Verizon continues to fight RIAA

Here is a statement from John Thorne, senior vice president and deputy general counsel for Verizon.

“Verizon will use every legal means to protect its subscribers’ privacy. The recording industry brought this case as a ‘test case’ of its aggressive legal theories. We are seeking a stay so that the Court of Appeals can issue a final ruling on the critical legal issues before we are required to turn over our subscriber’s identity.

[The Register]

Rising Tide Studios for sale

It was only a matter of time…. This paper has lost much signifance and relevance since the dot com hey day. I would expect that whoever does buy it (if anyone) merges it into their existing biz pub.

Crain’s NY reports that Jason Calacanis is putting Rising Tide Studios (the parent company of Venture Reporter) up for sale… [Gawker]

Chrysler tries 6-year loans in effort to boost PT Cruiser sales

In an effort to get the market for PT Cruisers younger, Chrysler is looking to offer a new 6 year lease term that includes special music and arts events as a bonus. According to the article, a 6 year lease poses some new risk into the financial equation, since more people tend to default the longer the stretch. Will this work? Only time will tell… I don’t know that music events are going to lower the age appeal of this car alone… Especially compared to new comers like the Honda Element which clearly targets the younger Generation Y set with a car that has features to match their (supposed) lifestyles.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler is trying to lure younger buyers for its PT Cruiser with six-year loans that lower monthly payments and with art and music shows after the sport-utility vehicle’s sales fell in 2002.

[Auto.com]

A new sketch of college freshmen

This year’s college freshmen reported spending less time studying and more time on computers in their senior year of high school than any previous entering class, says the latest annual survey of first-year college students. [USA Today: Nation]

“Typing a topic into a (search engine) is certainly faster than physically looking for something in a research library,” says Hilary Lieberman Link, first-year class dean at Barnard College in New York City. But “what we all wish to avoid is students doing all research through the Web and losing the art of true research.”

Pat Oles, dean of students at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., agrees, adding that books often lose out to computers when high-schoolers have the choice.

Senate freezes Total Information Awareness

The Senate has voted to put the brakes on Total Information Awareness and the Dread Real Admiral Poindexter’s plan to spy on every American just in case someone does something suspicious. This is great news, and now we just need to make sure that the objections raised by the Senate stick.

By a voice vote, the Senate voted to ban funding for the Total Information Awareness program, under former national security adviser John Poindexter, until the Pentagon explains the program and assesses its impact on civil liberties.

LinkDiscuss

(Thanks, Ren!)

[Boing Boing]

Verizon to appeal in music download ID case

In a statement Sarah B Deutsch, VP and associate general counsel for Verizon said: “The court’s decision has troubling ramifications for consumers, service providers and the growth of the Internet.

“It opens the door for anyone who makes a mere allegation of copyright infringement to gain complete access to private subscriber information without the due process protections afforded by the courts.

“This case will have a chilling effect on private communications, such as e-mail, surfing the Internet or the sending of files between private parties.”

She said that Verizon was not attempting to shield customers who break copyright laws but sought to protect people’s right to privacy.

[The Register]

ISP must reveal name of subscriber accused of “sharing hundreds of songs”

Go Verizon! This does not bode well for the consumer if they are finally forced to give.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that in “a victory for entertainment companies,” a federal judge has ordered Verizon to disclose the name of an Internet service subscriber accused of illicit online music filesharing. Verizon has so far refused to comply. Link to WSJ story, (subscription required) Link to Reuters story, Discuss.

UPDATE: Declan McCullagh has posted the court docs here (PDF), and his CNET news story is now online here.

[Boing Boing]

Report: AOL insiders sold $1.5B in stock

Report: AOL insiders sold $1.5B in stock

[Google Top Stories]

The Washington Post, quoting Thomson Financial’s examination of insider sales records, reports that outgoing company Chairman Steve Case leads the list with $697.4 million in stock sales during the period. Robert Pittman, who resigned as chief operating officer of the combined company, is second on the list with $267 million in stock sales, while director James Barksdale, who received AOL stock for selling Netscape to AOL, sold $219.5 million, the paper reported.

A Star Is Born (If AOL Rebounds)

Don Logan’s genial ruthlessness in pursuit of dominion over America Online has been notable not just for its speed, but also for its effectiveness.

[New York Times: Technology]

But turning around America Online will not be easy for Mr. Logan and Jonathan F. Miller, the division’s chairman, whom Mr. Logan, Mr. Parsons and Mr. Case hired last summer. Although America Online is still profitable and its margins are better than the parent company’s music and movie divisions, they are rapidly diminishing. America Online’s customers are increasingly shifting to high-speed Internet access, an area in which AOL faces much lower margins and much tougher competition. Its cash flow is expected to drop to $1.4 billion in 2002, from $2.3 billion in 2001, almost wholly a result of a drastic falloff in ad revenue. American advertising and e-commerce revenue, which totaled $2.3 billion in 2001, is expected to come in at $1.2 billion in 2002.

Pop Goes the Weasel

But will they? Changing Advertising agencies and management shifts are signs that change is afoot.

Now that Steve Case has finally stepped down as the figurehead of AOL-TimeWarner, the media empire is free to spin-off it’s Internet services division and become a good ol’ content provider, again. That is, if they can remember how. Case’s departure marks the real end of the Internet-as-business era, the ultimate admission that kudzu-like though it may be, the interactive network is not the financial behemoth of the century. [rushkoff.blog]

The Big Heist: How AOL took Time Warner

I just finished watching this show on CNBC. I highly recommend it to anyone interesting in the media space. The program, CNBC’s first documentary is an excellent account of what and how the merger of these giants came to be. They have captured interviews with great business minds like Sumner Redstone, John Malone, Michael Eisner, Rupert Murdoch, and Bob Pittman in addition to Steve Case and Gerald Levin as well as a host of others. Certainly a timely replay given Steve Case’s news tonight.

Exactly three years ago, America Online exchanged its astronomically priced stock for the Time Warner media empire. A clash of corporate cultures began almost immediately, and the merged company has suffered ever since. CNBC’s David Faber exlores the much-maligned merger through interviews with media moguls and the people who built AOL Time Warner.

Steve Case Resigns!

Major news from AOL…

NEW YORK, Jan 12, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) — AOL Time Warner Inc. ( AOL ) today announced that Steve Case has decided to step down as Chairman effective at the Annual Shareholders Meeting in May.

Case notified CEO Dick Parsons and the Board of Directors of his decision over the weekend.

In informing the Board, Case said:

“As you might expect, this decision was personally very difficult for me, as I would love to serve as Chairman of this great company for many years to come, and as an architect of the merger I have felt it was important that I stay the course as Chairman and help get things on track. However, after careful consideration, I believe stepping down is in the best interest of the company, for three reasons.

read the rest (I did not think I could just cut and paste the whole thing legally…)

More Coverage:
NYT – AOL Chairman Quits His Post Amid Criticism
BBC – AOL Time Warner boss to quit
News.com – Case resigns as AOL chairman
News.com – For AOL, it’s Case closed
CNN – AOL Time Warner chairman to step down