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Antitrust Talks Between Microsoft and European Commission Fail

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2004 - 5:07am.
Brussels -- Negotiations between Microsoft and the European Commission came to a halt on Thursday after EC Competition Commissioner Mario Monti confirmed that a settlement on the U.S. software giant's allegedly anti-competitive behaviour has "not been possible". In a statement, Monti said that Microsoft and the Commission had made "substantial progress towards resolving the problems which have arisen in the past," but admitted that they were "unable to agree on commitments for future conduct". "In the end, I had to decide what was best for competition and consumers in Europe," Monti said. "I believe they will be better served with a decision that creates a strong precedent." The news means that Microsoft now faces hundreds of millions of dollars in fines when the Commission publishes its final ruling on March 24. Microsoft is expected to appeal the decision and appears to be planning for a protracted legal battle. "Today is just another step in what could be a long process," said chief lawyer Brad Smith in a statement. "Perhaps the courts will provide the clarity that is necessary to resolve these issues."
tags: Europe | Microsoft | Antitrust | Commission |

Report: 75% of Americans Have Home Internet Access

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2004 - 5:07am.
New York -- Nearly 75%, or 204.3 million Americans now have home Internet access, a 9% increase over the 66% who were online in February 2003, according to data released on Thursday by New York-based Internet audience measurement firm Nielsen/NetRatings. Women represented a higher portion of Web surfers, as 82% of those aged 35-54 are now online, as opposed to 80% of men in the same age group; among those aged 25-34, 77% of women are online while 75.6% of men have home Internet access. "In just a handful of years, online access has managed to gain the type of traction that took other mediums decades to achieve," said Kenneth Cassar, director of strategic analysis for Nielsen//NetRatings.
tags: Internet | Reports | America | Access |

Romanian Microsoft Programmer Claims Kazaa Ownership; Sues Sharman

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2004 - 5:06am.
Los Angeles -- A Romanian programmer who now lives in Redmond and works for Microsoft has sued Sharman Networks, claiming he wrote the code for the Kazaa file-sharing software, and is seeking $25 million in compensation and rights to Kazaa, the Associated Press reported. Fabian Toader says he wrote the code behind Kazaa in 2000 under a freelance agreement with Kazaa B.V., which sold the rights to the software to Sharman Networks in 2002. "Sharman has made millions using my software," Toader said in a statement. "I just want to be fairly compensated for my contribution." Although Toader never signed a contract with Kazaa B.V., he now claims that under U.S. and Romanian copyright laws, he is the rightful owner of Kazaa. "The work done by Fabian Toader on early versions of the Kazaa Media Desktop software was done under a work-for-hire agreement that expressly states that Kazaa B.V. owned all rights to any work related to the development of the software," Sharman spokesman Rich Chernela told AP.
tags: Microsoft | Kazaa | ownership | Romanian | Sharman |

Sony to Launch Personalized Streaming Radio Service for Cell Phones

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2004 - 5:05am.
Los Angeles -- Sony has announced plans to launch a personalized streaming radio service for mobile phones, which will offer pre-programmed channels as well as a customization feature that will gradually learn a user's preferences and adapt the playlist over time. Sony will first launch the service in Finland in April with TeliaSonera, but said it is talking to most European wireless network operators. The mobile streaming radio service will work with phones running the Symbian operating system on GPRS networks, offering sub-CD sound quality at 16 kbps. Robert Ashcroft, Sony Europe's head of network applications and content services, told Reuters that network operators are expected to charge between $12 and $18 per month for the service.
tags: Radio | Sony | Cell Phones | Personalized |

Microsoft Portable Media Center Devices to Debut in Europe in Late 2004

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2004 - 5:03am.
London -- Microsoft announced on Thursday that the first portable audio and video playback devices to use its new Portable Media Center software will be released in Europe in the second half of 2004. Microsoft has said that the devices are aimed at the portable market currently dominated by Apple's iPod, but will also play video and be able to store and display digital photos. Consumer electronics firms Creative Technology and iRiver will introduce 20GB and 40GB models of the Microsoft-powered devices. Creative's device will retail for between $700 and $800, weigh 11.5 ounces, and be roughly three times as thick and twice as long as an iPod, Reuters reported.
tags: Europe | Microsoft | Debut | Portable | Media Center |

Broadband Media Delivery Firm Maven Networks Raises $10 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2004 - 5:02am.
Cambridge, Mass. -- Maven Networks, a provider of broadband media delivery technology, announced on Thursday that it has raised $10 million in its second round of venture capital financing. Accel Partners led the investment round, in which General Catalyst Partners also participated. The company's software, which allows businesses to transmit full-screen video with contextual interaction, is used by customers including Virgin Records, Twentieth Century Fox, National Geographic and AtomFilms. Massachusetts-based Maven will use the funds for product development and to expand its sales organization and marketing programs, establishing new offices in Silicon Valley and New York City.
tags: VC | Broadband | Maven Networks | Media Delivery |