Authors, Publishers, and Google Reach Landmark Settlement
Copyright Accord Would Make Millions More Books Available Online
The Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Google today announced a groundbreaking settlement agreement on behalf of a broad class of authors and publishers worldwide that would expand online access to millions of in-copyright books and other written materials in the U.S. from the collections of a number of major U.S. libraries participating in Google Book Search. The agreement, reached after two years of negotiations, would resolve a class-action lawsuit brought by book authors and the Authors Guild, as well as a separate lawsuit filed by five large publishers as representatives of the AAP’s membership. The class action is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The agreement promises to benefit readers and researchers, and enhance the ability of authors and publishers to distribute their content in digital form, by significantly expanding online access to works through Google Book Search, an ambitious effort to make millions of books searchable via the Web. The agreement acknowledges the rights and interests of copyright owners, provides an efficient means for them to control how their intellectual property is accessed online and enables them to receive compensation for online access to their works.
If approved by the court, the agreement would provide:
- More Access to Out-of-Print Books – Generating greater exposure for millions of in-copyright works, including hard-to-find out-of-print books, by enabling readers in the U.S. to search these works and preview them online;
- Additional Ways to Purchase Copyrighted Books – Building off publishers’ and authors’ current efforts and further expanding the electronic market for copyrighted books in the U.S., by offering users the ability to purchase online access to many in-copyright books;
- Institutional Subscriptions to Millions of Books Online – Offering a means for U.S. colleges, universities and other organizations to obtain subscriptions for online access to collections from some of the world’s most renowned libraries;
- Free Access From U.S. Libraries – Providing free, full-text, online viewing of millions of out-of-print books at designated computers in U.S. public and university libraries; and
- Compensation to Authors and Publishers and Control Over Access to Their Works – Distributing payments earned from online access provided by Google and, prospectively, from similar programs that may be established by other providers, through a newly created independent, not-for-profit Book Rights Registry that will also locate rightsholders, collect and maintain accurate rightsholder information, and provide a way for rightsholders to request inclusion in or exclusion from the project.
Under the agreement, Google will make payments totaling $125 million. The money will be used to establish the Book Rights Registry, to resolve existing claims by authors and publishers and to cover legal fees. The settlement agreement resolves Authors Guild v. Google, a class-action suit filed on September 20, 2005 by the Authors Guild and certain authors, and a suit filed on October 19, 2005 by five major publisher-members of the Association of American Publishers: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (NYSE: MHP); Pearson Education, Inc. and Penguin Group (USA) Inc., both part of Pearson (LSE: PSON; NYSE: PSO); John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JWa and JWb); and Simon & Schuster, Inc. part of CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS). These lawsuits challenged Google’s plan to digitize, search and show snippets of in-copyright books and to share digital copies with libraries without the explicit permission of the copyright owner.
Holders worldwide of U.S. copyrights can register their works with the Book Rights Registry and receive compensation from institutional subscriptions, book sales, ad revenues and other possible revenue models, as well as a cash payment if their works have already been digitized.
Libraries at the Universities of California, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Stanford have provided input into the settlement and expect to participate in the project, including by making their collections available. Along with a number of other U.S. libraries that currently work with Google, their significant efforts to preserve, maintain and provide access to books have played a critical role in achieving this agreement and, through their anticipated participation, they are furthering such efforts while making books even more accessible to students, researchers and readers in the U.S. It is expected that additional libraries in the U.S. will participate in this project in the future.
Google Book Search users in the United States will be able to enjoy and purchase the products and services offered under the project. Outside the United States, the users’ experience with Google Book Search will be unchanged, unless the offering of such products and services is authorized by the rightsholder of a book.
“It’s hard work writing a book, and even harder work getting paid for it,” said Roy Blount Jr., President of the Authors Guild. “As a reader and researcher, I’ll be delighted to stop by my local library to browse the stacks of some of the world’s great libraries. As an author, well, we appreciate payment when people use our work. This deal makes good sense.”
“This historic settlement is a win for everyone,” said Richard Sarnoff, Chairman of the Association of American Publishers. “From our perspective, the agreement creates an innovative framework for the use of copyrighted material in a rapidly digitizing world, serves readers by enabling broader access to a huge trove of hard-to-find books, and benefits the publishing community by establishing an attractive commercial model that offers both control and choice to the rightsholder.”
“Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Today, together with the authors, publishers, and libraries, we have been able to make a great leap in this endeavor,” said Sergey Brin, co-founder & president of technology at Google. “While this agreement is a real win-win for all of us, the real victors are all the readers. The tremendous wealth of knowledge that lies within the books of the world will now be at their fingertips.”
For more information about this agreement, including information about whether you may be a class member, please visit http://books.google.com/booksrightsholders. Class members include authors (the Author Sub-Class) and publishers (the Publisher Sub-Class), and their heirs and successors, of books and other written works protected by U.S. copyright law.
A teleconference for the media will be held today, Tuesday, October 28, 2008, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. To participate, reporters in the U.S. should dial 877-340-7913, and reporters internationally should dial 719-325-4845. Please tell the operator you would like to join the “Authors, Publishers and Google” call.
About the Authors Guild
The Authors Guild, representing more than 8,000 authors, is the nation’s largest and oldest society of published authors and the leading writers’ advocate for fair compensation, effective copyright protection, and free expression. For more information, visit www.authorsguild.org.
About the Association of American Publishers
The AAP is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities. For further information, see www.publishers.org.
About Google Inc. and Google Book Search
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Google Book Search was launched in 2004, and today enables the full text searching of more than a million books online. More than 20,000 publishers and 28 libraries around the world currently work with Google to market their books through the service. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com and books.google.com.
The Author Sub-Class and the Authors Guild, Inc. are represented by Michael J. Boni and Joanne Zack of Boni & Zack LLC, Bala Cynwyd, PA, 610-822-0200, www.bonizack.com, bookclaims@bonizack.com.
The Publisher Sub-Class, the Association of American Publishers, Inc., The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Pearson Education, Inc., Penguin Group (USA) Inc., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and Simon & Schuster, Inc. are represented by Jeffrey P. Cunard and Bruce P. Keller of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, NY, 212-909-6000, www.debevoise.com, bookclaims@debevoise.com.
Qik Launches First Live Mobile Video Streaming on Mass Market Phones
Support for phones from Nokia and Sony Ericsson brings inaugural live streaming to J2ME handsets, the most ubiquitous application platform for mobile devices
Qik, Inc., the live mobile video streaming platform, today announced that it is the first live mobile video product to launch on mass market mobile phones. Available today in alpha, Qik’s service is now ready for use on more than a dozen Nokia and Sony Ericsson mass market mobile handsets. With Qik’s free service, users can stream video live to the Internet in just two clicks from their mobile phone. Those watching the videos on the web can engage in live interactive chat with the person broadcasting.
“It’s a real milestone for mobile technology that an advanced utility like Qik is now available on mass market cell phones,” said Ramu Sunkara, co-founder and CEO of Qik. “We have been astounded by the use of Qik by smartphone owners, and are excited to see what mass market cell phone users will stream live to the Web.”
Mass market cell phones include non-PDA and non-smartphone handsets which are more accessible to a much broader market of customers. These devices usually carry a lower price point than more advanced phones and have deep penetration in the global mobile market. Qik’s software for these handsets is based on the Java Platform, Micro Edition, (commonly referred to as J2ME), the most ubiquitous application platform for mobile devices.
“Nokia is pleased that Qik’s innovative live video service is now available for owners of Nokia feature phones as well as Nokia smartphones,” said Tom Libretto, Vice President, Forum Nokia. “Qik’s release for these phones adds an exciting new way for people to use an even wider variety of Nokia handsets.”
Qik is initially launching in alpha on the following handsets: Nokia 5300, Nokia 6300, Nokia 6500 (classic and slide), Nokia 6555, Nokia 8800 Arte/Carbon Arte, Sony Ericsson G502, Sony Ericsson K660i, Sony Ericsson K850i, Sony Ericsson K858c, Sony Ericsson W890i, Sony Ericsson W908c, Sony Ericsson W910i, and Sony Ericsson Z750i.
Owners of the above devices can get Qik by registering at http://qik.com/. Support for these devices is expected to enter beta in the coming weeks, and support for additional Nokia and Sony Ericsson feature phones is expected soon after.
The Pope, Senator Barack Obama, Bono, and Steve Jobs are just a few of the notables to be streamed live to the web by Qik users in more than 150 countries. Journalists are using Qik to be more transparent in their reporting, and politicians worldwide are employing Qik as they campaign on a more engaging Web platform. Parents around the planet are easily sharing family events as they happen through Qik on their cell phones. With simple but robust software and a feature-rich site, tens of thousands of Qik users are streaming important moments live to the people with whom they want to share.
Qik, in addition to being the live mobile to web video service of choice for celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, is also delivering exciting footage shot by a wide selection of users across entertainment, business, sports, and technology. Recent Qik videos of note have included behind the scenes footage from Sarah Palin and Joe Biden’s vice presidential debate, interviews with comedian Dane Cook, the launch of Apple’s new notebook computers, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s speech reacting to the global economic climate.
About Qik
Qik, the world’s leading mobile live video streaming platform, currently available on nearly 70 cell phones, enables anyone to stream video live from their mobile device from anywhere, to anywhere. Its innovative, patent-pending technology enables anyone to share their moments live with their friends and family or the entire world. Notable events captured on Qik include the lighting of the Olympics torch from both inside and outside the Olympic stadium in Beijing, Ashton Kutcher’s own Qiks from behind the scenes at Blah Girls, his new start-up, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s speech reacting to global economic distress. Find additional Qik videos, including those streaming live, here: http://qik.com/.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: Qik, Inc.
rss.com Domain Name set for 750,000 USD Sale
Torex Appoints Sedo to Oversee Web Address Sale
Sedo, the leading marketplace for buying and selling Internet domain names and websites, has been appointed by Torex Retail Holdings (Torex(TM)) to oversee the sale of rss.com.
With the development of the Internet, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) has emerged as the industry standard term which describes the delivery of automated news feeds over the web.
Jason Richards, global vice president, information services, Torex, commented: “Following our review of our digital assets, we’ve concluded that the domain name RSS, while having significant value in the marketplace, is not totally indicative of the Torex product, support and service offerings on a go-forward basis. Rather than maintaining this asset, we feel that it is better suited for a company in the media, publishing or entertainment sector where it should have stronger market appeal. Sedo is the ideal partner for us to announce its availability and oversee its sale.”
Nora Nanayakkara, director of business development at Sedo, commented: “It’s not often a name with such pertinence comes onto the market. As well as being short and memorable, the name has a widespread meaning. It’s a fantastic opportunity for an online media company to acquire it and grow its readership.”
With over 3,810,000,000 page results for “rss” in Google, businesses can use the name as a powerful asset to attract new customers, boost search engine rankings and grow online advertising revenues. Since being parked and monetised through Sedo, the name averages 20,000 unique views a month.
Rss.com is planned to go up for auction on www.greatdomains.com in October with a $750,000 USD reserve. Buyers can submit their interest either by contacting Sedo directly or by visiting www.sedo.co.uk and searching for the Internet domain name.
Top 10 domain names sold by Sedo:
1. Vodka.com (USD$3m)
2. Chinese.com (USD$1.1m)
3. Invest.com (USD$1.015m)
4. Website.com (USD$750,000)
5. Telecom.com (USD$700,000)
6. Annuity.com (USD$600,000)
7. Blue.com (USD$500,000)
8. Villas.com (USD$478,000)
9. Gibraltar.com (USD$ 360,000)
10. Sport.co.uk (USD$265,000)
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Sedo
Sedo, an acronym for “Search Engine for Domain Offers,” is the leading online marketplace for buying and selling Internet domain names and websites. With offices in America, Germany and the UK, Sedo has assembled the world’s largest database of domain names for sale, with more than 14 million listings. The success of Sedo’s model has attracted a global membership base of more than 790,000 domain professionals. Sedo is majority-owned by AdLINK Group (ISIN DE0005490155 / German WKN: 549015), which is part of the German United Internet AG (ISIN DE0005089031/ WKN 508903). Sedo offers regional versions of its site for the UK (Sedo.co.uk), France (Sedo.fr), Germany (Sedo.de), and Spain (Sedo.com).
For additional information, please visit http://www.sedo.co.uk.
About Torex - http://www.torex.com
Torex is the leading global provider of innovative, integrated technology solutions to the extended retail marketplace.
Torex has 20 years’ experience of working in partnership with the world’s most forward-thinking retail, petroleum and convenience and hospitality brands to entice, engage and retain their customers.
Over 7,000 customers worldwide depend on our proven, best-in-class solutions and knowledgeable industry experts to help them identify, define and deliver a more personal and qualitative experience for each customer, and to maximise profitability, increase ROI and achieve competitive advantage. Torex customers include McDonald’s, Tesco and Selfridges.
Nokia Launches Pioneering Comes With Music Digital Entertainment Service
Filed under: Breaking News, Product Launches, press release
New Service Offers Customers Unprecedented Freedom and Value
EMI Music, Independents and Music Publishers Join Offering
At the Nokia Remix event held today in London and Singapore, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) announced the debut of its pioneering Comes with Music digital entertainment service which offers consumers a new way to discover and enjoy music. Customers who buy a Comes With Music device will be able to explore and enjoy a diverse catalog of music of international and local artists with unlimited access to millions of tracks for a year, keeping the music once the year is over and revolutionizing their digital music experience.
“Comes With Music sets a precedent for consumer value and convenience that the rest of the digital entertainment industry is already copying,” said Tero Ojanpera, executive vice president and head of the Nokia entertainment and communities business. “Trying out a music recommendation is spontaneous as customers can download without worrying about the cost of an album or a track - the freedom and simplicity of the service is unparalleled. And Comes With Music gives you unlimited access to the millions of tracks in the Nokia Music Store and the music is all yours to keep - because it’s not a revolution unless you get to keep your music.”
Comes With Music offers one year of unlimited access to the entire Nokia Music Store catalogue and customers can keep all the music that they have downloaded at the end of the year to continue enjoying their music collection. Comes With Music will be available across a range of Nokia devices, including the new Nokia 5800 XpressMusic - also announced today and the Nokia N95 8GB and Nokia 5310 XpressMusic. With more than 10 million units sold globally since its introduction last year, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is the best selling music phone in the world.
EMI Music has joined as the latest major label to support Comes With Music.
“With the launch of Nokia’s Comes With Music, fans now have a new avenue to find and enjoy music from EMI’s catalogue, and our artists have a powerful new way to reach their fans,” said Douglas Merrill, president, digital business, for EMI Music. “By encouraging music discovery in an innovative and consumer-friendly environment, Comes With Music will continue to push experimentation in the digital music industry.”
Comes With Music will also feature a tremendous selection of independent music, courtesy of deals with The Orchard (NASD: ORCD), Beggars Group, IODA, the Ministry of Sound, PIAS and Pinnacle. These companies join Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group in supporting Comes With Music. Nokia has also secured music publishing rights from CELAS on behalf of EMI Music Publishing, GEMA on behalf of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, SACEM on behalf of Universal Music Publishing, as well as the MCPS-PRS Alliance.
The United Kingdom will be the first market to offer Comes With Music with sales planned to start on October 16, 2008. The Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Comes With Music edition is expected to cost GBP 129.95 and people can pre-register their orders for Comes With Music devices from Carphone Warehouse at http://www.carphonewarehouse.com.
http://www.nokia.com/comeswithmusic
Notes to Editor:
For multimedia material on the Nokia Remix, please visit http://events.nokia.com
For print quality photos, please visit http://www.nokia.com/press/photos
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable customers to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.
About EMI Music
EMI Music is the recorded music division of EMI Group Limited, one of the world’s leading music companies. EMI Music represents artists spanning all musical tastes and genres. Its record labels include Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, Capitol Nashville, EMI Classics, EMI CMG, EMI Records, EMI Televisa Music, Manhattan, Mute, Parlophone and Virgin.
http://www.nokia.com
Source: Nokia Corporation
Google Launches New Google Blog Tracking Service
Google announced today a new Blog Tracking Service. Here is the announcement from Google’s Official Blog.
Did you know that millions of bloggers around the world write new posts each week? If you’re like me, you probably read only a tiny fraction of these in Google Reader. What’s everybody else writing about? Our Blog Search team thought this was an interesting enough question to look into. What we found was a massive mix: entertaining items about celebrities, personal perspectives on political figures, cutting-edge (and sometimes unverified) news stories, and a range of niche topics often ignored by the mainstream media.
Today, we’re pleased to launch a new homepage for Google Blog Search so that you too can browse and discover the most interesting stories in the blogosphere. Adapting some of the technology pioneered by Google News, we’re now showing categories on the left side of the website and organizing the blog posts within those categories into clusters, which are groupings of posts about the same story or event. Grouping them in clusters lets you see the best posts on a story or get a variety of perspectives. When you look within a cluster, you’ll find a collection of the most interesting and recent posts on the topic, along with a timeline graph that shows you how the story is gaining momentum in the blogosphere.
2008 US Olympic Gymnastic Superstars Join Today’s Top Music Icons For Women’s Cancer Awareness Network Special, Frosted Pink with a Twist
Filed under: Breaking News, Launch Events, press release
New Cancer Data Shows Women Do Not Feel Knowledgeable About Their Cancer Risks and Justifies Need for More Credible Health Information; Show Set to Educate and Entertain
Olympic champions of the 2008 Summer Games, led by Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, along with Team USA will join with some of the biggest names in music for a national network television special, Frosted Pink with a Twist, in an effort to inspire action, celebrate survivorship and encourage women to become advocates for themselves in the fight against cancer.
Paired with these gymnasts will be icons of song, including Grammy-award winner Carole King, Cyndi Lauper and billboard sensations, Natasha Bedingfield and Jesse McCartney, making for a historical event of sports, entertainment, and health awareness. Also appearing will be hip-hop singer and Dancing with the Stars contestant Mario and Kenny Loggins. Cancer survivor Sharon Osbourne will be accepting the Nationwide® Insurance Woman of Courage award.
Frosted Pink with a Twist is the anchor event of a multi-year television and multimedia campaign that focuses on educating viewers about cancers that primarily affect women. Co-hosted this year by Olympic Gymnastics Champion Shannon Miller and cancer survivor and Olympic Figure Skating Champion Scott Hamilton, the show will highlight current Olympic champions Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Paul Hamm, Shannon Miller, and other stars of the men’s and women’s US Olympic Gymnastics teams.
“Frosted Pink’s message is simple, but necessary: we all need to do our part in the fight against women’s cancer,” said Ms. Miller. “Our hope is that with more information, women will become empowered and become better advocates for their own health.”
Raising awareness is especially significant because research continues to find that despite significant improvements in the diagnostic tools and treatment options for women’s cancers, many women lack the basic information they need to help protect them from a cancer diagnosis. In fact, a recent Woman’s Day magazine survey of nearly 7,000 women found that only 21 percent of respondents believe that they are very knowledgeable about the risk factors associated with cancer even though an overwhelming 90 percent agree that cancer is our nation’s biggest healthcare fear. The majority (51 percent) wished they knew where to find credible and reliable information about cancer, justifying the need for more educational efforts like Frosted Pink with a Twist.
Woman’s Day, the official media partner of Frosted Pink with a Twist, surveyed 6,534 women on womansday.com to gauge their perspectives, hopes and fears of cancers that primarily affect women. While 76 percent of the respondents disagree or were unsure that cancer is a death sentence, the vast majority (63%) do not believe that they will see a cure for cancer in their lifetime. To learn more about the Woman’s Day survey, click here.
And strikingly, even though the American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 3 women will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime, the majority of respondents (51%) were either unsure or felt it was unlikely that they would get cancer in their lifetime.
“According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an estimated 260,950 women will be diagnosed in 2008 with a women’s cancer in the United States,” said co-host Scott Hamilton. “And as a cancer survivor, I understand the need to do a better job providing people with the tools they need to become their own health advocates. We need to take every opportunity to educate as we entertain.”
In 2007, the television event paired Grammy award-winning artists, such as Rascal Flatts and Joss Stone, with Olympic Champion women’s figure skaters in a unique collaboration of stars from both disciplines. This year, Frosted Pink with a Twist will air nationally on ABC from 4 – 6 pm on Sunday, October 12. The show will re-air on additional cable networks throughout the remainder of the month.
Frosted Pink with a Twist is supported by presenting sponsors Sanofi-Aventis and Wachovia. Cream of Wheat, Five Rivers Winery, Laura Ashley, Merck & Co., Inc., Nationwide Insurance, and Woman’s Day magazine have also signed on to support the show and promote the campaign in various ways. To learn more about our sponsors, click here: http://www.frostedpink.org/sponsors/sponsors.html.
To ensure accurate and credible health content throughout the telecast, Frosted Pink with a Twist has also joined with America’s most effective patient advocacy organizations: the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC), the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA). Moreover, the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) have joined the initiative as outreach partners. The result is a united effort of patient groups and professional organizations to broaden the message to millions who are touched by cancers that primarily affect women. To learn more about our partners, click here: http://www.frostedpink.org/partners/partners.html.
In an effort to expand the outreach to women across the country, the following organizations are official Frosted Friends, dedicated to spreading the advocacy and education message of Frosted Pink with Twist: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Blue Thong Society, Coalition of Labor Union Women, Hadassah, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, National Association of Female Executives, National Council of Women’s Organizations, National Rural Health Association, National Women’s Health Resource Center, Society for Women’s Health Research, and the YWCA-USA. To learn more about our Frosted Friends, click here: http://www.frostedpink.org/partners/frostedfriends.html.
Frosted Pink with a Twist is the creation of Mike Burg, CEO of Edge Entertainment and Edge Marketing & Management, who conceived of the Frosted Pink campaign after twice winning the battle against Hodgkin’s disease. The Edge companies, based in Charlotte, North Carolina and Los Angeles, California, specialize in entertainment and sports specials for broadcast, Olympic sport arena tours, and representation of Olympic athletes. The Edge broadcast portfolio includes creating the Teen Choice Awards on FOX, the Kids Choice Awards on Nickelodeon, Ice Wars on CBS, Hope Rocks on FOX, and the Action Sports Awards on FOX.
For more information on Frosted Pink with a Twist, visit www.frostedpink.org. For medical information on cancer, visit the patient Web site, Cancer.Net (www.cancer.net), the official clinical cancer information resource for Frosted Pink with a Twist.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to Perform During Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show on NBC
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND will perform in the BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLIII HALFTIME SHOW on NBC at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday, February 1, the NFL and NBC announced tonight.
The Super Bowl halftime show is annually the most-watched musical performance. More than 148 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year’s show. The Super Bowl and halftime show will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band join an esteemed list of recent halftime acts that includes the Rolling Stones, U2, Paul McCartney, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLIII HALFTIME SHOW is an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of WHITE CHERRY ENTERTAINMENT and by DON MISCHER PRODUCTIONS. Don Mischer also will serve as director.
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/
Source: NFL
Britney Spears Announces New Album ‘Circus’ for Worldwide Release December 2nd
Filed under: Breaking News, Launch Events, press release
First Single “Womanizer” Is Slated To Hit Radio On September 22nd New Album Features Collaborations With Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Danja,
Jive/Zomba recording artist Britney Spears announces her sixth studio album, Circus, set for release December 2nd. The first single from the album is titled “Womanizer” and was produced by the up-and-coming Atlanta production team The Outsyders. The album release date coincides with Spears’ birthday.
On the heels of an MTV VMA awards sweep, where Britney walked away with three Moonmen awards for “Video of the Year,” “Best Female” and “Best Pop Video” for “Piece of Me,” Jive Records is preparing her latest album, Circus, a follow-up to her critically well received album, Blackout. For her latest effort, Britney has enlisted a stellar group of established producers/writers that include Dr. Luke (who wrote and produced the album’s title track, “Circus”), Danja, Max Martin, Bloodshy & Avant and Guy Sigsworth (Madonna, Alanis Morissette, Bjork).
Britney Spears is one of the top-selling artists of the last decade, and to date, she has sold in excess of 62 million albums worldwide that include Baby One More Time (1999), Oops!…I Did It Again (2000), Britney (2001), In The Zone (2003), and Blackout (2007), eight #1 worldwide singles and four consecutive #1 albums.
The Zomba Label Group consists of record labels Jive, LaFace, Volcano, Verity, GospoCentric and Fo Yo Soul. These labels represent a varied group of artists including Justin Timberlake, R. Kelly, Usher, Tool, Ciara, Chris Brown, Pink, Britney Spears, OutKast, Kirk Franklin, Three Days Grace, 311, Nick Lachey, T-Pain, Byron Cage, Bullet For My Valentine, Buddy Guy, Living Things, Anthony Hamilton, Donnie McClurkin, John P. Kee, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Marvin Sapp, Kelly Price, J. Moss and Backstreet Boys.
Source: Jive/Zomba
Hero in Need of Life Saving Bone Marrow Match
Family of former FDNY firefighter battling Multiple Myeloma makes urgent plea for public help
Firefighter Roy Chelsen battled bravely for us on September 11, 2001 — but now he is gravely ill and desperately needs our help. Chelsen, then a member of the FDNY Engine Company #28 on September 11, 2001 — was among the first firefighters to respond to the terror attacks at The World Trade Center, and helped save many lives. But for the last three years, Roy Chelsen has been battling multiple myeloma, an aggressive bone marrow cancer. He has undergone chemotherapy treatments, surgery and numerous transfusion therapies. Now after one year in remission, Chelsen needs a bone marrow transplant from a matching donor to save his own life. Born in Brooklyn, Roy Chelsen and his immediate family lived in Staten Island before settling in Warwick, Orange County, NY. He is 48 year old and married, with one son.
We are asking that everyone — from friends, residents, blood donors, and members of the FDNY, NYPD and the Port Authority to please step out and give blood in support of retired firefighter Roy Chelsen. Bone marrow cancer patients require blood transfusions because treatment kills both cancer cells and healthy, blood-forming cells. People can donate blood at the following drives, or at their nearest location by calling or by visiting www.nybloodcenter.org. To find out if you are a potential bone marrow match for Roy Chelsen, you must register with the National Marrow Donor Program at the sites listed below. This one-time registration is free. A swab will be taken of the inside of your mouth.
Blood and Bone Marrow Drives for Roy Chelsen New York City Fire Department - Engine 28 / Ladder 11 Friday, September 5, 2008 9:00 am - 8:30 pm 222 East 2nd Street, New York, NY Warwick Fire Dept Goodwill Hook & Ladder Company Ladies Auxiliary Thursday, September 11, 2008 3:30 pm - 9:00 pm Church Street Extension, Warwick, NY Westerleigh Community Blood Drive at Zion Lutheran Church Saturday, September 20, 2008 10:00 am - 3:30 pm 505 Watchogue Road, Staten Island, NY
Each donated pint of blood can save as many as three lives. All donors receive free mini-medical exams on site and information about their temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and hemoglobin level. Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 with parental consent (in NY) or 17 (in NJ), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. Inquiries are also welcomed from organizations who would like to schedule a blood drive.
New York Blood Center (NYBC) is one of the nation’s largest non-profit, community-based blood centers. NYBC has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to patients in greater New York since 1964. NYBC is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program at the Howard P. Milstein National Cord Blood Center, the world’s largest public cord blood bank. NYBC provides medical services and programs (Clinical, Transfusion, and Hemophilia Services) through our medical professionals and transfusion medicine physicians.
20 Ways to Increase your I.Q.
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A comprehensive and eye opening look at how you can change your life in small qays to increase your ability to think, focus and concentrate; hence increasing your I.Q.
Just had to add a number 21 - Use more Digg!
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