archives

o MP3.com To Re-Launch My.MP3.com Service
o Scour To Shut Down File-Trading Service
o Universal To Pay Half Of MP3.com Award To Artists
o Content Distribution Provider Video Networks Raises $66 Million
o Online Entertainment Company TriArts Acquires CD Discounters
o Interactive TV Content Developer Interactive Network Raises $3.2 Million
o Briefly Noted: IndyPublish.com, The Kushner-Locke Company - ALWAYSi.com, Microsoft WebTV - E!, Rocket Network - LicenseMusic.com, Music.com - Radio Free Virgin, iPipe - Stan Lee Media
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o MP3.com To Re-Launch My.MP3.com Service

San Diego -- The day after Universal Music Group became the last major
label to end its lawsuit against the company, Internet music site MP3.com
said it will re-launch its controversial My.MP3.com service later this
month, Reuters reported. The My.MP3.com service allows users to store
digital music online and access it from a computer or portable digital
device. The re-launched service will offer users the option to host a
limited amount of their music on an advertising-supported service, or an
unlimited amount of their music on a new, paid service. The company did
not say how much it will charge for the paid service, or whether
subscriptions will be monthly or annual. "Obviously it's in our best
interest to keep it [the subscription fee] as modest as possible," said
MP3.com CEO Michael Robertson, in an interview with Reuters. Universal
became the last label to drop its lawsuit against MP3.com -- which will
pay $53.4 million to the label to cover its "willful" infringements of
Universal's copyrights -- and in return will be able to license recordings
from Universal artists for use on the My.MP3.com service.
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/636805l.htm
http://www.mp3.com
http://www.universalmusic.com
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o Scour To Shut Down File-Trading Service

Los Angeles -- Scour Inc., which operates a multimedia file-sharing
exchange similar to Napster, said on Wednesday that it will shut down the
service within 48 hours. Los Angeles-based Scour said the decision is an
effort to expedite the resolution of pending litigation against the
company, and the sale of its assets in bankruptcy court. Los Angeles-based
Scour was sued by the Recording Industry Association of America and the
Motion Picture Association of America for copyright infringement, and
later filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Since then, San
Francisco-based Listen.com and Oregon-based CenterSpan have placed bids to
acquire Scour's assets. "We believe our unilateral decision to take down
the exchange will facilitate a resolution of the copyright infringement
litigation pending against Scour," said Scour president Dan Rodrigues. "In
addition, we expect the shutdown of the exchange to facilitate a sale of
Scour's assets, which will maximize creditor recovery."
http://www.scour.com
http://www.listen.com
http://www.centerspan.com
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o Universal To Pay Half Of MP3.com Award To Artists

Los Angeles -- Universal Music Group said that it will pay half of the
$53.4 million it received from MP3.com to end its lawsuit against the
company to its artists, Reuters reported. "We're going to credit 50
percent of the award to artist accounts, regardless of whether the artist
contracts require it," said Zach Horowitz, president of Universal Music
Group. Universal is the first label to announce that it would pass on part
of its settlement with the San Diego-based online music company. Warner
Music, EMI, Sony and BMG all were paid a reported $20 million to settle
their suits against MP3.com. Also, contrary to a prior report by
Inside.com that was referenced in Digital Media Wire, MP3.com said on
Wednesday that it will offer Universal the opportunity to purchase 3
million shares of MP3.com stock, or roughly five percent of the company,
rather than the earlier reported 20 percent.
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/634931l.htm
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/001115/ca_mp3_war.html
http://www.universalmusic.com
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o Content Distribution Provider Video Networks Raises $66 Million

Atlanta -- Video Networks, a business-to-business provider of digital
media content distribution and management, announced on Wednesday that it
has raised $66 million in its latest round of venture capital financing.
Quadrangle Group led the investment round, contributing $20 million;
Reuters, Halpern Denny & Company, Enron, PanAmSat, Alliance Technology
Ventures, Bank of America Capital Investors, AT&T Ventures and Kinetic
Ventures also contributed. Atlanta-based Video Networks provides content
distribution for digital video, and develops e-commerce software for
billing and processing transactions to its clients, which include major
broadcast networks, cable companies and advertising agencies. The company
also announced that it will change its name to Pathfire.
http://www.vninet.com/t/newsroom/index.html?funding.htm
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o Online Entertainment Company TriArts Acquires CD Discounters

Santa Monica, Calif. -- TriArts, a newly formed online music, film and
entertainment company, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired online
music retailer CD Discounters. Terms of the transaction were not
disclosed. Santa Monica-based TriArts' executive team includes David
Raphel, former president of 20th Century-Fox International and president
of ICM, and Ron Kramer, former president of Capitol Records publishing
companies. TriArts CEO Ron Kramer said the company will create
entertainment content such as online films for its own site, as well as
for syndication. It will also form an online record label and music
publishing company. Kramer said the company is currently developing its
website.
http://www.cddiscounters.com
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o Interactive TV Content Developer Interactive Network Raises $3.2 Million

Los Altos, Calif. -- Interactive Network, a developer and licenser of
content for interactive television, announced on Wednesday that it has
raised $3.2 million in a private placement. Los Altos-based Interactive
Network holds patents on several interactive games and advertising
applications, which it licenses to interactive television providers such
as Two Way TV. The company is also participating in a consumer trial of
interactive television being conducted by Liberate Technologies, a
developer of software for interactive television.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001115/ca_interac.html
http://www.interactivenetwork.net
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o Briefly Noted:

(McLean, Va.) IndyPublish.com, an online publishing company and community
for authors, announced on Wednesday the launch of its site. Virginia-based
IndyPublish.com will offer authors of traditional books and e-books free
publishing, retained rights, full retail distribution and support in
marketing efforts. Titles will be available on IndyPublish.com's site, as
well as through major online retailers such as Amazon.com and
BarnesandNoble.com. The company will use digital rights management
technology to secure peer-to-peer network marketing efforts.
http://www.indypublish.com

(Los Angeles) The Kushner-Locke Company, a producer and distributor of
film and television content, announced on Wednesday that it has partnered
with online film site ALWAYSi.com. Under the partnership, Kushner-Locke
will distribute ALWAYSi.com films offline. Initially, the company will
distribute ALWAYSi.com's "True American Independent Cinema" collection of
movies internationally.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001115/ca_kushner.html
http://www.kushner-locke.com
http://www.alwaysi.com

(Mountain View, Calif.) Microsoft WebTV Networks announced on Wednesday
that it has partnered with E! Entertainment Networks Television to offer
interactive content for the network's program, "Fashion Emergency." The
content, including viewer polls and additional information regarding the
program's makeovers of ordinary people, will be available to viewers who
subscribe to Microsoft's WebTV.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/001114/ca_microso.html
http://www.webtv.com
http://www.eonline.com/on/emergency

(San Francisco) Rocket Network, an online provider of audio production
services, announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with
LicenseMusic.com, which provides an online catalog of pre-licensed music
for audio and video entertainment companies. Under the deal, Rocket
Network's customers will be able to access all of LicenseMusic.com's
content and license agreements from its network of websites.
http://www.rocketnetwork.com
http://www.licensemusic.com

(New York) Music.com, a music news and entertainment site, announced on
Wednesday that it has formed partnerships with Radio Free Virgin and
Virgin Megastore Online. Radio Free Virgin will provide Music.com with web
radio player software for its website, and Virgin Megastore Online will
offer products from Music.com's online store at Virginmega.com. Music.com
will in turn create a branded section of its online store devoted to
Virginmega.com products.
http://www.music.com
http://www.radiofreevirgin.com
http://www.virginmega.com

(Richmond, Va.) iPipe, Inc., a distributor of online content, announced on
Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with Stan Lee Media to
distribute Stan Lee's interactive online games on the Internet.
Virginia-based iPipe distributes Internet content to companies including
AOL and Compuserve. Among the games that will be distributed as a result
of the deal are "The Portal Game" and "Accuser's Revenge."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001115/va_ipipe_s.html
http://www.ipipe.com
http://www.stanlee.net
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