Auctions

Clear Channel, Best Buy to Auction Video Game Consoles for Charity

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 12, 2006 - 2:26pm.

San Antonio, Texas - Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio station owner, announced on Tuesday that it partnered with Best Buy to launch a series of online auctions for PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii game consoles, with all proceeds to be donated to Toys for Teens.

Virgin Launches Mobile Limbo Auction for New Charity, Virgin Unite

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 21, 2006 - 8:30am.

Burlingame, Calif. - Richard Branson's Virgin Group has launched a text message-based game that will award prizes and donate all proceeds to Virgin Unite, the company's new global charitable arm. The game is a "Limbo Auction" from Burlingame, Calif.-based Limbo 41414, where players try to place the lowest unique bid, or the lowest amount that no other person has also placed as their bid. The first two bids are free and thereafter cost 99 cents; for each bid, players also receive points redeemable for prizes in Limbo's store. Auction items include a one-week trip for two at Branson's "private Caribbean paradise, Necker Island," and two Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Ocean Tomo to Auction Off Movie Piracy Prevention-related Patents

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 18, 2006 - 1:12pm.

Chicago - Ocean Tomo Auctions announced on Monday that a portfolio of patents related to technology that prevents movie piracy has been put up for auction by Robelight, LLC. The lot includes patents that "disclose systems and methods for detecting recording equipment, generating an alert if a recording device is detected and disrupting the recording through transmission signals, thereby rendering the recording useless," and pending patent applications that "disclose technology that reads, stores and distributes the signature of the recording device utilized for pirating, therefore allowing insight into the changes and developments of pirating devices." The auction will be held in New York City on Oct. 26.

Two Early Priority Video-on-Demand Patents to Sell at Auction

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 8, 2006 - 1:42pm.

Chicago - Ocean Tomo Auctions announced on Friday that two early priority video-on-demand patents have been consigned to be sold at its Ocean Tomo Fall 2006 Intellectual Property Auction, to be held on Oct. 26 in New York City. The two patents (4,890,320 and 4,995,078) "disclose systems and methods where a central location holds a collection of preferred programs which are available for transmission to a private television upon user request.

Barry Bonds Home Run Baseball Sells on eBay for $220,100

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 3, 2006 - 3:28pm.

San Jose, Calif. - The baseball that Giants slugger Barry Bonds hit for his 715th home run earlier this season to overtake Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time list sold on Thursday on eBay for a winning bid of $220,100. A bidder identified only as "52817" won the auction, which launched on July 24 for an opening price of $10,000. Online auction management company Auctionwire sold the ball, which was mounted and came with a letter of authenticity, for Giants fan Andrew Morbitzer, who caught it on May 28. Bonds hit No. 715 off Colorado's Byung-Hyun Kim. Ten percent of the winning bid will go to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Right Media Launches Online Auctions for Excess Website Ad Space

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 19, 2006 - 2:06pm.

New York - Right Media on Monday announced the launch of its online marketplace that lets websites hold automated auctions for excess ad space.

Universal Music, EBay Partner to Host Weekly Music-Related Item Auctions

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 14, 2003 - 4:23am.

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Major record label Universal Music Group announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with online auctioneer eBay, to offer weekly auctions for items such as rare albums, signed artist memorabilia, concert tickets, backstage passes, and invitations to video shoots. The first such promotion will launch on Oct. 16, when eBay will offer Bon Jovi signed guitars and handwritten lyrics, front row tickets to Jay-Z's upcoming performance at Madison Square Garden, and a personal drum lesson with Nickelback drummer Ryan Vikedal. "Through our collaboration, Universal can now tap into eBay's loyal user base and connect more fans to the music they love," said Universal Music Enterprises president Bruce Resnikoff.