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===================================================
DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- February 6, 2002
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com

o Princeton Researcher Drops Watermarking Research Censorship Case
o Vivendi Launching Online Video-Sharing Service, MP4.com
o Microsoft Launches MSN Mobile Portals in Europe
o "Final Fantasy" Video Game Maker Square to Close Film Unit
> Digital Media Wire Panel: Interactive Games | Los Angeles | Feb. 27
o Briefly Noted: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Radio@AOL,
Electronic Arts - Jamdat Mobile, RealNetworks - Sonic Foundry,
Speakeasy.net - "Wolfenstein" tournament, THQ - "Star Wars: Episode II,"
Nokia - Macromedia, Infogrames - "Men in Black 2," Premier Retail Networks
- Circuit City - Atlantic Records, FenderPlayersClub.com
_____________________________________________

o Princeton Researcher Drops Watermarking Research Censorship Case

San Francisco -- Princeton University professor Edward Felten has decided
not to pursue his lawsuit which sought to declare scientific research
exempt from copyright provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(DMCA), citing assurances from the government and the recording industry
that scientists will not be prosecuted for publishing their research.
Felten succeeded in cracking some of the recording industry's proposed
digital music security technologies, and planned to publish his findings,
but hesitated after legal action was threatened by the recording industry.
He then filed suit in federal court, hoping to receive a clear ruling that
research should not be subject to the DMCA. The case was dismissed after
the government stated in court documents that, "scientists attempting to
study access control technologies" shouldn't be subject to the DMCA, and
the Recording Industry Association of America echoed the notion, saying
"we felt Felten should publish his findings, because everyone benefits
from research into the vulnerabilities of security mechanisms." Felten
said in a statement released today that, "although we would have preferred
an enforceable court ruling, our research team decided to take the
government and industry at their word that they will never again threaten
publishers of scientific research that exposes vulnerabilities in security
systems for copyrighted works."
http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/Felten_v_RIAA/20020206_eff_felten_pr.html
_____________________________________________

o Vivendi Launching Online Video-Sharing Service, MP4.com

Los Angeles -- Vivendi Universal plans to launch a new website where
amateur and independent filmmakers can share their works with the rest of
the world, The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday. The site, MP4.com,
is already online and is scheduled to officially launch in the coming
months. Viewers will be able to stream films from the site and add their
own creations. Vivendi said it will let filmmakers post short clips for
free, but will charge creators for lengthier movies. "Clearly there's a
community out there that wants to publish and self-publish video content,"
Steven Sheiner, chief revenue officer for Vivendi Universal Net USA, told
The Los Angeles Times.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-000009261feb06.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2D
http://www.mp4.com
_____________________________________________

o Microsoft Launches MSN Mobile Portals in Europe

Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft on Wednesday announced the launch of MSN
mobile Internet portals in France and Germany, and plans to introduce
additional portals in England and Spain within weeks, Reuters reported.
The portals will offer cell phone and other wireless device users access a
variety of MSN news, entertainment and shopping, as well as a SMS
text-message-based version of its Hotmail email application. Microsoft
will receive a portion of revenue generated by the additional network
traffic usage created through SMS messages; users pay an additional fee
each time they receive an SMS message on their phones. The company has
already launched similar services in Denmark and Switzerland.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/020206/l0634019_2.html
_____________________________________________

o "Final Fantasy" Video Game Maker Square to Close Film Unit

Honolulu -- Square USA, the film development arm of "Final Fantasy" video
game developer Square, will shut down on March 29, MSNBC.com reported on
Wednesday. The unit's one and only project was the photo-realistic,
digitally animated movie "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," which was
developed for $135 million but brought only $18.6 million in box office
revenue. Columbia Pictures has sold 1.2 million copies of the DVD to date,
offsetting this loss a bit. Square USA was launched as a facility where
digital animators would develop the "Final Fantasy" movie, and its
Honolulu studio accounted for $45 million of the film's budget. A
spokesman for Square said that the company will continue to develop video
games in the "Final Fantasy" series.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/700310.asp?0dm=C15OT
http://www.squareusa.com
_____________________________________________

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_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Los Angeles) The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences on Wednesday
announced finalists for its 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.
Nominated for Game of the Year are "Black & White" (Lionhead
Studios/Electronic Arts) for the PC, "Halo: Combat Evolved" (Bungie/Microsoft) for Microsoft's Xbox, "ICO" (Sony Computer Entertainment Inc./Sony Computer Entertainment America) for Sony's PlayStation 2 and "Sid Meier's Civilization III" (Firaxis Games/Infogrames) for the PC. Peer panel review boards made up of individual Academy members with specific expertise in each of the categories determine finalists in each of the categories. Winners will be announced at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas on February 28.
http://64.49.205.17/newsandevents.asp?show=138&thetype=1

(New York) AOL on Wednesday added elements to its Radio@AOL music
stations, including new audio stations programmed by the Associated Press,
The WB Network, New York-based classical music station WQXR-FM and
RadioWoodstock/WDST. The network of streaming radio stations will also
begin to feature guest DJs such as Alanis Morissette, JaRule, Montel
Jordan and Quincy Jones, who will share their musical influences with
listeners.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020206/62043_1.html
http://www.spinner.com

(Los Angeles) Game developer Electronic Arts said on Wednesday that it has
partnered with Jamdat Mobile, a provider of wireless games and delivery
technology, to co-publish two wireless games for distribution in North
America, Japan and Korea. The games -- "PGA World Tour" and "FIFA World
Cup 2002" -- will be available to wireless carries operating on systems
including Qualcomm's BREW, Sun Microsystems' J2ME, cHTML and iAppli.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020206/60339_1.html
http://www.jamdat.com
http://www.ea.com

(Seattle) Media delivery technology provider RealNetworks announced on
Wednesday a new corporate conference webcasting service, targeted for use
by conference producers, corporate event planners and associations.
Seattle-based RealNetworks has licensed Madison, Wisc.-based Sonic
Foundry's live and on-demand webcasting application for use with the
service. Organizations using the service will be able to create a branded
version of RealNetworks' RealOne player to deliver webcasts, as well as
take advantage of promotional opportunities through the 250 million
registered RealOne users.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020206/sfw045_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020206/60010_1.html

(Seattle) National broadband service provider Speakeasy.net announced on
Wednesday that it has partnered with game developer Activision, game
studio Id Software and the Online Gaming League to host a "Return to
Castle Wolfenstein" tournament in the U.S. The contest began on Jan. 29
and continues through March 15, awarding prizes such as Nintendo game
consoles and a range of games to top scorers. Seattle-based Speakeasy is
also utilizing InterNAP Network Services to host dedicated servers in 11
different U.S. cities to ensure consistent speed of play.
http://www.speakeasy.net/main.php?page=pr020602
http://www.activision.com/games/wolfenstein/
http://www.internap.com/

(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) Game developer THQ announced on Wednesday that
it will release "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones" for
Nintendo's Game Boy Advance this spring, coinciding with the theatrical
release of the Lucasfilm movie. Calabasas Hills-based THQ said that the
Game Boy Advance title will be the only game released that follows the
storyline of the movie.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020206/60102_1.html
http://www.thq.com

(Helsinki, Finland) Nokia announced on Wednesday that it will integrate
Macromedia's Flash player into its Mediaterminal, a combination digital
video broadcast, Internet access, personal video recorder and gaming
device. Finland-based Nokia's Mediaterminal, which runs on the Linux
operating system, is currently available only in Sweden.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020206/62013_1.html
http://www.nokia.com/multimedia/mediaterminal.html

(Los Angeles) Video game publisher Infogrames announced on Wednesday a
deal with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to develop a game based on Sony
Pictures' "Men in Black 2" for Sony's PlayStation 2. "Men in Black 2:
Alien Escape" will be released sometime this summer; the movie is
scheduled for release on July 3.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020206/law007_1.html
http://www.infogrames.com

(San Francisco) Premier Retail Networks, a provider of interactive
advertising terminals in retail locations, said on Wednesday that it will
expand its network to include the music and car-audio departments of
Circuit City electronics retail stores nationwide. Atlantic Records has
signed on as the first advertiser, and will promote their artists Jewel
and P.O.D. on the in-store screens.
http://www.prn.com

(Scottsdale, Ariz.) Fender Musical Instruments, manufacturer of the
popular Fender line of Telecaster and Stratocaster electric guitars,
announced on Wednesday the launch of a new website offering interactive
guitar lessons, articles, videos and song transcriptions in a variety of
skill levels and musical styles. Arizona-based Fender partnered with print
music publisher Hal Leonard Corp. on the site, which will also sell
instructional books, videos, sheet music and guitar accessories.
http://www.fenderplayersclub.com
______________________

> Digital Media Wire Panel Discussion: Interactive Games on the Internet
Recent Developments and New Business Opportunities

Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Location: Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills

MODERATOR:
- Victor Hwang, COO of LARTA (the regional technology alliance for
Southern California)

PANELISTS:
- Tracy Fullerton, President of Spiderdance
- Chris Kantrowitz, Co-Founder of The Groove Alliance and
President of 7ate9 Productions
- Mark Kapczynski, Principal Consultant, Microsoft
*Other panelists to be announced.