Redbox, the DVD rental kiosk company, is suing 20th Century Fox for delaying distribution of Fox films for a month after DVD release. Redbox President Mitch Lowe claims the studio is "attempting to
prohibit timely consumer access to its new release DVDs at Redbox retail locations nationwide." While the company has reached deals with Sony and Lionsgate, but is in a similar suit with Universal.
An Alaska judge ruled that it was OK for Gov. Sarah Palin to sometimes use her private e-mail accounts to conduct state business. The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Anchorage resident Andree McLeod, who contended such use of private e-mails denies citizens the right to inspect public records. Forgetting politics for a second, this is a really interesting issue. If state business documents are supposed to be available for public inspection, I'm not sure the judge got this one right.
RealNetworks lost a court ruling over its DVD-copying business RealDVD. Brought on by the major Hollywood studios, the technology was rejected on the basis that it would lead to rampant copyright violations by users. Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America Dan Glickman noted the judicial win as a stepping stone "for the rule of law in our digital economy." While sales of the technology were already banned, RealNetworks was counting on RealDVD to generate new revenue.
Microsoft is set to launch Microsoft Office on Nokia phones. The goal is to loosen RIM's hold on the business community, while bringing its Office service to cellphones. The first Office suite will be Mobile Communicator, which will be available next year on Nokia's E-series.
Judge Leonard Davis of US District Court of Eastern Texas has ordered Microsoft to stop selling copies of Microsoft Word over an XML patent infringement. Judge Davis ruled that Microsoft must pay Canadian software company i4i over $77 million in the ruling, but will have to package future versions of the software without the ability to open the .XML and .docx files.
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV. Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net For information about Get Digital Classes, visit www.shellypalmer.com/seminars