Archives

Date

Hollywood, Tech Firms Agree On DVD Copying, Content Protection

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 14, 2004 - 6:09am.
Los Angeles -- A consortium of Hollywood movie and TV firms and technology companies have reached an agreement that will allow high-definition video programming to be legally copied for personal use, while at the same time ensuring that programs and other content cannot be pirated over home networks. Currently, its is illegal to defeat the copyright protections on DVDs to make back-up copies for personal use, while TiVo and other services allow for limited recording of TV shows and movies. Members of the group, which is expected to formally announce its agreement at an upcoming Content Protection Technology Working Group (CPTWG) meeting, are said to include IBM, Intel, Sony, Microsoft, Warner Bros., Walt Disney and Matsushita. The consortium has developed a new content protection technology, dubbed the "Advanced Access Content System," which is expected to become available for licensing later this year.
tags: Hollywood | Tech Firms | DVD Copying | Content Protection |

Judge Allows Infringement Case Against Napster Investors to Move Forward

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 14, 2004 - 6:07am.
San Francisco -- A federal judge has denied motions to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that companies that invested in Napster during its early years, such as Bertelsmann and venture capital firm Hummer Winblad, could be held liable for copyright infringement for keeping the company afloat. U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel on Wednesday ruled to allow the case to continue through the discovery process, where record labels and others could present evidence arguing that Bertelsmann's $90 million investment in Napster in 2000 cost them millions in lost sales due to copyright infringement. "By investing both millions of dollars and management resources in Napster, which was an illegal enterprise built on the unlawful distribution of copyrighted works, Bertelsmann and Hummer Winblad enabled and encouraged the wholesale theft of copyrighted music," Jeanne Meyer, a spokeswoman for major label EMI, told Reuters. "Our position remains that those allegations are not factually true and will be disproven through the discovery process," Bertelsmann attorney Bruce Rich told Reuters.
tags: Napster | Infringement | Judge | Move Forward |

Acacia Suffers Setback in Streaming Patent Infringement Lawsuit

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 14, 2004 - 5:31am.
Los Angeles -- A company claiming to hold patents on basic streaming media technology was delivered a blow on Monday, when a federal court judge essentially ruled several of its patent claims to be invalid, The Los Angeles Times reported. Acacia Research, which has already won licenses for its technology from Disney, Playboy, Radio Free Virgin and over 100 others, responded by saying that several of its claims are still intact, and that the judge has still not heard from expert witnesses on any of its claims. "This is one step in what is typically a long process," said Acacia chairman Paul Ryan. "We continue to believe that we have strong arguments of infringement." Acacia sued a number of adult website operators after they refused to license its technology; U.S. District Judge James Ware filed the preliminary order against Acacia on Monday. The company also has a patent lawsuit pending against the nation's top cable and satellite TV operators, including Comcast and DirecTV. "We're pleased that the court saw, frankly, a lot of it our way," Jonathan Singer, an attorney for nine of the adult sites sued by Acacia, told The Times. The next oral arguments in the case will likely be heard in the fall, with decisions coming in the following months. Acacia's shares were down 37% Tuesday on news of the ruling.
tags: Law | Patent | Infringement | Acacia |

Report: Nintendo DS to Launch in U.S. Nov. 11 With $180 Price Tag

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 14, 2004 - 5:30am.
London -- Citing unconfirmed reports from Japanese retailers, GamesIndustry.biz reports that Nintendo plans to release its DS handheld gaming device -- a successor to its popular Game Boy Advance -- in the U.S. on Nov. 11, with a price tag of $180. The report added that the device will first ship in Japan on Nov. 4, with an array of five or six games initially available and 11 planned for release by the end of 2004. Nintendo has said that it aims to sell three million DS consoles worldwide by March 2005, the end of its fiscal year.
tags: Reports | Nintendo | DS | U.S |

Sirius Satellite Radio Hits 500,000 Subscribers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 14, 2004 - 5:29am.
New York -- Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, announced on Wednesday that it has passed the 500,000 subscriber mark. "In the second half of the year, we expect to attract many additional subscribers as more consumers recognize our premium programming, and tune-in to our broadcasts of live, play-by-play coverage of NFL games. Plus, with the tripling of our sales outlets to over 20,000, Sirius products will be available in more stores than ever before," said Sirius CEO Joseph Clayton. Sirius also said on Wednesday that Chrysler has increased its order for satellite radios to include 11 vehicles. Sirius reiterated that it expects to have 1 million subscribers by the end of the year. By contrast, rival XM Satellite Radio reached 500,000 subscribers in April 2003 and currently claims 2.1 million subscribers.
tags: Satellite Radio | Subscribers | Sirius |