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ArchivesMicrosoft Asks European Court to Suspend Antitrust RulingAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2004 - 8:21am.
Luxembourg -- Microsoft appeared before the European Court of First Instance on Thursday and asked for the suspension of the EU's recent antitrust ruling against the U.S.-based software giant. Microsoft lawyers argued that complying with the ruling and sharing software codes with its competitors in Europe would do "irreversible" harm to the company and asked the court to suspend the ruling pending its appeal. "The insights revealed will be revealed forever, regardless of contractual safeguards," Microsoft lawyer Ian Forrester told the Court. "The bell once rung cannot be un-rung." Microsoft also argued that the early implementation of the ruling was not necessary to protect competitors. In March, the European Commission ruled that Microsoft had violated EU antitrust laws and ordered the company to pay a record fine of $600 million, provide rivals with software codes and offer a version of Windows without Media Player. Microsoft is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday.
Senate Postpones Vote on Controversial File-Sharing BanAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2004 - 8:19am.
Washington -- The U.S. Senate has postponed a vote on a controversial copyright bill scheduled for Thursday, the "Induce Act," which would effectively ban peer-to-peer file-sharing networks and most any technology that could be used to "induce" users to commit copyright infringement. In recent weeks, the Senate has heard opposition to the proposed legislation voiced by groups including The American Conservative Union, National Taxpayers Union, Public Knowledge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Mobile Game Publisher Jamdat Raises $88.8 Million in IPOAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2004 - 8:17am.
Los Angeles -- Mobile game publisher Jamdat Mobile saw its shares rise 41% yesterday in its initial public offering (IPO), which sold 5.55 million shares at a price of $16 per share. The company's stock finished at $22.51 on Wednesday, the first day of trading; its market capitalization is now $439 million. Proceeds from the offering are estimated to be $88.8 million. Los Angeles-based Jamdat sells games for cell phones, like its popular "Jamdat Bowling," in 39 countries through nearly 80 wireless carriers, including Verizon and Sprint.
Nintendo: Game Boy Advance SP Sales Up 70% Since Price CutAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2004 - 8:15am.
Redmond, Wash. -- Nintendo of America said on Thursday that, since slashing the price of its Game Boy Advance SP handheld to $79 on Sept. 2, the device has seen sales jump 70%. The company also announced that its "Pokemon FireRed" and "Pokemon LeafGreen" titles for the device have combined sold more than a million units since their release on Sept. 7. Nintendo credits the success of the Pokemon titles partly to the new Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which contains wireless communication technology from Austin, Texas-based Freescale Semiconductor, that lets players trade and battle their Pokemon characters and instant message one another.
Animation Studio Wild Brain Inks 3D CGI Movie Deal With Dimension FilmsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2004 - 8:13am.
San Francisco -- Wild Brain, a creator of animated entertainment, announced on Thursday that it is branching out into CGI animated feature-length films, having signed a multi-year co-production agreement with Miramax's Dimension Films. The company also named former Warner Bros. president of worldwide theatrical business operations Jim Miller as chairman. The first film under the deal with Dimension will be "Opus," based on the penguin character from artist Berkeley Breathed's comic strip, "Bloom County." San Francisco-based Wild Brain's credits include 15 TV series, such as HBO's "Spawn" and "Higglytown Heroes" for The Disney Channel.
Ecast, Pronto Networks Add Wi-Fi Service to Internet-Connected JukeboxesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2004 - 8:11am.
Las Vegas -- Ecast, a maker of Internet-connected digital jukeboxes installed in bars and restaurants, announced on Thursday that it has partnered with Wi-Fi network provider Pronto Networks to offer wireless Internet access through its jukeboxes. The Ecast Unplugged service will allow bar and restaurant patrons at locations with Ecast jukeboxes to bring their laptops and surf the Internet and access email and instant messaging. The system will also feature a separate, secure port for connecting other broadband-enabled devices like ATMs, credit card authorization machines, business computers and coin-operated devices.
U.S. House Approves Three-Year Prison Terms for File-SwappersAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 29, 2004 - 8:56am.
Washington -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved legislation that would provide three-year prison terms for file-swappers, and direct federal agents to actively target those who offer songs on peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa. Under the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act, the FBI would be called on to educate the public on copyright laws, and be empowered to send warnings to people suspected of committing copyright infringement on file-sharing networks; those who were found to be sharing more than 1,000 songs would face prosecution. A similar bill has already passed in the Senate, but differences in the two will need to be worked out before the president could sign it into law. The House bill would also provide a three-year prison term for anyone who brings a camcorder into a movie theater to pirate a film. Another provision protects companies that that have invented technological means of editing out sex and violence from films, for the benefit of parents and more conservative viewers.
SoundExchange Seeks 38,000 Artists Owed $1 Million in Unclaimed RoyaltiesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 29, 2004 - 8:53am.
New York -- SoundExchange, the recording industry non-profit set up to collect and distribute royalties to record labels and artists from satellite, Internet and cable TV radio music broadcasts, has announced that it is seeking over 38,000 artists who are owed around $1 million in unclaimed royalties. If the artists in question -- who include The Shangri-Las ("Leader of the Pack") and Black Sheep ("The Choice is Yours") -- do not step forward by Dec. 31, their royalties will be forfeited into a general pool that covers SoundExchange administrative costs and is also re-distributed to member record labels and artists. SoundExchange, which has distributed nearly $16 million in royalties since 2000, said payouts range from $10 to about $6,000 per artist. "I am very pleased that SoundExchange has signed up thousands of artists. Our search, however, has made us realize how many thousands more we still must find," said SoundExchange executive director John Simson. "Today we are launching our most aggressive effort to locate and pay the deserving artists who are either unaware of their new right or who have not come forward to claim their earnings." Artists are encouraged to visit SoundExchange.com to determine if they are owed royalties for digital performances of their music for the period between 1996 and 2000.
Apple to Launch iTunes Stores in More European Countries Next MonthAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 29, 2004 - 8:51am.
Berlin -- Apple Computer plans to expand its iTunes digital music store into additional European countries in October, but declined to name which countries will be included in the expansion, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The company currently operates iTunes stores in the U.K., France and Germany. "We are well on pace to launch more EU stores. We will do it next month," Apple vice president of applications Eddie Cue said at the Popkomm conference in Berlin. "It will cover a good portion of Western Europe." Apple's iTunes stores in the U.S. and Europe have to date sold more than 125 million downloads.
Judge Throws Out Federal Ban on Sale of Live Concert BootlegsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 29, 2004 - 8:49am.
New York -- A federal judge in New York has struck down a 1994 law that made it illegal to sell bootleg recordings of live concert performances, Billboard.com reported. U.S. District Judge Harold Baer Jr. threw out the indictment of Jean Martignon, a Manhattan woman who runs a mail-order bootleg business called Midnight Records. In his ruling, Baer Jr. said the anti-bootleg law went beyond standard laws regarding studio recordings because it placed no time limit on the ban; copyrights on studio recordings expire 70 years after the author's death. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said the decision "stands in marked contrast to existing law and prior decisions that have determined that Congress was well within its constitutional authority to adopt legislation that prevented trafficking in copies of unauthorized recordings of live performances." The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan has not yet said if it will appeal the ruling.
Sony to Release Wireless Broadband Portable TV SetsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 29, 2004 - 8:29am.
Toronto -- Japanese electronics giant Sony has introduced a portable, wireless TV set that can receive TV signals and music over the Internet from anywhere. Sony will begin selling two models of its LocationFree TV in Canada next month -- a $1,965 model with a 12-inch LCD touch screen, and $1,258 model with a 7-inch screen. The devices feature a carrying handle, 2 to 3-hour rechargeable battery, Memory Stick media slot and Ethernet port. They can surf the Web and check e-mail, but do not feature a hard disk drive, as Sony says the device can program home PCs to record TV content that may then be downloaded to the LocationFree TV over the Internet for viewing.
Loudeye Expands P2P Anti-Piracy Service to European MarketAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 29, 2004 - 8:27am.
Berlin -- Loudeye, a provider of streaming song samples and other digital media services, announced on Wednesday that it has launched its Overpeer anti-piracy service in the European marketplace. The service, which will be distributed through Loudeye's European OD2 subsidiary, promises "99% effectiveness in preventing the illegal sharing of digital media across peer-to-peer networks." Seattle-based Loudeye said that Overpeer currently protects more than 60,000 digital entertainment titles, and that each month it averages 25 billion digital download hits against its servers, blocking distribution of copyrighted material across 200 million unique user sessions.
Virgin Group Launches Music Download Service in U.S.Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:33am.
London -- Virgin Group joined a growing list of companies on Monday when it launched its new Virgin Digital music download service in the U.S., offering songs at 99 cents apiece and a monthly subscription service for $7.99. The company said it would also offer streaming radio with Radio Free Virgin, as well as a range of portable device management tools. Virgin Digital said it would eventually offer the service outside of the U.S., but did not provide specific dates thereof. Virgin Digital, a unit of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, downplayed the fact that a large number of players already offer similar services in the U.S. and elsewhere. "We don't see this as crowded," said Virgin Digital president Zack Zalon. "It's not saturated at all, and there is tremendous growth potential." Zalon also said that Virgin was taking a long-term approach to the market and that it expected to be a "significant player" within five years.
FT: Microsoft to Argue that EU Assessment of Market "Incorrect"Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:30am.
Brussels -- The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Microsoft plans to argue that the European Commission's antitrust ruling against the U.S. software giant was misguided because the European market for media players is far more varied than the Commission previously claimed. In March, the EU found Microsoft in breach of European antitrust laws; Microsoft's appeal of that decision will be heard in court later this week. Microsoft told the Financial Times that "much of the evidence that the Commission presents on this issue is incorrect". What's more, Microsoft told the Financial Times that "all signs point to a growing, vibrant media player market, with neither media players nor media formats showing any signs of 'tipping' to Microsoft technologies". As proof positive of its claim, the company cited the introduction of new music services by Apple and Sony and Yahoo's recent acquisition of Musicmatch.
U.K. Government Approves BBC Technology Sale to SiemensAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:28am.
London -- U.K. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has approved the sale of BBC Technology to Siemens AG, a German engineering and IT firm, for 2 billion pounds ($3.6 billion). Siemens will now provide the BBC's technology unit with a wide range of services covering IT, business systems, application development, network servers, telephony and even broadcast technology. In a letter sent to BBC Technology staff last Friday, Jowell said that she had found "no legitimate reason" to stop the sale, which the BBC claims will save it more than 30 million pounds ($54 million) a year in IT costs. Even so, local trade union BECTU, which has opposed the sale since its proposal last November, lamented Jowell's decision, saying it was "certainly not good" for the BBC in the long term. "This isn't just the BBC selling off one of its Crown Jewels," said BECTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Morrissey in a statement. "It's a case of handing its central nervous system over to the private sector."
Report: CDs to Still Dominate in 2009; Digital Music Will Be 8% of MarketAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:26am.
London -- Compact discs will continue to dominate the recorded music market for at least the next five years, while digital music downloads will slowly increase their market share, according to a report from New York-based market research firm Jupiter Research. The firm predicted that Europeans will spend about $1 billion on digital music in 2009, including downloads and subscription services, but this will make up only 8% of the overall $12.6 billion music market there. By contrast, rival research firm Forrester predicted recently that digital music would make up 30% of the overall European market by 2009. "Digital music distribution will be an important alternative revenue channel for the music industry, but it is not about to replace the CD," said Jupiter Research analyst Mark Mulligan. "Although Europe's digital music market has finally begun to take off after a sluggish start, it will remain a relatively niche market."
Comcast to Divest from Time Warner Cable BusinessAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:24am.
San Francisco -- Comcast, the nation's largest provider of cable TV and Internet services, said that it has reached a deal with Time Warner allowing the company to divest its stake in Time Warner's cable business. Comcast owns a 21% stake in Time Warner Cable, which it bought as part of its acquisition of AT&T's cable systems in 2002. Comcast hopes to sell its stake through a public offering of shares, but such a transaction will not occur before six months from now, the company announced.
Report: Washington Post May Acquire Microsoft Webzine SlateAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:22am.
Washington -- The Washington Post Company is reportedly close to acquiring Microsoft online news site Slate, according to a story on the New York magazine website. Microsoft put Slate on the market in July, saying that it was seeking an owner "where the rest of their businesses are more aligned." The New York Times reportedly was interested, but has since decided to pass on the deal. New York Magazine said that the Post is attracted to Slate's talent pool, as well as its "smart-people-procrastinating-at-work readership." Both Slate and the Post declined to comment.
Infinium Labs Postpones Phantom Game Console Launch Until 2005Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:18am.
Sarasota, Fla. -- Infinium Labs, developer of a PC-based broadband gaming console, has announced that it has postponed the release of its Phantom gaming service from November until some time in 2005. "The decision was at the request of both its retail and marketing partners, who have told Infinium that they want more time to plan merchandising activities for the new games-on-demand service," the company said in a statement. The company did not provide a new launch date for the service, which will provider gamers with free hardware in return for subscribing to the broadband game delivery service. "Retailers gear their fourth quarter holiday promotions around gift-giving opportunities," Infinium president Kevin Bachus told GamesIndustry.biz, "and they feel, as we do, that our service will not be bought primarily as a gift for someone else. It will more likely be a self-purchase."
tags: Infinium Labs | Phantom Game Console |
Electronic Arts Sells Record 1 Million Copies of "The Sims 2"in 10 DaysAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:10am.
Redwood City, Calif. -- Video game publisher Electronic Arts announced that its "The Sims 2" PC game sold over one million copies worldwide in its first 10 days of release, marking the biggest PC game launch in the company's history. EA said that over half of the units were sold in Europe. "The Sims franchise has become a cultural phenomenon and The Sims 2 is a game that changes the way we think about our industry," said EA senior vice president of marketing Frank Gibeau. The game is the sequel to "The Sims," which is the top-selling PC game of all time. EA also offers a somewhat less popular online version of the game, "The Sims Online." Redwood City, Calif.-based Electronic Arts plans to release "The Urbz: Sims in the City" for PlayStation 2 in November, featuring a soundtrack produced by hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas.
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