archives

o RealNetworks Accuses Microsoft of Anti-Competitive Practices
o Church of Scientology Prompts Google to Remove Offending Sites
o Digital Watermarking Developer Verance Raises $13 Million in Third Round
o Microsoft Reports Successful European Xbox Launch
o DirecTV Broadband Expanding DSL Into Western U.S. With WorldCom Deal
o Briefly Noted: Game Audio Network Guild, 10GB IPod, L90, SecureMedia -
PicoSoft, ESS - Linn Products - Super Audio CD, Eidos - Sony - "Tomb
Raider," Zona - Xbox, Dolby Laboratories - PlayStation 2, PTN Media -
ASCAP, Fidelia - Sony Online Entertainment
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o RealNetworks Accuses Microsoft of Anti-Competitive Practices

Washington -- Audio and video software provider RealNetworks has accused
rival Microsoft in federal court of seeking to restrict its products,
according to published reports. RealNetworks alleges that Microsoft failed
to provide sufficient technical data to the company so that its Real
Player audio and video software worked optimally with the Windows
operating system. In 90 pages of written testimony submitted to U.S.
District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, RealNetworks vice president David
Richards said that in addition to withholding technology, Microsoft has
skewed licensing agreements with PC manufacturers in its favor. The
testimony was submitted as part of several states' opposition to
Microsoft's proposed settlement with the U.S. government; this current
stage of the marathon trial could last several months.
http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/020321/200203210017000010_4.html
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-865303.html
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/175377.html
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o Church of Scientology Prompts Google to Remove Offending Sites

Washington -- Wired News reported on Thursday that the Church of
Scientology has successfully used the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(DMCA) to compel search engine provider Google to remove sites from its
search engine that allegedly contain copyrighted Scientology materials.
Sites including Xenu.net and Clambake.org -- which both criticize the
Church -- no longer appear in Google search results. A letter sent from
Google to the operator of Norway-based Xenu.net read, "Had we not removed
these URLs, we would be subject to a claim for copyright infringement,
regardless of its merits." The notoriously litigious Church of Scientology
has defended its intellectual property many times, including suing a
former member for criticizing the Church and The Washington Post for
reporting on the matter.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,51233,00.html
http://xenu.net/news/20020320-google.txt
http://www.clambake.org
_____________________________________________

o Digital Watermarking Developer Verance Raises $13 Million in Third Round

San Diego -- Verance, a developer of watermarking technology for audio and
video, announced that it has raised $13 million in its third round of
venture capital financing. Constellation Ventures and MMC Capital led the
investment round. The company has raised $40 million to date. San
Diego-based Verance develops digital watermarks that can be inserted into
audio and video files and broadcasts so that they can be monitored and
tracked by copyright owners. The company reports that it has begun to
generate revenue from its next-day broadcast verification monitoring for
the advertising, film and music industries. "This additional funding will
allow the company to continue to enhance its offerings in both the areas
of copy protection products and broadcast verification and media
information services," said Verance chairman Clifford H. Friedman.
http://www.verance.com/news/releases/03-20-02.html
_____________________________________________

o Microsoft Reports Successful European Xbox Launch

London -- Microsoft reported on Thursday a near sell-out of its Xbox video
game console at European retailers on its March 13 launch date. "We have
been pleased with Xbox sales over its first weekend," said Lisa Morgan,
commercial director for retailers GAME and Electronics Boutique. "Hardware
sales were particularly impressive on launch day and we've seen a good
attachment rate covering both first- and third-party games. The strong
lineup of day-one games has undoubtedly contributed to a successful
console launch for Microsoft." Microsoft said it plans to ship between 4.5
million and 6 million Xbox systems worldwide by the end of June. No
reports have yet surfaced regarding scratched game discs that plagued the
Xbox console's launch in Japan, forcing the company to offer to replace
hardware and damaged software.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020321/sfth031_1.html
http://www.microsoft.com/europe/x01
_____________________________________________

o DirecTV Broadband Expanding DSL Into Western U.S. With WorldCom Deal

Cupertino, Calif. -- DirecTV Broadband, a division of Hughes Electronics,
announced on Thursday that it has partnered with WorldCom, a nationwide
provider of DSL high-speed Internet access, to expand its DirecTV DSL
service area into Western and mid-Western U.S. states. WorldCom currently
offers DSL in 55 major metropolitan markets. Cupertino-based DirecTV
Broadband, formerly Telocity, was acquired by Hughes in April 2001.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020321/dcth002_1.html
http://www.directvdsl.com
http://www.worldcom.com
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o Briefly Noted:

(Los Angeles) The Game Audio Network Guild (GANG), an industry group
focused on the development of interactive audio, on Thursday announced its
formation at the Game Developers Conference taking place this week in San
Jose, Calif. The group will provide resources for education, business,
technical issues, community, publicity and recognition of advances in
interactive audio for video games and the Internet. Charter sponsors of
the group include Dolby Laboratories and DTS (Digital Theater Systems).
Members of the group's launch committee include representatives from
Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Sony, Beatnik Audio and Midway Games.
http://www.audiogang.org

(Tokyo) Apple announced on Thursday from the Macworld Expo in Japan a new
version of its IPod digital music player, which features a 10GB hard drive
capable of holding 2,000 CD-quality songs. The new IPod will retail for
$499, compared with a price of $399 for the 5GB capacity version. Apple
also announced that all IPod owners can now download free software that
adds the ability to download and store contact lists with up to 1,000
names and addresses alongside their music. In addition, customers can now
order IPods with a custom laser engraving etched into the device's
stainless steel back for an extra $49.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020320/sfw088_1.html
http://www.apple.com/ipod/

(Los Angeles) Online advertising firm L90 on Thursday confirmed the
previously announced termination of its merger agreement with EUniverse,
and also announced the resignation of Thomas A. Sebastian, its chief
financial officer. Sebastian had been placed on administrative leave by
Los Angeles-based L90, which is under investigation by the SEC over
alleged inconsistencies in its financial records.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020321/lath036_1.html
http://www.l90.com

(Boston) Digital rights management technology developer SecureMedia
announced on Thursday that it has licensed its software to Korea-based
PicoSoft for use in that company's broadband video-on-demand system and
ADSL set-top box. Boston-based SecureMedia's product will provide content
encryption, key management and rights enforcement for digital content
delivered through the Picosoft system.
http://www.securemedia.com
http://www.picosoft.co.kr

(Fremont, Calif.) Semiconductor firm ESS Technology said on Thursday that
it is working with consumer electronics firm Linn Products and Sony to
support the Super Audio CD (SACD) format in DVD players. Super Audio CD
can accommodate 2-channel stereo music, as well as up to 6-channel audio
with text and image data, and is backward compatible with regular CDs.
Under the agreement, Glasgow, Scotland-based Linn Products will develop an
engine using Fremont-based ESS Technology's chip that will be used by Sony
and made available to other manufacturers for use in their DVD players.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020321/sfth025_1.html
http://www.esstech.com
http://www.linn.co.uk

(San Francisco) Game developer Eidos Interactive announced on Thursday
that it will publish a sequel to its popular "Tomb Raider" game
exclusively for Sony's PlayStation 2. The game has sold 17 million units
to date in the U.S. and Europe; a live-action movie based on the game
starred Angelina Jolie as the game's main character, Lara Croft. "Tomb
Raider: The Angel of Darkness" is being developed by Derby, U.K.-based
Core Design and will be published in the winter of 2002 in North America,
Europe, Japan and other markets.
http://www.eidos.com
http://www.core-design.com

(Redwood City, Calif.) Zona, Inc., a developer of servers and networks for
massively multiplayer online roleplaying games, said on Thursday that it
will develop a version of its Terazona product for Microsoft's Xbox.
Redwood City-based Zona's distributed network technology can support
32,000 simultaneous online game players. "Xbox is the only console that
can bring online massively multiplayer gaming to the living room," said
Zona CEO Montgomery Singman. "Currently, there are more publishers
creating online games for Xbox than employees that originally engineered
the console itself."
http://www.zona.net

(San Jose, Calif.) Audio technology developer Dolby Laboratories on
Tuesday launched its Pro Logic II technology for Sony's PlayStation 2
console and accompanying games. The technology will give game developers
the ability to create games in five-channel surround sound. "With an
increasing number of gamers connecting their consoles to home theater
systems, development teams are recognizing the demand for cinematic
surround sound in their PlayStation 2 titles," said Jack Buser, manager of
game developer relations for Dolby.
http://www.dolby.com/press/co_pr_0203_PS2PLII.html

(Ann Arbor, Mich.) PTN Media, a developer of celebrity-branded digital
devices, said on Thursday that it has received a license from performing
rights organization ASCAP to create ringtones based on ASCAP's 8 million
song repertoire for its customized cell phones. Michigan-based PTN has
developed branded cell phones and PDAs through partnerships with
celebrities including Michael Jordan, Christina Aguilera and Nelly.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020321/212094_1.html
http://www.jordanedition.com/index_0.html

(Boston) Boston-based Fidelia, an infrastructure software provider, said
on Thursday that Sony Online Entertainment will use its software to manage
its distributed online gaming network. Sony claims 10 million users for
its online gaming network, which includes the massively multiplayer game
"EverQuest." The company is also developing "Star Wars Galaxies," another
online multiplayer title, in conjunction with LucasArts.
http://www.fidelia.com
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