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Shuts Down

Korean File-Sharing Service Soribada Shuts Down, Following Court Order

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 9, 2005 - 9:28am.
Seoul, South Korea-- Korean digital music service Soribada has shut down its peer-to-peer file-sharing feature, after being ordered to do so in a ruling by the Seoul Central District Court, the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported. Soribada, which claims 22 million users, was sued by the Korean Association of Phonogram Producers, which said it may also file separate litigation claiming damages from file-sharing on Soribada.
tags: Law | File-Sharing | Korean | Soribada | Shuts Down |

Grokster File-Sharing Service Shuts Down, Settles Copyright Litigation

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 7, 2005 - 2:57am.
Washington - The Associated Press reported on Monday that peer-to-peer file-sharing software provider Grokster has agreed to shut down and settle copyright infringement litigation brought by the movie and music industries. ''There are legal services for downloading music and movies,'' reads a note on the Grokser website. ''This service is not one of them.'' Grokster was a losing defendant in the landmark Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, which found that such providers of file-sharing software could be held liable for copyright infringement committed by users of the software. "This settlement brings to a close an incredibly significant chapter in the story of digital music," said Mitch Bainwol, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America. "This is a chapter that ends on a high note for the recording industry, the tech community and music fans and consumers everywhere." The settlement between Nevis, West Indies-based Grokster and the record labels and movie studios suing it for copyright infringement calls for the company to cease distributing its software. In September, The Wall Street Journal reported that Grokster was in talks to be acquired by Mashboxx, a legal peer-to-peer file-sharing service being developed by former Grokster president Wayne Rosso.
tags: Copyright | Grokster | Shuts Down | Litigation |

Virgin Electronics Shuts Down, Less Than Year After Launch

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 9, 2005 - 5:14am.
launched less than a year ago to sell portable digital music players and other consumer electronics, has shut down after failing to receive additional funding from the parent company, Engadget.com reported. The closure is effective immediately, with the company discontinuing all products while promising to honor active warranties. Virgin Electronics had so far launched three MP3 players, including a 5GB hard drive-based model, several models of portable speakers and various accessories.
tags: Shuts Down | Virgin Electronics | After Launch |

Following Court's Ban on Game Copying Software, 321 Studios Shuts Down

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 3, 2004 - 3:50am.
St. Louis -- Following a federal court's ruling last week banning sales of its software that let users make copies of video game discs, St. Louis-based 321 Studios has ceased operations, according to a note on the company's website. 321 was sued by game developers including Electronic Arts, Atari and Vivendi Universal Games for its GamesXCopy software; a judge issued an injunction against the sale of the application on Thursday. The company also lost two publicized lawsuits filed by the major movie studios over its DVDXCopy software, which allowed consumers to defeat copyright controls to make copies of DVD movies. "Despite 321 Studios' best efforts to remain in business, injunctions entered against 321 Studios by three US Federal courts earlier this year has resulted in 321 Studios no longer being able to continue operating the business," reads a note on the company's website. The company is holding an online close-out sale for its remaining inventory, save for those products whose sale is banned by court order.
tags: Games | Law | Ban | Studios | Shuts Down | Copying Software |

MPEG-4 Video Developer IVast Shuts Down, Lays Off 34 Employees

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 23, 2004 - 8:05am.
San Francisco -- IVast, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of MPEG-4 based digital media delivery hardware and software, has ceased operations and will see its assets sold to Singapore-based DG2L, CNET News.com reported. Around 35 iVast employees were laid off, with 22 remaining in the international unit that is expected to be part of an asset sale to DG2L, provider of an MPEG-4 based high-definition digital cinema video system. "The North America market was not there to sustain," former iVast employee Ben Silva told News.com. Silva added that the company struggled because U.S. companies were reluctant to adopt nascent MPEG-4 technologies, while 85-95% of the company's revenue came from the Asia-Pacific region.
tags: Video | Shuts Down | MPEG-4 | Lays Off | Employees | iVast |

U.K. Video Game Developer Rage Shuts Down

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 23, 2003 - 5:18am.
London -- British game developer Rage plc has shut down, after failing to sell enough of its assets to remain in operations, Reuters reported. The company, which developed titles including "Rocky" and "David Beckham Soccer," shut its four studios and laid off 145 of its 162 employees. Some will stay on to help secure a possible sale of the company or its various game property licenses, aided by the accounting firm of Ernst and Young. "It is obviously extremely disappointing for all concerned that the legal risk could not be overcome sufficiently to achieve the sales of all or parts of the business as going concerns," Ernst and Young's Hunter Kelly told Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2087588
tags: U.K | Video Games | Shuts Down | Rage |

Video Content Producer Zoom Culture Shuts Down After Raising $20 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 22, 2003 - 5:25am.
Chapel Hill, N.C. -- Zoom Culture, a producer of digital video content for the Internet and television, has shut down after four years of operations, during which time the company raised about $20 million of venture capital. The closing has put about 40 employees out of work. The company's television show "Hip-Hop Nation," which was developed in cooperation with Universal Records, was recently selected for weekly airing by NBC stations in about 100 markets. Investors in Zoom Culture included Chrysalis Ventures, Intersouth Partners, Cordova Ventures, The Atlantis Group, Tri-state Investment Group, Charlotte Angel Partners, and truePilot.
tags: Video | Shuts Down | Zoom Culture |