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EU Issues Warning on Music-Copyright Rules for Internet

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:30am.
Brussels -- In a statement released on Monday, the European Commission (EC) told organizations that collect royalties for musicians that they may be breaking European competition rules and announced that it would launch an investigation into the matter. "The European Commission has warned 16 organizations that collect royalties on behalf of music authors that their so-called Santiago agreement is potentially in breach of EU competition rules," the Commission said. The EC voiced concerns that several cross-licensing agreements between societies had caused a de facto "lock up" of national territories, thereby extending national monopolies to the Internet. The Commission was informed of the Santiago Agreement in April 2001 by collecting societies in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K. "The Commission believes that there should be competition between collecting societies to the benefit of companies that offer music on the Internet and to consumers that listen to it," the EC said in a statement.
tags: Internet | EU | Music-Copyright |

Tennessee Colleges Reject Napster Offer for Campus Digital Music Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:29am.
Murfreesboro, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Board of Regents, which presides over 45 state universities and 180,000 students, has rejected an offer from Napster to provide a digital music subscription service at a cost of $9.99 per month per student, the Associated Press reported. Napster has launched pilot programs at both Penn State and the University of Rochester, but the financial terms of those deals call for the music service to be provided at a steep discount, according to TheRegister. The $9.99 mandatory fee, combined with the perception that illegal downloading doesn't pose a specific problem for the schools, was the reasoning for the Board's rejection of the offer, Bob Adams, the Regents' vice chancellor for business and finance, told AP.
tags: Napster | Campus | Digital Music | Tennessee Colleges |

Interactive TV Firm Liberate Technologies Files for Bankruptcy

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:28am.
San Mateo, Calif. -- Liberate Technologies, a provider of interactive TV software and services, announced on Friday that it has filed for Ch. 11 bankruptcy, in order to "resolve certain outstanding liabilities, reduce costs and strengthen its financial position," the company said. Liberate, which makes software used in advanced cable TV set-top boxes, reported $222.3 million in cash and short-term investments and $21.7 million in liabilities. The company has recently suffered an SEC probe into its accounting practices and management turnover, but said it expects to emerge from bankruptcy within 4-6 months.
tags: TV | Interactive | Liberate Technologies | Bankruptcy |

Microsoft Releases New Digital Rights Management Software

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:28am.
Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft on Monday released a new version of its digital rights management software, offering new features such as protection of subscription-based or on-demand digital music and video content. The software defines usage rights for content distributed to Windows-based PCs, portable audio and video devices, cell phones and networked devices within the home. The new Janus technology includes secure time clocks for portable devices, which enable content whose subscription has lapsed to become unplayable. "The next generation of Windows Media DRM breaks new ground for music and video services so they can offer consumers more choices and an even better experience when buying, renting or previewing premium content," said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows digital media division."
tags: Microsoft | Software | Management | New Digital |

Cablevision Launches Subscription Games On Demand Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:26am.
Bethpage, N.Y. -- Cable TV operator Cablevision on Monday launched a subscription-based video game service, available to its one million iO: Interactive Optimum digital cable customers. The seven games initially offered will soon expand to include a suite of casino-style titles, with free demos available for all games and unlimited access for $4.95 per month. The interface for the service was designed by Los Angeles-based Schematic, with games being provided by Visionik, a unit of News Corp.'s NDS.
tags: Games | Cablevision | Subscription |

Report: Video-on-Demand Orders Eclipse Pay-Per-View for First Time

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:25am.
New Orleans -- December 2003 marked the first month where orders for video-on-demand programming were greater than those for pay-per-view content, according to data from In Demand, a provider of both services to cable TV operators. In Demand noted that video-on-demand has only been available for the last two years, and in less than half as many of its subscribers' homes as pay-per-view. "We started out the year as a pay-per-view business and ended it as a VOD business," said In Demand president and CEO Steve Brenner. "Better still, the transformation of the business that began in the fourth quarter of 2003 has continued and accelerated through the first few months of 2004." The company added that movie studios are increasingly releasing titles with 30-day windows to video-on-demand, and are generating the most revenue with these newer titles.
tags: Reports | Video-on-Demand | Eclipse | First Time |

Video Compression Firm DivXNetworks Raises $7 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:24am.
San Diego, Calif. -- DivXNetworks, a provider of video compression and video-on-demand delivery technologies, announced on Monday that it has raised $7 million in its third round of venture capital financing. Zone Ventures led the investment round; WI Harper Group, Draper Atlantic, Wasatch Venture Fund, Springboard-Harper, Tim Draper, Cardinal Venture Capital, ALi Corporation and Cyberlink International Technology Corp also participated. San Diego-based DivXNetworks develops the DivX "DVD-quality" video codec, which it says has been installed on 120 million PCs and consumer electronics worldwide. The company, which is already profitable, said it will use the new funds to increase its marketing, sales, engineering and support efforts.
tags: VC | Video | DivXNetworks |

Gigex Changes Name to GameDAILY, Acquires Two Games Firms

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2004 - 3:22am.
San Francisco -- Gigex, a video game media company, announced on Monday its acquisition of GameDAILY, a daily video game industry newsletter, and Gamerfeed, a site for gaming fanatics. The merged companies will operate under the name GameDAILY. The company said its consumer site reaches over 23 million gamers each month through a syndication network of 130 affiliated sites and portals. "These acquisitions are the foundation of a leading new vertically integrated media company focused on video game entertainment for both consumers and business customers," said GameDAILY CEO Mark Friedler.
tags: Games | Gigex | GameDAILY |