As both sides await a judge's ruling over the legality of RealNetworks’ DVD copying software RealDVD, the major studios have filed a new complaint, charging that RealNetworks lied in court about circumventing DVD copy protections. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) asked the Judge to include in the court record five patent filings by […]

Germany’s federal cartel office has confirmed it won't be changing its mind on banning the merger of the main three MSOs KDG, Unity and Kabel BW. It also made it clear it would also disallow a merger between any two of them. In a swipe at the companies now struggling investors, the president of the […]

Tiscali director of television Simon Hunt has backed BT's recent call for broadcasters to pay for the online distribution of their content. “The example I always come back to is the BBC and satellite. The BBC spends a lot of money on Sky so we can watch its programmes at home. It also spends a […]

Mark Thompson, the BBC's director general, has accused a small group of "ideologically focused" people within the UK government of trying to undermine his organisation's financial security. The BBC chief directed particular attack on the government and Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, listing a series of causes – including the funding of Channel 4 and the […]

From Branislav Pekic in Rome Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset has requested that the European Court in Luxembourg annuls the decision of the European Commission regarding the illegality of state subsidies for the acquisition of DTT decoders. At question is the European Commission's decision of 2007, that subsidies awarded by Italy for the years 2004 and […]

Boxer, the Teracom-owned DTT platform has acquired a majority stake in its Finnish equivalent PlusTV. Existing backers Baker Capital and IT Provider Funds will remain minority shareholders. "PlusTV has established itself as a leading Finnish pay-TV operator and has great continued potential. We count on developing synergies between our businesses in Sweden, Denmark and Finland […]

Vevo, the planned online music video service announced by Universal Music and YouTube in April, is seeking outside investment from advertisers after signing up its second large record label. Sony Music Entertainment announced that it would join Vevo, highlighting the proposed site's "attractive, clean and intuitive environment that appeals to fans and advertisers alike". Sony […]

SeaChange International, provider of software and hardware solutions for VOD television, has announced financial results for its fiscal 2010 first quarter ended April 30th, 2009. Total revenues for the quarter were $48.9 million, which was $3.5 million or 8per cent higher than total revenues of $45.4 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2009. Net […]

Sky1 has appointed the BBC’s Lucy Lumsden as the satellite channel’s first head of comedy. Lumsden worked with Stuart Murphy, programme director of Sky 1, on many of BBC3’s early comedy successes. ….

Despite receiving some money against the £35m (E41m) it is owed, the English Premier League has told Setanta if it does not pay the balance by Friday, 19 June, it will put its remaining games – 46 live matches in the 09-10 season – out to tender. “In view of the shortage of time before […]