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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- April 8, 2003
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o "Mod Chip" Trafficker Gets Prison Time Under Digital Copyright Act
o Disney to Launch Wirelessly-Delivered Video-on-Demand Service
o TiVo Launches Home Media Option, Offering Streaming From PCs
o Report: Worldwide Set-top Box Sales Revenue to Top $7 Billion by 2005
> DMW Publications: March Law and Policy Report
> Featured Section: HP Workstation for a PC Price
o Briefly Noted: Cox - digital video recorder service, RealNetworks -
Virage, Sirius Satellite Radio, Activision - "Call of Duty," Vivendi
Universal Games - Henry Rollins, ConfirMedia - Japan, Live@Launch, 7th
Annual Webby Awards, GamePro Magazine - readers' choice awards, New Edge
Networks - LodgeNet, Square Enix - "Final Fantasy Origins," SCEA -
"Downhill Domination," Rockstar Games - "Midnight Club II," Acclaim -
"Burnout 2: Point of Impact," Bitstream - Texas Instruments, Aeon Digital
- SecureMedia, Etronica, NAB - digital radio broadcasting
_____________________________________________
> Events: L.A. HIPAA Security and Privacy Conference, Games & Mobile
Forum: April 28 | NYC
> Marketplace: Discreet cleaner XL, TechSpotter, Game Industry Report,
iTV Chronicle, Interest-Based Navigation
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o "Mod Chip" Trafficker Gets Prison Time Under Digital Copyright Act
Washington -- A federal court last week handed down a ten-month prison
sentence to a trafficker of "mod chips," which bypass access control
systems of video game consoles so they can play pirated games. Last
Friday, in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District Court of
Virginia, Judge James C. Cacheris sentenced David M. Rocci to ten months
plus a $28,500 fine for his criminal conviction under the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act; Rocci had plead guilty to the charges last
December. A Blacksburg, Virginia resident, Rocci sold thousands of dollars
worth of mod chips he publicized on his website, ISONews.com. "In his
sentencing decision last week, Judge Cacheris recognized the serious harm
that the global traffic in mod chips inflicts on the video game industry,"
said Doug Lowenstein, president of industry trade group the International
Digital Software Association. "This prosecution is consistent with the
purposes underlying DMCA's anti-circumvention provisions, as it targeted
the sale of devices that bypass technologies used by copyright holders to
protect their works from illegal use,"added IDSA senior vice president for
intellectual property enforcement Ric Hirsh.
http://www.idsa.com
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o Disney to Launch Wirelessly-Delivered Video-on-Demand Service
Las Vegas -- Media giant Disney plans to launch a video-on-demand service
that will tap the unused bandwidth within traditional broadcasters'
signals to wirelessly deliver movies to homes, company chairman Michael
Eisner said in his address to the National Association of Broadcasters
convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The Movie Beam service will use the
broadcast spectrum to download movies to a TiVo-like storage system,
capable of holding up to 100 films at a time. CNET News.com reports that
Eisner said Movie Beam would be tested in Salt Lake City and two other
markets in the fall. "Hollywood studios spend enormous sums of money
encouraging people to see its films and TV shows and then spend more money
devising ways to control and limit how people can see its films and TV
shows," Eisner said, in his address. "Disney [is] mindful of the perils of
piracy, but we will not let the fear of piracy prevent us from fueling the
fundamental impulse to innovate and improve our products and how they are
distributed."
http://news.com.com/2100-1031-995846.html?tag=fd_top
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-eisner8apr08,1,861153.story?
coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dtechnology
_____________________________________________
o TiVo Launches Home Media Option, Offering Streaming From PCs
San Jose, Calif. -- TiVo, a manufacturer of digital video recorders,
announced on Tuesday that its Home Media Option is now available, enabling
TiVo owners to link the device to their home computer networks. The $99
add-on will let users access broadband remote scheduling of programs to be
recorded by TiVo and stream digital music and photos from their PC to
their TV, as well as stream programs recorded on one TiVo unit to another
within the home. The Home Media Option functions either in a wired
environment or else as part of a wireless 802.11b network. TiVo rival
ReplayTV's parent company Sonicblue recently filed for Ch. 11 bankruptcy
protection, and will put its ReplayTV digital video recorder business up
for auction next week.
http://www.tivo.com
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o Report: Worldwide Set-top Box Sales Revenue to Top $7 Billion by 2005
Las Vegas -- Worldwide growth of digital set-top boxes for cable,
satellite and terrestrial TV will exceed 29.5 million new units in 2005,
driving worldwide the digital video subscriber base to over 126 million
and annual set-top box sales revenue to $7.34 billion, according to a
report released by MRG (Multimedia Research Group) Inc. The report points
to enhancements in quality and cost made in related areas like Internet
Protocol (IP), Gigabit Ethernet, video servers, storage, and compression,
which will propel the set-top industry by enabling emerging services like
HDTV, video-on-demand and digital video recording.
http://www.mrgco.com/PR_HG03_MC.html
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==========================================
DMW Publications: March Law & Policy Report
==========================================
Contact tinzar@digitalmediawire.com or call 323-464-0793 to order your
copies.
To purchase directly, go to:
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Digital Media Law & Policy Report - New Issue
Must-read publication on legal and policy matters related to digital
media. Thirty-two pages of case summaries, news and analysis, policy
updates, court filings, and exclusive interviews with legal counsel and
business leaders.
Published monthly. March issue on sale now!
**Special Reduced Rates available for a limited time**
Price: $19.00 Per Issue | $195.00 Annual Subscription
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/marketplace.php
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==================
FEATURED SECTION
==================
Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
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Briefly Noted:
(Atlanta) Cable TV operator Cox Communications on Tuesday launched digital
video recorder services in Northern Virginia, offering subscribers there
the option to upgrade their set-top box to one that features digital video
recording capability. Fees for the service are $9.99 per month for
recording capability plus a $9.99 monthly lease fee for the
Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8000 digital video recorder set-top box. The
roll-out represents Atlanta-based Cox's second deployment of digital video
recording services in 2003.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030408/85194_1.html
http://www.cox.com
(Las Vegas) Media delivery technology provider RealNetworks on Tuesday
announced a mutual reseller agreement with webcasting technology provider
Virage. Under the terms, Seattle-based RealNetworks will resell Virage's
VS Webcasting technology, while San Mateo, Calif.-based Virage will resell
RealNetworks' streaming media delivery technology to its corporate
webcasting clients. "By combining our multi-format media delivery
platform, Helix, with the Virage webcasting application, we're able to
provide customers with a solution designed specifically for large-scale
enterprise webcasting," said RealNetworks vice president Nagesh
Pabbisetty.
http://www.virage.com/about/news_and_events/press/details.cfm?pressID=289
http://www.realnetworks.com
(New York) Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered
digital radio programming, announced on Tuesday plans to launch what it
calls the first 24/7 news and entertainment channel for the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender community. Actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein
along with Joan Garry, executive director of GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation) will be on hand for the channel's April 15
launch event.
http://www.siriusradio.com
(Santa Monica, Calif.) Game developer Activision on Tuesday "Call of
Duty," a new game brand that "lets players experience the dramatic
intensity of war through the eyes of common soldiers." The Call of Duty
brand's first title will be a WWII-based PC game, currently in development
at Encino, Calif.-based Infinity Ward.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030408/latu055_1.html
http://www.activision.com
http://www.infinityward.com
(Los Angeles) Vivendi Universal Games announced on Tuesday that former
Black Flag frontman and spoken word artist Henry Rollins has signed on to
voice the role of Mace Griffin in the upcoming video game "Mace Griffin
Bounty Hunter." Developed by U.K.-based Warthog, the title will be
released for PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube in the second quarter of
2003.
http://www.vugames.com
http://www.warthog.co.uk
(San Diego) Digital watermarking technology developer Verance announced on
Tuesday a successful trial of its ConfirMedia broadcast monitoring service
in Japan. During the trial, conducted with the Japanese government,
Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC)
and the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), watermarks were
embedded into songs that were then broadcast over traditional outlets,
which were then recorded for verification by the ConfirMedia system. San
Diego-based Verance said it plans to launch the service on a commercial
basis in Japan yet this year.
http://www.verance.com
http://www.confirmedia.com
(Santa Monica, Calif.) Launch, the music destination within Web portal
Yahoo, announced on Tuesday its new Live@Launch artist showcase, offering
on-demand access to live performances and interviews with both established
and emerging artists. The offering currently includes footage shot by
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Launch featuring reggae artist Sean Paul,
rapper 50 Cent and rock band Matchbox Twenty.
http://launch.yahoo.com/live
(San Francisco) The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences on
Tuesday announced nominees for The 7th Annual Webby Awards, recognizing
the best websites of the year. Winners will be voted on by a committee and
will be announced on June 5th, 2003 in San Francisco. In keeping with
Webby tradition, winners will once again be held to a five-words-or-less
acceptance speech. A full list of nominees is available at the link below.
http://www.webbyawards.com/main/webby_awards/nominees.html
(Oakland, Calif.) GamePro Magazine, a publication of IDG Games Media
Group, on Tuesday announced its 13th Annual Readers' Choice Awards
Winners. Sony's PlayStation 2 was named "Console of the Year" by the
publication's 3 million readers, while Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto:
Vice City" won "Game of the Year." The title of "Best PC Game" went to
Blizzard Entertainment's "WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos," while the award
for "Handheld Game of the Year" was given to Nintendo's "Metroid Prime"
for Game Boy Advance.
http://www.gamepro.com
(Vancouver, Wash.) Broadband access provider New Edge Networks announced
on Tuesday an agreement with LodgeNet, a provider of in-room Internet and
entertainment services to hoteliers. Under the deal, Washington-based New
Edge will install and maintain high-speed broadband connections at
LodgeNet affiliate hotels within small and midsize cities nationally.
South Dakota-based LodgeNet currently provides its services in 950,000
hotel rooms worldwide.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030408/85102_1.html
http://www.lodgenet.com
http://www.newedgenetworks.com
(Los Angeles) Newly-merged video game developer Square Enix announced on
Tuesday that its "Final Fantasy Origins" title for Sony PlayStation has
shipped to North American retailers. The game contains both the original
"Final Fantasy" and "Final Fantasy II" roleplaying game titles -- part of
the franchise that has sold 44 million units to date -- on one disc.
http://www.square-enix-usa.com
(Foster City, Calif.) Sony Computer Entertainment America on Tuesday
announced that it will release its "Downhill Domination" downhill mountain
bike racing game for PlayStation 2 this summer. The title is currently
being co-developed by Sony Computer Entertainment America's Santa Monica
studio and SCEA-owned developer Incog Inc. Entertainment, which created
the "Twisted Metal" franchise.
http://www.playstation.com
(New York) Rockstar Games, a publishing unit of Take-Two Interactive,
announced on Tuesday that it has shipped its "Midnight Club II" for
PlayStation 2 to North American retailers. The game is a sequel to New
York-based Rockstar Games' best-selling PlayStation 2 launch title;
Rockstar is also responsible for the top-selling "Grand Theft Auto"
franchise.
http://www.take2games.com
http://www.rockstargames.com/midnightclub2
(Glen Cove, N.Y.) Video game developer Acclaim Entertainment on Tuesday
shipped its "Burnout 2: Point of Impact" title for Nintendo GameCube to
retailers. New York-based Acclaim released the game for PlayStation 2 last
year and said it will release a version for Microsoft Xbox later in April.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030408/85168_1.html
http://www.acclaim.com
(Cambridge, Mass.) Bitstream, a developer of digital fonts, said on
Tuesday that Texas Instruments has licensed the company's FontFusion
rendering engine and a complementary font for use with its DLP Cinema
projection systems. The technology will allow subtitles to be rendered in
real time, an important feature for cinemas in the non-English-speaking
world. Texas Instruments' DLP Cinema systems are currently deployed in 150
movie theaters worldwide.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030408/85254_1.html
http://www.bitstream.com
http://www.dlp.com
(Las Vegas) Consumer electronics firm Aeon Digital said on Tuesday that it
has licensed SecureMedia's encryption security technology for use in its
DiVa home entertainment console. The product combines a broadband video
receiver, DVD player, digital video recorder, Internet browser, cable TV
tuner and videoconference console in one set-top unit. Petters Consumers
Brand said it will release a new Polaroid brand DVD-DVR 700 device that
will feature the DiVa technology later in 2003.
http://www.securemedia.com
(Los Angeles) Etronica, a developer of targeted search and navigation
technologies, on Tuesday announced it has been granted a patent for its
"Brilliant Query" technology. The technology allows digital text to be
automatically 'read' and appended with metatags that are relevant to the
meaning of the text, enabling enhanced searching for related content, or
the serving of highly targeted content to users.
http://www.etronica.com/press/02_BQ.html
(Los Angeles) The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday from the National
Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, on the slow adoption
of digital broadcast technologies by traditional radio broadcasters.
Currently, fewer than 1 percent of the country's 100,00 radio stations
have installed the technology, developed by Maryland-based IBiquity
Digital, but many major radio station owners have set aside funds in their
budgets to upgrade stations to digital.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-radio7apr0
7001439,1,7421556.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dtechnology
http://www.ibiquity.com
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CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
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CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
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To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/eventpostingpage.htm
2003 Los Angeles HIPAA Security and Privacy Conference
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Date: Wednesday, April 23rd, 2003
Place: Univ. of Southern California (Davidson Executive Conference Center)
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_____________________________________________
Digital Media Wire Presents...Games & Mobile Forum
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Door Tickets Price: $250. For Early Bird Specials, pre-register at:
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CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
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Digital Media Wire, Inc. leverages its integrated media network to provide
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Copyright 2003 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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