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Indie Filmmakers Win Order Blocking MPAA Ban on Awards "Screeners"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2003 - 6:30am.
New York -- In a major victory for independent filmmakers, a federal judge in Manhattan has placed a restraining order on the Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) ban on the distribution of DVD "screener" copies of movies by film studios to awards voting societies. A group of independent filmmakers including the Independent Feature Project (IFP) sued the MPAA, which decided to impose the ban as a means of preventing piracy. U.S. District Judge Michael Mukasey agreed with the indie filmmakers, who argued they would lose revenue because of the ban, which would prevent many voters for awards such as the Golden Globes from seeing their films and garnering them added publicity and ticket sales with a win. "Plaintiffs have shown they are at risk of loss of revenues as a result of the screener ban," Judge Mukasey wrote in his ruling. The MPAA said it will appeal the ruling. "We know, without dispute, that in the past screeners have been sources for pirated goods both domestically and overseas. We will appeal because the impact and growing threat of piracy is real and must be addressed wherever it appears," said MPAA CEO Jack Valenti.
tags: Indie | Awards | MPAA | Screeners | Filmmakers |

Calif. Law Makes It a Crime to Bring Camcorders into Movie Theaters

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2003 - 6:29am.
Los Angeles -- A law will go into effect in California on Jan. 1 making it a crime to bring a camcorder into a movie theater, punishable with a one-year jail sentence and $2,500 fine, the Associated Press reported. The law, signed by former Gov. Gray Davis, will allow fellow moviegoers to make a "citizen's arrest" at the theater, with city and county law enforcement aiding the theater in apprehending the suspected pirate, "if resources permit." "These thieves are stealing from Los Angeles and are stealing from American creativity," Los Angeles city attorney Rocky Delgadillo told AP. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) says that movies pirated in theaters via a camcorder account for 92% of pirated films available on the Internet and black market.
tags: Law | Theaters | Movie | Camcorders |

Report: Consumers Expect to Pay $5 Less for Downloaded Albums vs. CDs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2003 - 6:28am.
New York -- Consumers expect to pay significantly less for a downloaded full-length album than the same album sells for on CD, according to a new survey from New York-based research firm Ipsos-Insight. The survey of 488 U.S. Internet users aged 12 and older found that consumers stated an "acceptable price range" of between $5 and $10 for a downloaded album, compared with a range of between $10 and $15 for the same album on CD. The research also found that consumers would be most likely to buy a CD from a well-known, established artist if the album were sold at the $11.99 price-point. "A roughly $5.00 decrease in the range of acceptable prices for a new, full length album distributed digitally versus in a physical format represents a significant decrease in perceived value for this product based solely on format or distribution method," said Ipsos-Insight research director Matt Kleinschmit.
tags: Downloads | Reports | Consumers | CDs | Albums |

Court to Rule on Whether Google's Keyword Ads Infringe Trademarks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2003 - 6:27am.
Mountain View, Calif. -- Search engine firm Google has asked a federal court to determine whether or not its keyword advertising system can infringe on companies' trademarks, CNET News.com reported. On Nov. 26, the company asked the U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif. for a declaratory judgment, stemming from a dispute with a company called American Blind & Wallpaper Factory, which threatened to sue Google for trademark infringement. Google's keyword advertising system allows companies to bid for placement of links to their websites next to keywords, such as "American wallpaper," that users type into the Google search engine. Although the company has agreed to remove keywords such as "eBay," which are easily identifiable trademarks, Google has denied claims for more vague references to trademarks, like "American blind." "Google seeks declaratory judgment from this court that its current policy regarding the sale of keyword-triggered advertising does not constitute trademark infringement," the company wrote in its filing.
tags: Law | Google | Trademarks | Infringe |

Japanese Firm Taito to Resurrect Classic "Space Invaders" Arcade Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2003 - 6:25am.
Tokyo -- Japanese video game maker Taito has announced that it will once again sell its classic "Space Invaders" arcade game in the U.S., in part to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the game's release. The company signed an agreement with fellow Japanese games firm Namco -- which has operations in the U.S. -- to manufacture and sell around 10,000 new "Space Invaders" machines, at about $2,800 each. "There has been a rebirth of classic video games in America," Taito spokesman Kengo Naka told Reuters. "We thought it would coincide nicely with the 25th anniversary of its debut in the U.S."
tags: Games | Japanese | Taito | Space Invaders | Arcade Game |

Bronfmans Resign from Vivendi Universal Board

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2003 - 6:24am.
Paris -- French media and entertainment conglomerate Vivendi Universal revealed this week that Edgar Bronfman Jr. -- who is currently preparing a bid for Warner Music -- and his father have resigned from the board of directors, thereby concluding what over the years has become a very rocky relationship. Industry experts have long speculated that Bronfman Jr. has been determined to regain his family's previous position in the global media industry since he failed in his attempt to acquire Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Last month, Bronfman Jr. offered $2.55 billion in cash for Warner Music.
tags: Resign | Bronfmans | Vivendi Universal Board |