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Dutch ISPs Agree to Forward Copyright Notices to File-Swappers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 14, 2005 - 5:31am.
Amsterdam -- The Associated Press reported on Monday that five Dutch Internet service providers have agreed to partly cooperate with the recording industry's efforts to target their subscribers with copyright infringement actions on peer-to-peer networks. While the ISPs stopped short of supplying the Brain Institute, a Dutch entertainment industry trade group, with the names and addresses of their alleged file-swapping subscribers -- they agreed to pass along warnings to the subscribers indicating that copyright infringement is illegal. "This is a service, a warning to clients that they are doing things that are against the law," Maaike Scholten, spokeswoman for two of the providers, HetNet and Planet Internet, told AP. Brain Institute director Tim Kuik told the Associated Press the letters would also demand that downloaders pay for songs, movies and other copyrighted content they have downloaded, and that the Brain Institute expects to eventually file suit against those who don't. "We'll see what happens to them if they don't pay," Kuik remarked.
tags: Deal | File-Swappers | ISPs | Copyright Notices |

U.K. High Court Orders ISPs to Identify 31 File-Swappers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 14, 2005 - 3:41am.
London -- The U.K. High Court has ordered local six Internet service providers (ISPs) to provide the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) with the names and addresses of 31 individuals alleged to have uploaded large numbers of music files onto peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. "Once again, the Court has accepted that BPI has evidence that file-sharers in the U.K. are infringing copyright and has ruled that the identities of these 31 individuals should be disclosed so that the BPI can take legal action," said BPI General Counsel Geoff Taylor. "(This) result is a blow for illegal uploaders who believe that the law simply does not apply to them." The BPI said it planned to contact the individuals concerned, set out the details of their infringements and offer them the opportunity to settle the case before proceedings are issued. The ISPs in question now have less than two weeks to provide the requested information.
tags: U.K | File-Swappers | ISPs | High Court |

MobiTV Signs Deal to Stream Live MLB Games to Cell Phones

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 14, 2005 - 3:37am.
New Orleans -- MobiTV, a provider of live streaming TV content for mobile phones, announced on Monday that it has signed an exclusive three-year agreement with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, to offer live streaming video and radio broadcasts of MLB games. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Last year, MobiTV offered live streaming audio of baseball games for cell phones through its Gameday Audio service. The full-game live streaming TV service, subject to blackouts in local markets, will also offer video highlights on-demand, game photos and stories, statistical leaderboards and live box scores. The MobiTV live baseball TV service, currently available for Sprint, Cingular/AT&T and Midwest Wireless subscribers with compatible handsets, is scheduled to launch on Tuesday.
tags: MobiTV | Mobiles | Live MLB Games |

Microsoft Pays $60 Million to Settle Burst.com Patent Infringement Suit

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 14, 2005 - 3:32am.
Santa Rosa, Calif. -- Burst.com, a provider of streaming media technology, announced that it has agreed to settle its patent infringement case against Microsoft, with Microsoft agreeing to pay Burst a one-time license fee of $60 million. Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Burst.com initially sued Microsoft in 2002, for patent infringement of its patented technology that accelerates the delivery of online video. "We spent over a decade developing and patenting Burst technology in anticipation of the markets that are now emerging. With this action behind us, the company will now focus on its other important opportunities," said Burst CEO Richard Lang. The company plans to put the settlement money towards paying off certain liabilities and additional patent infringement actions, and will also distribute a "substantial portion" as a cash dividend to shareholders.
tags: Microsoft | Burst.com | Infringement Suit |

Viacom, Activision Settle Litigation Over "Star Trek" Game License

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 14, 2005 - 3:25am.
Santa Monica, Calif. -- Video game publisher Activision has announced that it settled its litigation with Viacom Consumer Products over a license agreement to create video games based on Viacom's "Star Trek" property. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, other than to note that as a result, all outstanding litigation between the companies has been dropped. In its 2003 lawsuit, Santa Monica, Calif.-based Activision alleged that Viacom had allowed the Star Trek franchise to stagnate -- releasing only one film and one television series since it signed a licensing agreement in 1998 -- which negatively impacted Activision's ability to reap profits from related game sales. In a statement, both companies said they were "very pleased to resolve the matter amicably and look forward to working together in the future on other projects."
tags: Viacom | Activision | Star Trek | Game License |