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Vivendi Games Unit Sued for Denying Overtime Pay to Developers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2004 - 6:43am.
Los Angeles -- Vivendi Universal Games, the video game publishing unit of the Franco-American media conglomerate that recently cut about one-third of its staff, has been sued in California by a developer who claims the company has routinely falsified employee timesheets to avoid paying overtime to workers, Reuters reported. Neil Aitken, a programmer with VU Games' Knowledge Adventure division since February 2000, says in the claim that he and fellow developers work over 12 hours per day on average, but have been denied the time-and-a-half pay for hours over 40 hours per week. While long hours and marathon coding sessions are commonplace at smaller developers in the industry, California's labor laws are strict with regard to overtime pay. "Specifically, VUG managers have instructed NonexemptProgrammers to enter 8 hours for each workday regardless of the actual number of hours worked by an employee," Aitken alleges in the suit. In addition to payment of back overtime wages, Aitken will try to establish a class action against Vivendi on behalf of other employees.
tags: Vivendi Games | Overtime Pay | Denying |

Los Angeles Enacts Curfews for Minors in Gaming Cybercafes

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2004 - 6:42am.
Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a city ordinance limiting the hours that minors can patronize Internet cafes and "PC baangs", citing school truancy and incidents of violence between teens playing video games. The law will also require cafes to install security cameras and obtain a police permit to operate. Under the new law, which will take effect by September, those under 18 will not be allowed in cybercafes on school days between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., or after 10 p.m.
tags: Minors | Los Angeles | Cybercafes | Curfews |

U.S. Seeking Extradition of Aussie Leader of DrinkOrDie Piracy Ring

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2004 - 6:38am.
San Francisco -- CNET News.com reports that U.S. authorities have succeeded in convincing Australian authorities that there is reason to extradite the alleged leader of DrinkOrDie -- a pirated games, movies, music and software ring -- to the U.S., overcoming an earlier ruling that found no extraditable offense. While several members of the group have been indicted and convicted in the U.S. and U.K., the group's Australian leader, Hew Raymond Griffiths, is the only member whom the U.S. is seeking to extradite. Griffiths would face a maximum sentence of five years in Australia if convicted, but up to ten years and a $500,000 fine if convicted in the U.S. "There is a feeling that he is being head-hunted by the U.S. authorities," Griffiths' attorney, Antony Townsden, told News.com. "I think it's good enough to say they might find it easier to get (a) prosecution if it's in another country."
tags: U.S | Aussie | DrinkOrDie | Piracy Ring |

MPAA's Valenti Resigns; Former U.S. Rep. Glickman to Succeed

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2004 - 6:36am.
Los Angeles -- Jack Valenti has announced his formal resignation as president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the movie studio trade group, after holding the position for the past 38 years. The MPAA board of directors named Dan Glickman, former Secretary of Agriculture and Congressman from Kansas, as his replacement, effective Sept. 1. During his 18-year tenure in Congress, Glickman was also a member of the House Judiciary Committee, where he sat on the Copyright and Intellectual Property Subcommittee. Jack Valenti is credited with creating the industry's voluntary movie rating system in 1968, as well as launching the MPAA's anti-piracy division in 1975, seven years before he was famously quoted as saying that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone. In recent years, Valenti has led the MPAA's actions against file-sharing networks, lobbied to increase federal penalties against pirates and "plug the analog hole," and succeeded in helping pass a law making it a crime to bring a camcorder into movie theaters.
tags: U.S | MPAA's Valenti Resigns | Glickman | Succeed |

Broadband Video Delivery Firm Kasenna Raises $15 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2004 - 6:34am.
Mountain View, Calif. -- Kasenna, a provider of broadband video delivery services for the telecom, cable, hospitality and other industries, announced on Thursday that it has raised $15 million in its latest round of venture capital financing. Key Ventures led the investment round; new investor AsiaTech Management, as well as previous investors US Venture Partners, Alloy Ventures, OM Technology Investments Partnership, Artiman Ventures, CIR Ventures and The Entrepreneurs' Fund also participated. Mountain View, Calif.-based Kasenna, which recently acquired rival ViewNow, provides IP video infrastructure, applications and video-on-demand programming for video services. The company said the new funds will take it well into profitability, as well as enable it to accelerate its expansion into cable and telco service provider markets around the world.
tags: VC | Kasenna | Broadband Video |

Digital Sheet Music Publisher Musicnotes Raises $2.3 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2004 - 6:29am.
Madison, Wisc. -- Musicnotes, a publisher of digital sheet music, announced that it has raised $2.3 million through a debt financing transaction. The company said it will use $1 million to refinance existing debt and the rest to finance working capital needs and potential acquisitions. Wisconsin-based Musicnotes recently announced that musicians have now purchased and downloaded over 500,000 digital sheet music titles from its online store, which sells works controlled by major music publishers including Warner Bros. Publications, BMG, Zomba Music and Famous Music.
tags: VC | Musics | Musicnotes | Digital Sheet |