." Redwood City, Calif.-based Electronic Arts also announced that versions of "The Sims" for Xbox and GameCube are currently in development and will be released this spring. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030129/290352_1.html
AOL Time Warner Sells Hughes Stake for $800 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:27am.
Germantown, Md. -- AOL Time Warner has sold its stake in Hughes Electronics, which operates the DirecTV satellite TV network, in an effort to help pay down its massive debt, The Wall Street journal reported on Wednesday. The company reportedly sold its 8.4 percent stake to Bank of America for $800 million. AOL Time Warner has discussed selling some of its non-core assets, such as its book publishing division and sports franchises, to reduce its $26 billion debt. In December, EchoStar Communications terminated its proposed $19 billion merger with Hughes after facing government opposition. The deal would have created the largest satellite television company in the world, combining Hughes' DirecTV with EchoStar's Dish Network.
XM Satellite Radio Closes on $475 Million Financing PackageAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:26am.
Washington, DC -- Days after completing a tender offer for its existing notes, DC-based XM Satellite Radio, the operator of a nationwide subscription satellite radio service, said that it has closed on its previously announced $475 million funding package from General Motors and a group of investors. The package consists of $225 million in new funds from investors and $250 million in payment deferrals and related credit facilities. Calling the deal "a critical milestone in XM's road to becoming a major entertainment company," Hugh Panero, XM president and CEO, said that the company is now on track to reach cashflow breakeven in 2004.
Report: DVD Market Poised for Continued Strong GrowthAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:24am.
Tiburon, Calif. -- Despite a downturn in the technology sector the DVD market is poised for continued strong growth, a new report by Tiburon, Calif.-based Jon Peddie Research concludes. The report projects that the total number of DVD systems in 2006 will be over 420 million units, with the market growing at a 31.4 percent compound annual growth rate. The firm said the numbers should be good news for the computer, consumer electronics, automotive and semiconductor industries. Since DVDs players started shipping in Japan in 1996, the medium has enjoyed meteoric growth. Prices of players have fallen from $504 in July 1998 to $129 in December 2002, with some units going for as low as $59. http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=CpJDF0bKbytaYmZC
Taiwanese Broadband Entertainment Firm GigaMedia Gets Delisting NoticeAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:24am.
Taipei, Taiwan -- GigaMedia, a provider of online and off-line entertainment services in Taiwan, announced on Thursday that it has received notice from the Nasdaq that its shares are in danger of being delisted from the exchange. The company's shares have hovered near the Nasdaq's $1 minimum for nearly a year. GigaMedia requested a hearing before the Nasdaq, but said its shares may move to the SmallCap Market. In addition to operating a broadband ISP and entertainment portal, GigaMedia also operates two of the largest record store chains in Taiwan.
Report: U.S. Broadband to Grow 40% in 2003; European Homes Doubled in '02Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:41am.
Boston -- The number of U.S. households connecting to the Internet via a high-speed broadband service will increase by more than 40 percent during 2003, rising from 17.9 million homes today to 25.3 million homes by the end of this year, according to a forecast from Boston-based Strategy Analytics. The report also predicts that by the end of 2008, broadband subscribers will soar to 64 million, serving 59 percent of all U.S. homes "Over the next five years, high-speed access will become the norm for residential Internet users as broadband becomes more widely available, more flexibly priced and a more powerful vehicle for new kinds of entertainment, content and services," said Strategy Analytics' James Penhune. The firm also reports the number of broadband households in Western Europe more than doubled in 2002, adding 6.3 million new customers for a total of almost 12 million, or 1 out of every 13 homes. Belgium has the highest rate of broadband penetration, at 1 in every 5 households.
FBI, Secret Service Probe Hacker Attacks on RIAA WebsiteAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:39am.
Washington -- An FBI spokesman confirmed for Reuters that the FBI and Secret Service have launched a probe into a hack of the Recording Industry of America (RIAA) website, which has been off-line since Friday. A shell of the site's homepage -- which contained no active links -- was all that was available from RIAA.org on Wednesday afternoon. The site has been a favored target for hackers, partly due to the RIAA's steadfast efforts to shut down popular peer-to-peer file-sharing services. "How pathetic that those who want free music don't believe in free speech," RIAA spokesperson Amy Weiss told Reuters.
Yahoo Launches Premium LAUNCHcast Web Radio Subscription ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:39am.
Santa Monica, Calif. -- Yahoo on Wednesday announced the launch of a premium version of its LAUNCHcast Internet radio service. LAUNCHcast Plus, available for $3.99 per month or $35.99 per year, offers commercial-free access to 50 pre-programmed niche station streams as well as the ability to create stations based on favorite artists or listen to other subscriber-created stations. The service will also be available for free to SBC Yahoo DSL and Dial customers. Earlier this week, Yahoo announced that it settled pending copyright infringement litigation between its subsidiary Launch and Sony Music, which centered on the broadcast of Sony-owned songs on the LAUNCHcast service. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030129/290110_1.html
RealNetworks Narrows Loss With 900,000 Paying SubscribersAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:38am.
Seattle -- RealNetworks, a provider of media delivery technology, on Wednesday reported a narrower loss and higher revenue than were expected for the fourth quarter, aided by a growing subscriber base for its premium services. For the year, the company said its revenues were $182.7 million and net loss was $38.4 million, or $0.24 per share. "Consumer subscription revenue grew dramatically from $28.2 million in 2001 to $75.5 million in 2002. This revenue was built on more than 80 percent growth in our paying subscriber base from the end of last year, a deepening of the content we offer consumers and release of our newest award-winning RealOne consumer player," said RealNetworks chairman and CEO Rob Glaser. Seattle-based RealNetworks said that it now claims over 900,000 paying subscribers for its premium services. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030128/sftu091_1.html
Vivendi Declines Comment on Reported Talks With Microsoft on Games UnitAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:35am.
Paris -- Vivendi Universal has declined to comment on a report in Wednesday's Financial Times that it is in talks with Microsoft that could see the U.S. software giant make an offer for Vivendi Universal Games. The report said the business, which includes games based on JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, could be worth more than $1.5 billion. It has been rumored for months that the French media group is trying to sell its games unit, which was formerly part of its publishing arm, which was sold last year. In addition to Microsoft, possible buyers include Sony and Electronic Arts.
Lindows.com Released Sub-$350 Media ComputerAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:35am.
San Diego -- Lindows.com, the Linux-based PC maker started by MP3.com founder Michael Robertson, announced on Wednesday the release of the Lindows Media Computer, intended to compete with Microsoft's XP Media Center PC. The sub-$350 computer offers playback of DVDs, music CDs, MP3 CDs and VCD format video. San Diego-based Lindows.com still faces a trademark infringement lawsuit from Microsoft, which owns the "Windows" trademark; that case is due to go to trial in April.
Report: Digital Cable TV to Reach 39 Million U.S. Homes by 2007Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2003 - 4:34am.
Boston -- Growth of services such as video-on-demand, interactive and enhanced TV, digital video recording and HDTV will propel digital cable TV services into 39 million U.S. homes by the end of 2007, according to a report released on Wednesday by Boston-based Yankee Group. An estimated 18.9 million homes were subscribed to digital cable at the end of 2002. "To attain a high level of penetration cable operators must overcome three major market hurdles," said Yankee Group analyst Aditya Kishore. "First, digital penetration is leveling off at 35 to 40 percent of subscribers. Second, high churn rates continue to plague the industry. Third, debt-burdened MSOs are under pressure to generate free cash flow, hampering their ability to rapidly conduct capital-intensive plant upgrades." Yankee Group estimated these hurdles slowed digital cable net additions to 4 million in 2002, down from 5 to 6 million net additions in the two previous years. http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230292004&ticker=
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