Washington - The Digital Media Association (DiMA), which represents large webcasters like Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft, has filed a brief asking the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) to refer the question of whether or not an interactive music stream needs a separate "reproduction" license, in addition to the performance license they already pay, to the U.S. Copyright Office, Billboard reported. [more..]

Los Angeles - Apple is close to making deals with most of the major movie studios that will see their films put up for sale at the company's iTunes Store, BusinessWeek reports. [more..]

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has offered $1.2 billion to acquire Fast Search & Transfer (FAST), a Norway-based provider of enterprise search technology and services. [more..]

Brussels - Apple is close to settling charges it broke European Union rules by operating iTunes Stores with different pricing in different EU countries, and will likely announce steps it will take to resolve the matter this week, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the situation. [more..]

Las Vegas - Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV provider, on Tuesday announced plans to launch Wideband, a high-speed download service that promises to deliver HD movies downloads in just four minutes. [more..]

Boston - U.S. digital music revenue is projected to climb from $1.98 billion in 2007 to $5.34 billion by 2012, when "artists will increasingly keep the lion's share of this revenue as record labels become marginalized," according to a report from market research firm Yankee Group.
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Las Vegas - The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), an alliance of U.S. commercial and public broadcasters aiding the development of mobile digital television, said on Tuesday that it will test two competing technologies in 2008 that use digital broadcast TV spectrum to deliver mobile television signals. [more..]

Las Vegas - The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) on Tuesday announced the winners of the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. [more..]

New York - Despite credit market turmoil, U.S. private equity firms raised a record $302 billion in 415 funds last year, according to the January issue of industry newsletter Dow Jones Private Equity Analyst. [more..]

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Illusion Softworks, a Czech Republic-based game development studio. [more..]

It looks like this year’s CES might be remembered for Sony’s Blu-ray disc winning the high def disc format war. With Warner announcing that they are going exclusively with Blu-ray and rumors that Paramount will do the same, it might just be checkmate for Toshiba's HDDVD format, blogs Jay Baage. [more..]

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The Consumer Electronics Show, which officially starting today here in Las Vegas, is, as usual, controlled chaos. Here are my initial impressions after the first day of rubbing shoulders with roughly 140,000 attendees and exhibitors (as well as the occasional celebrity) in the 1.85 million square feet of exhibition space, blogs Jay Baage. [more..]

New York - Viacom's MTV Networks on Tuesday announced an online syndication strategy, whereby content from its various cable networks and websites will be offered through video distribution partners including Dailymotion, GoFish, imeem, MeeVee and Veoh Networks. [more..]

Las Vegas - Yahoo will make its mobile Internet service compatible with a range of phone software, to potentially include Google's phone software and Apple's iPhone, Reuters reported. [more..]

New York - Viacom's BET Networks on Tuesday announced the launch of a vertical advertising network focused on music, entertainment and lifestyle content relevant to the urban and African American communities. [more..]

New York - Hip-hop artist Ice Cube and partner DJ Pooh on Tuesday announced the launch of UVNTV.com (U View Network Television), a broadband television site and social network. [more..]

Las Vegas - Consumer electronics firm Panasonic said on Tuesday that its new VIERA line of Internet-connected plasma televisions will come equipped with integrated access to Google's Picasa Web Albums online photo-sharing service, as well as videos from YouTube. [more..]

McLean, Va. - XStreamHD on Tuesday introduced its satellite-based transport network for delivering TV, music and games in full HD and 7.1-channel sound to consumer homes. [more..]

San Francisco - SendMe Mobile, a distributor of mobile media content, said on Tuesday that it has licensed Universal Music Group's catalog. [more..]