CNM Short Take

Leitch, UWaterloo open multimedia communications labLeitch Technology Corp. and the University of Waterloo will build one of the largest and most advanced multimedia communications labs in the country, it was announced June 6. Leitch has pitched in $330,000 in cash and equipment for the lab and much of the infrastructure, including audio and video conversion and interface equipment, test generators and a 3D non-linear editing system. The facility, which will temporarily occupy 650 square feet in the school’s electrical and computer engineering department, will be expanded to more than 1,100 square feet and is scheduled to open in Waterloo’s new Centre for Environmental and Information Technology building in September 2003. Carat Canada signs on to use ZAQ ZEGO marketing platformCarat Canada Inc. has signed a service agreement with Montreal’s ZAQ Inc. to use its ZEGO marketing platform for campaign delivery, tracking and reporting, and for consumer segmentation and communication for Carat’s advertising clients in Canada. No value for the deal was disclosed. Korn concert digitally simulcast in Canadian, U.S. theatresA concert by popular recording group Korn was broadcast as a digital simulcast to several Canadian Famous Players theatres on June 10. The hour-long concert, accompanied by a half-hour short documentary film about the band, was delivered to the theatres across Canada via satellite. Tickets cost $15.95. The show originated from an undisclosed New York City location, and was digitally simulcast to sites in 13 Canadian cities and 30 American centres. Ubi Soft intros new F1 game featuring Jacques VilleneuveUbi Soft Entertainment will debut a new Formula 1 racing game for the PC platform in September, and on gaming consoles later in the fall, featuring Montreal hometown hero Jacques Villeneuve. The game will feature a multi-player Internet mode. The game was produced by Ubi Soft in Romania, and it was managed in Montreal by WEG Management Ltd. Perhaps gamers can do a better job piloting Villeneuve’s car than Villeneuve has this season? MagiCorp announces increased investment by Branson’s VirginMagiCorp Entertainment Inc., Toronto, has won $700,000 in additional investment from Virgin Entertainment Group. The additional funding would bring Virgin’s total investment in MagiCorp to $7.7 million by way of an increase in the principle sum of Virgin’s existing MagiCorp debenture. The investment will be used primarily to facilitate the development of MagiCorp’s new Lucid-brand digital sports-based, location-based entertainment and media centres, the first of which is scheduled to open in Manchester, U.K. on Nov. 15/02. Besides non-stop live and recorded digital sports entertainment, the site will also boast the largest indoor liquor licensed area in Britain. iMagicTV trades on Nasdaq SmallCap market June 7iMagicTV began trading on the Nasdaq SmallCap market on June 7 after being notified last March that its common shares were not in compliance with Nasdaq’s US$1 minimum closing bid price required for continued listing on the larger cap exchange. The company will continue trading in compliance with the listing requirements of the Toronto Stock Exchange on that market. SOCAN declares partial victory in Tariff 22 appeal decisionThe Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has issued a media advisory to declare a partial victory in the May 2/02 decision by the Federal Court of Appeal on the matter of Tariff 22. As reported by CNM, the collective is pleased with the court’s ruling that the Copyright Board of Canada must be "right" in its findings rather than just "reasonable"; that caching music files in memory will trigger ISP liability; and, that music coming from file servers outside Canada to a recipient in this country results in a communication in Canada. SOCAN notes in the release that appeals may be pending. The Canadian Association of Internet Providers, upset about the caching element of the decision, has not yet announced whether it will launch an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. (CNM Special Update, May 2/02). The media advisory also makes mention of a new filing related to Tariff 22, though the reference is confusing. The Copyright Board has not received a modified tariff proposal, and SOCAN counsel was unavailable for comment. Employment down in technical, info and culture from 2001During the period from May 2001 to 2002, reports Statistics Canada, employment in the professional, scientific and technical services sector fell by 7,400 on a seasonally-adjusted basis. In the information, culture and recreation sector, employment fell by 9,400, the bureau reported June 7 in its labour force survey. But, from April to May this year, employment in the professional, scientific and technical services grew by 14,600. StatsCan attributes the growth to an expansion of the computer systems design services industry in Ontario, including companies that provide web design, custom programming and computer systems design services. 1901 Census quietly posted to National Archives web siteIn the hopes of preventing a massive swell of visitors to its web site and potentially suffering a traffic-induced shutdown, the National Archives of Canada has posted the 1901 Census without any fanfare. Chief archivist Ian Wilson tells CNM when the British Museum posted that country’s Census from the same year, British Telecom had to request it be shut down until provision could be made for the huge number of visitors. To view the unpublicized Canadian site, visit http://www.archives.ca/02/020122_e.html. National Library launches Indian Affairs annual reports web siteThe National Library of Canada has debuted a major new web site housing the complete text of the annual reports of Canada’s Indian Affairs portfolio, as well as the Schedules of Indian Bands, Reserves and Settlements for the period 1902 to 1992. The collection was first issued on CD-ROM in 1997, but a cooperative effort between the National Library’s Digital Library Task Force and the Departmental Library of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has made the important documents available online to the general public. Sympatico offers Talkway rich email services with videoBell Canada’s Sympatico will offer a new streaming audio/video email product to dial-up and high-speed subscribers. The technology is provided by Talkway Inc. The service is now available. StatsCan indicates large number of "dropout" Internet usersStatistics Canada reports that, according to its 2000 Household Internet Use Survey, just over 232,000 Canadian households that were regular Internet users were no longer. Over half used to surf at least once a week. "No need for it" was the most commonly cited reason for dropping off. The expense of a connection and loss of computer access were also cited as reasons. Complexity and lack of experience was another reason cited among dropouts who had been infrequent users. Only 20% of infrequent users said their computer skills were very good or excellent, compared with 57% of regular Internet users. More info at http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020611/d020611b.htm. Bill to fight online child porn receives Royal AssentBill C-15A, legislation intended to protect children from sexual exploitation, Internet luring, and child pornography passed into law this month after it received Royal Assent June 10. The law makes it illegal to communicate with a child over the Internet for the purpose of committing a sexual offence as well as to transmit, make available, export and access child pornography. The law also gives judges the power to order the deletion of child pornography posted on computer systems in Canada and the forfeiture of any materials or equipment used in the commission of a child pornography offence. They can keep known sex offenders away from children by using prohibition orders, long-term offender designations and one-year peace bonds for offences relating to child pornography and the Internet. ISPs had been concerned the law would put liability for offending material in their hands until rare guidance on the matter from the Minister of Justice put those concerns to rest (CNM, Oct. 18/01).

CNM Short Take

Broadcast | June 14, 2002

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