DVD Jon

Media-Sharing Platform DoubleTwist Lands $5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 7, 2009 - 9:08am.

San Francisco - DoubleTwist, the developer of a platform for media-sharing across all devices, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $5 million in its second round of funding.

'DVD Jon' Raises Funds for Media-sharing Firm DoubleTwist

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 19, 2008 - 10:57am.

San Francisco - DoubleTwist, a start-up launched by notorious Norwegian hacker Jon Lech Johansen (aka DVD Jon) and partner Monique Farantzos, on Monday announced the launch of its platform for media-sharing and the closing of a first round of venture capital financing, from Index Ventures and Northzone Ventures.

Buzz Watch: 'DVD Jon' Claims To Have Cracked iPhone Activation

Authored by Jay Baage on July 5, 2007 - 8:29am.

The infamous Norwegian hacker Jon Lech Johansen, known as "DVD Jon," claims to have cracked Apple's iPhone activation. This means that iPhone buyers will be able to activate and use the new handset without having to go to AT&T Wireless. Potential iPhone consumers expressed their main concern being forced to use AT&T's network in a recent DMW poll and a brigade of hackers have been hard at work on cracking the service lock on the device.

Robertson's MP3tunes Hires Famous Hacker "DVD Jon"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:13am.

San Francisco - Michael Robertson, the founder of pioneering digital music site MP3.com and current head of a venture called MP3tunes, has hired Jon Lech Johansen, the 21-year-old Norwegian hacker who became famous for cracking the industry's DVD security technology, Wired News reported on Wednesday. "I have no idea what I'll be doing, but I know it will be reverse engineering, and I'm sure it will be interesting," Johansen told Wired News. Johansen added that a stopover in San Francisco on the way to Robertson's San Diego operations was made in part to consult with lawyers from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital civil liberties group that has defended other programmers sued by the U.S. government for cracking copy-protection technologies. Distributors of DVD copying software based on Johansen's hacking, including 321 Studios, have been sued out of existence by the U.S. entertainment industry. Robertson told Wired News that Johansen will be put to work on a project called "Obeo" at MP3tunes, which sells digital songs in unprotected MP3 format.

tags: MP3tunes | Robertson | Hacker | DVD Jon |

Twice-Acquitted "DVD Jon" Sues Norwegian Govt. for $21,800 in Legal Fees

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 28, 2004 - 2:24am.

San Jose, Calif. -- TiVo, a developer of digital video recorder equipment and services, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Palo Alto, Calif.-based Strangeberry, a developer of home networking technology. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. TiVo said the acquisition will aid in its goal to expand TiVo functionality beyond recording television programming, and that Strangeberry's technology will enable the development of new broadband-based content delivery services.

tags: Law | Norwegian | DVD Jon | Twice-Acquitted |

"DVD Jon" Secures Victory after Norwegian Police Drop Appeal

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 5, 2004 - 4:24am.

Oslo -- Jon Johansen, also known as "DVD Jon," on Monday won a major victory against Norwegian police authorities and the U.S. film industry after local police confirmed they would not appeal a recent ruling on DVD piracy for a second time. Johansen had allegedly broken the law by distributing a computer program on the Internet allowing the unauthorized copying of DVDs. An appeals court in Oslo, however, cleared the notorious 20-year-old last month of piracy charges that had been filed by Norwegian police, who in turn had brought the charges against Johansen on behalf of the Motion Picture Association of America.

tags: Norwegian | Victory | DVD Jon | Drop Appeal |