Digital-Lifestyles

Business

Changes to business digitisation brings

  • RIAA Sues Yet More People

    As part of its programme to deter the public from sharing music, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has just launched legal action against another 493 people.

    The RIAA has already settled 486 cases, for and average US$3000 (€2486) each. That represents an income of about US$1,458,000 (€1.2 million) – not a bad return, really.

    These new actions are “John Doe” cases as the RIAA doesn’t know who they are prosecuting – their identities will be revealed when the courts issue subpoenas.

    However, it doesn’t seem that the RIAA’s action against users of P2P applications like Kazaa and Overnet is having much success. Although the RIAA has now sued 2,947 people peer-to-peer client usage is increasing. Research firm BigChampagne claim that 9.5 million people were logged in to P2P networks in April this year, up from 7.4 million concurrent users six months previously.

    What’s wrong with the music industry in one long sentence – Thanks to Simon for sending me this link

  • Google Names 31 Underwriters For IPO

    Google has named another 29 underwriters for its forthcoming IPO – these are in addition to the two lead underwriters Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse First Boston. Amongst the new crop are JP Morgan Chase, Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank.

    The sale is expected to raise US$2.7 billion (€2.26 billion) later this year, the biggest new technology stock sale since the wheels fell off the new economy in 2000.

    Google’s sale will be unusual in that they are going to use a open auction process – investors will be able to bid for shares at a price they are willing to pay, a method that Google believes will be fairer to small investors. Since whoever pays the most still wins, that remains to be seen.

    The Unofficial Google IPO Site

  • Pirated CDs Earning Tourists a Jail Sentence

    First it was plane spotting, then it was playing with a GameBoy on the beach – now there’s something else unwary tourists can get thrown into jail for in Greece: buying pirated CDs.

    A tourist was arrested last week as he bought two counterfeit CDs from a vendor in Athens, and to give everyone a reminder that such activities are illegal, he earned himself a three month sentence. It’s not recorded what happened to the guy who sold him the CDs, though Greek courts have prosecuted about 1000 illegal sellers in the past.

    IFPI spokesman Ion Stamboulis said in a statement: “This is not a symbolic measure. We are determined to prosecute the buyers and we have the support of the authorities.”

    Clamping down on the vendors has proven problematic in the past as they have fairly hefty underworld connections, so perhaps the authorities are looking for an easier way to tackle the issue.

    The surge in prosecutions is no doubt aimed that trying to fix Greece’s terrible piracy record (the worst in Western Europe) before the start of the 2004 Olympics.

    The International Federation of the Phonographic Industries

  • Sega and Sammy Merge

    Sammy, the Japanese game publisher and pachinko machine manufacturer is set to merge with Sega, by acquiring the remaining 78% of Sega’s stock that it doesn’t already own.

    A merger was proposed last year, but went sour when Sega rejected it.

    Hajime Satomi, president of Sammy had announced some months that there were a number of options on what the two companies’ relationship would be, but it looks like a holding company will buy up all shares in both organisations.

    Sega has had a good year so far, doubling its income in the first quarter of the year to 8.8 billion Yen (€64.5 million). Sega’s arcade and software businesses have been doing well, and the company has thrived since its decision to get out of the console market.

    Sammy is possibly best known round these parts for the Guilty Gear series of 2D beat-em-ups and the Atmoiswave range of arcade cabinets.

    Sammy Atomiswave

  • AOL Leaves Japan to eAccess

    AOL Japan is being sold to eAccess for 2.1 billion Yen (€15.38 million) in yet another shuffle. The division was once DoCoMo AOL, a joint venture between NTT DoCoMo and the US media giant Time Warner.

    DoCoMo pulled out last November as subscription numbers to it’s PC/cell phone link service were thought disappointing.

    eAccess says it will keep most of AOL Japan’s 200 employees along with the AOL branding.

    Yahoo

  • BT and Vodafone – Joined Together at Last

    If Ofcom approve it, BT has entered a deal to make Vodaphone the mobile provider its sole mobile communications provider in the UK. This means that BT will cease its current partnerships with T-Mobile and MmO2, surprising many as BT and Vodafone have long been rivals. In fact, MmO2 was originally a BT operation, but was sold off to repay debts.

    One revolutionary change this would bring about is that BT would be able to offer its 250,000 BT Business and 50,000 Commercial customers a single bill for fixed-line and mobile services.

    The Daily Telegraph reports the deal

  • Cannes: Film Makers Meeting to Discuss Piracy

    One of the major topics on the agenda this year at the Cannes Film Festival is the growing problem of piracy. A group of 16 executives and studio heads from around the world got together along with the French Minister of culture last night to encourage directors and actors to adopt their anti-piracy message before it’s too late. They are keen to get directors on board because they’re the major victims of the crime.

    The think tank is seeking solutions for film piracy, and has come up with three major points:

    Firstly, the recognition that downloading films is illegal, and it’s dangerous for the industry (well, you’ve got to start somewhere).

    Secondly, that the public need to be educated that downloading is wrong – Jack Valenti, president of the MPAA has already been speaking on university campuses in America. “We need copyrights that are more stern and the political will to enforce them. We need to educate and change behaviour. Too many think that it is risk free so ‘I can do it too’.”

    Thirdly, the group recognised that the industry needs to be technologically savvy to be able to combat piracy. Indeed Renaud Donnedieu, the French Minister of Culture and Communication announced: “The President of France is ready to translate such a plan into concrete action and intends to announce a statement next week addressing prevention, repression, communication and positive action.”

    Film Festival website

  • When Search Engines Strike Back: Yahoo and Google Block Adware Company

    Influential search engines Google and Yahoo has disabled links to WhenU, a adware manufacturer that they’ve accused of using “cloaking” to trick search engines into favourably ranking decoy pages that redirect visitors.

    Avi Nader, chief executive of WhenU said that the questionable practices were the result of an external search engine optimisation company, and that they expected to be relisted now that they’ve stopped working with that organisation.

    WhenU produce an application that keeps tabs on browsing habits – they’re currently embroiled in a debate as to whether this practice is in fact legal.

    Adware, sometimes called spyware, are applets that are installed on your PC, sometimes without your consent or even knowledge, and can do a number of things: they can tell companies which webpages you’ve visited, what you’ve been typing on your keyboard (including bank details and credit card numbers), flash ads up on your screen or redirect you away from competitors products. Some people install them by choice (it’s the old “people will do anything for a discount thing”) but often the applications are malicious. There are a number of free tools for ridding yourself of these pests, and we’ve linked to a good one below.

    Scan and get rid of adware on your PC free – Ad-aware 6

  • Microsoft Drop WiFi Hardware Range

    Microsoft are dropping another hardware line – this time it’s WiFi network cards, laptop adapters and broadband networking routers. If you didn’t know that MS sold this sort of hardware, it was in the North American market only. They started selling the equipment in 2002, to favourable reviews and customer comments.

    Microsoft have yet to comment on why they are dropping their WiFi line, but it’s though that this move will allow them to focus on their key software businesses.

    They’ll allow current stocks to sell out and support the hardware through its warranty period, but then that’s it. The wireless XBox adapter will stay on the market however, underlining MS’s commitment to their innovative games platform.

    MSNBC on the news

  • Softbank losses grow

    Japan-based Softbank Corp today announced widening losses for the 2003 year ending March. Declared a net loss of 107.09 billion yen ($94.2m, 79.8m), up from a 99.99 billion yen loss in the previous year, they blame what they called “substantial expenses” to lure customers to its broadband Internet service. Sales rose 27.2% over the period.

    Unusually Softbank decided not to announce their financial predictions for the current year. Their stock fell around 10% against the Nikkei Average fall of 4.8%.

    The broadband services, Yahoo BB, is a joint venture with Yahoo and has been held up as an example of what broadband could be given their provision of 45mbps coverage to some of their consumers. By March they had over 4 million customers and they are targetting 6m by September 2005.

    Softbank (eng)