Daily Marauder

ONLINE SERVICES/INTERACTIVE MEDIA

RealNetworks has suspended sales of its new RealDVD recording software after a judge’s ruling in the case, according to a message on the company’s Web site. Studios and the MPAA brought the suit arguing the DVD-ripping software violated copyright laws and contracts. Ars Technica (10/5) , Yahoo!/CNET (10/6)

Warner Brothers Entertainment is starting to release its films online in South Korea before they are released in the country on DVD, shaking up an established distribution model. The studio, which is targeting South Korea due to its high broadband penetration, may target other countries. (Iwantmedia 10/6, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8e868a7c-933f-11dd-98b5-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1 10/6)

It took iTunes nearly three years to get to 1 billion song downloads. MySpace Music streamed a billion songs in just a few days after it launched on September 25. And while this isn’t a fair comparison (songs on MySpace are free to stream; on iTunes users were paying $0.99 each), it’s an incredible milestone. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/05/myspace-music-streamed-its-billionth-song-a-few-days-after-launch 10/5)

Yahoo is continuing its marathon merger discussions with AOL, sources close to the negotiations have whispered to Techcrunch, and a deal could happen as early as this month. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/06/aol-yahoo-merger-details-emerge-deal-could-happen-this-month 10/6)

Vudu and Netflix took steps last week toward bringing movies into more living rooms via the Internet, according to this report. “The DVD rental business, and Netflix’s DVD business, is going to grow for five to 10 years,” said Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey. “But ultimately, 20 to 25 years from now, it’s going to all be streaming.” Broadcasting & Cable (10/6)

It’s a big day for eBay and CEO Jon Donahoe. The company is laying off 10% of its workforce, or about 1,000 employees plus several hundred temporary positions. They will take a $70 million to $80 million restructuring charge around the layoffs, they said. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/06/ebay-spends-more-than-1-billion-to-buy-billmelater-and-dbadk-and-lays-off-10-of-employees 10/6)

Yahoo and Google say they will delay their online search advertising partnership to give the U.S. Justice Department more time to evaluate the deal. Justice Department staffers are said to be recommending that the deal be investigated further and even blocked in court. (Iwantmedia 10/6, http://kara.allthingsd.com/20081003/yahoogle-delayed 10/3)

YouTube on Nov. 22 will host a San Francisco gathering of its active users called YouTube Live — “part concert, part variety show and part party.” The event, which will be streamed live on the Web, is seen as notable because YouTube doesn’t offer live-streaming technology. (Iwantmedia 10/6, http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10056488-36.html 10/5)

Codeblack Interactive has partnered with YouTube to provide the latest sponsored programming for the nascent Google Content Network (launched with Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade series this summer.) Boondocks head writer Yamara Taylor has signed on to create the first series for the Codeblack channel, to be syndicated across thousands of African American-targeted sites. (Cynopsis 10/6)

NBC Universal is synergizing the syndicated television show “Access Hollywood” with its female-targeted hub iVillage.com. The iVillage entertainment section will sport an “Access”-branded module feeding news links to AccessHollywood.com and will host video from the site. (Iwantmedia 10/6, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic261f4f6bfdb7bc4ef8f458ddb445bd3 10/6)

Sports and booze are taking a backseat to going online, computers and new technology among men 18 to 34, according to a survey conducted by G4, a cable network that caters to that demo. The study suggests to advertisers that while young men still remain interested in pigskin and pilsner, “it isn’t a formula you can just plug into anymore and automatically be successful,” said G4 President Neal Tiles. TVWeek.com (10/5)