September 2000

INTERNET
Assessing Linking Liability (NYT)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Proposed Ruling Could Limit Tapes Of TV Broadcasts (USA)

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Cisco/Sun Academy Offers 2nd Chance at Tech Career (SJM)

MERGERS
Nextel In Merger Talks With AT&T Unit (WP)

SPEECH
Chairman Kennard On Foreign Investment In The Us Telecommunications
Market (FCC)

INTERNET

Assessing Linking Liability
ACCESSING LINKING LIABILITY
Issue: Internet
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District
ruled that a link can be bad or good -- depending on whether the linker's
intent is laudable or not in his August 17th decision regarding the highly
publicized DeCSS case, which pitted eight movie studios against Eric Corley,
who runs "2600: The Hacker Quarterly." If Judge Kaplan's ruling survives
appeal it could serve as an important guiding light for other judges, said
Dan L. Burk, an Internet law scholar and professor at the University of
Minnesota's law school. In "DeCSS" the movie studios sued Corley to stop him
from posting or linking to hundreds of sites carrying a piece of software -
DeCSS - which the studios claim allows users to decode DVDs. They claimed
the software code opens the door to copying and unauthorized viewing of
movies. In his ruling, Judge Kaplan said there may be no injunction against,
nor liability for, linking to a site containing content considered illegal
under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act unless it can be proven by clear
and convincing evidence that those responsible for the link (1) knew at the
relevant time that the offending material was on the linked-to site; (2)
knew that the offending material may not be legally offered, and (3) created
or maintained the link "for the purpose" of disseminating that illegal
technology. A "strong requirement of that forbidden purpose is an essential
prerequisite to any liability for linking," Judge Kaplan wrote. Kaplan's
views on linking are troubling to at least some experts in Internet law.
Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA's law school, said that the history
of the First Amendment shows that legal rules proscribing speech on the
basis of the speaker's intent may seem promising, but in practice are often
not sufficiently protective of speech. Mark Lemley, an intellectual property
expert who teaches at the University of California at Berkeley's law school,
said another problem with Judge Kaplan's legal standard on linking is that
it is intrusive. It subjects "a whole bunch of people to potential liability
and inquiries about why they did this thing," he said. He added that the
ruling will encourage intellectual property owners to file more cases
against linkers and issue "cease and desist" letters demanding that links be
removed.
[Source: New York Times (Cyber Law Journal), Author: Carl S. Kaplan]
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/08/technology/08CYBERLAW.html
(registration required)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

PROPOSED RULING COULD LIMIT TAPES OF TV BROADCASTS
Issue:
Claiming they have little choice than to honor copy-protection rights, the
Federal Communications Commission is expected to make a ruling that would
limit consumers' ability to make copies of cable TV programs in the emerging
digital world. Hollywood has vowed not to release movies over digital cable
TV if it doesn't get safeguards. The ruling could impact at least 230,000
consumers who paid up to $10,000 for digital TV sets with high-definition
pictures. Electronics manufacturers and retailers, however, are opposed to
any constraints on what they consider consumers' time-honored rights, with
some even saying they won't make the boxes if such requirements are adopted.
Over the next decade, more consumers are expected to switch to digital
gadgets to watch and record shows. Today, movie studios have placed few
limits on consumers' freedom to record shows on analog VCRs because the
videocassettes are of mediocre quality and cannot be easily disseminated.
[SOURCE: USAToday (1B), AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000908/2625446s.htm)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CISCO/SUN ACADEMY OFFERS 2ND CHANCE AT TECH CAREER
Issue:
A free program of Cisco/Sun Academy, targeted at low-income and out-of-work
residents of Menlo Park and East Palo Alto, is offering 60 adults in Menlo
Park, California a chance at a tech career. The program, targeted at
low-income and out-of-work residents of the two cities, is equipping adults
with the skill needed to navigate the high-tech workplace. Sun Microsystems
Inc. has contributed $50,000 in cash and nearly $115,000 in equipment into
the nine-month program, and Cisco Systems Inc. added $120,000 in cash and
$80,000 in equipment. The first class enrolled in the academy will graduate
in November. The second class started last week, and a third could open as
soon as January. The program condenses 2 1/2 years of college courses into
nine months. Attendance is mandatory, homework is piled on and the course
work is complex. The academy's graduates are on their way to understanding
the computer coding languages and processes that could take college students
and professionals years to master. Graduates are likely to become computer
programmers certified either through Sun or Cisco. "I used to go to college
in Sacramento until I ran out of money and moved back to Silicon Valley,"
said one student who made about $10,000 a year washing windows. "I'll be
making six times more money than before. This program has also given me
direction, focus and a tangible goal." "This is all very difficult
technology," said Larry Hannel, 51, of San Carlos. "I threw myself into this
with no knowledge of programming. It's like learning Japanese with a Korean
accent. But it is exciting."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Eric R. Drudis]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/front/docs/suncis090800.htm)

MERGERS

NEXTEL IN MERGER TALKS WITH AT&T UNIT
Issue: Merger
Nextel Communications, the national wireless company, is in discussions with
AT&T Wireless about a merger that would create a $100 billion enterprise
with about 18 million customers in markets across the country. Nextel, which
is in danger of exhausting its limited rights to the airwaves, would gain an
enormous partner with the deal. But legal experts said an AT&T-Nextel
combination could encounter resistance at the antitrust division of the
Department of Justice, which has recently shown willingness to challenge
major telecommunications mergers. Nextel and AT&T now compete head to head
in virtually every major market. It raises some fairly obvious horizontal
overlap issues in wireless," said Stephen Axinn, a prominent New York
antitrust expert who was brought in by the Justice Department to review
WorldCom Inc.'s aborted takeover of Sprint Corp Today, Nextel is the last
remaining independent national wireless company.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Peter S. Goodman]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32258-2000Sep7.html)

SPEECH

CHAIRMAN KENNARD ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN THE US TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKET
Issue: Mergers/International
(Speech) Yesterday, Federal Communication Commission Chairman William
Kennard spoke before the United States House of Representatives Committee on
Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection
about some of the issues raised by foreign investment in the United States
telecommunications market. The Chairman assured congress that the commission
would not prejudge any application that comes before it. He also told the
committee that Commission policies provide for a rigorous case-by-case
review of foreign ownership with sufficient flexibility to address the
particular competitive concerns raised by individual transactions.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Kennard/Statements/2000/stwek071.html)

--------------------------------------------------------------

EDTECH
Online Learning Picks Up Pace (USA)
Teachers Get A Taste Of High-Tech World (SJM)

PRIVACY
Carnivore Debate Centers on FBI Trustworthiness (WP)

MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS
U.S. Justice Department Approves Deutsche Telekom's VoiceStream Bid
(WSJ)
Time Warner to Buy Africana.com Site (WSJ)
No Concessions In AOL Merger (NYT)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Recording Giant Wins Ruling Over Web Site (WP)

WIRELESS
AOL in Talks with Several Carriers (NYT)

EDTECH

ONLINE LEARNING PICKS UP PACE
Issue: Distance Learning
USA TODAY is following the progress of Florida High School (FHS), a virtual
school that offers online curriculum to its students as well as 37
ninth-graders participating from Daniel Jenkins Academy in Haines City, Fla.
The students from Daniel Jenkins Academy have enrolled in a program that
combines the social and extracurricular activities of traditional high
school with online curriculum. Students come to Jenkins daily, where they
spend much of their time together in a classroom/lab with two facilitators,
who help them manage their online courses through FHS. At various times
during the day, groups of those Jenkins students are bused to nearby Haines
City High School, where they take part in sports, music, drama and other
club activities. FHS courses include a two or three hour online orientation
that must be completed before students can gain access to courses. Some
classes also offer an initial unit designed to help students adapt to their
self-paced education curriculum -- a task that can be awkward for many young
students.
[SOURCE: USAToday (11D), AUTHOR: Karen Thomas]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000907/2620126s.htm)

TEACHERS GET A TASTE OF HIGH-TECH WORLD
Issue: Edtech
A Bay Area program, IISME (Industry Initiatives for Science and Math
Education), gives classroom teachers the opportunity to experience
day-to-day work in the tech industry. IISME places teachers in summer jobs
in Silicon Valley, where they can see the real world applications of the
skills and subject matter they teach. Participants of this summer's program
said one thing they learned was that high-tech workers are given the tools,
training and support needed to do their jobs. Many were also impressed by
the corporate collaboration they witnessed at Silicon Valley workplaces.
"You meet together and talk about the goal. Then everyone goes to their
cubicle to do their part. It's like a jigsaw puzzle. If you don't have your
piece done on time . . . '' said Susan Diaz, a computer teacher at
Sunnyvale Middle School.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Joanne Jacobs]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/columns/front/docs/jj090700.htm)

PRIVACY

CARNIVORE DEBATE CENTERS ON FBI TRUSTWORTHINESS
Issue: Privacy/Security
At a hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday, the philosophical and technical
questions surrounding Carnivore, the FBI's controversial e-mail-sniffing
tool, came down to the issue of trust. Can the FBI and the government be
trusted to limit the use of the online wiretap tool to capturing spies,
hackers and terrorists while protecting the privacy of law-abiding
Americans? Or is another party the proper authority. The FBI's Donald M.
Kerr argued before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday that the agency
has used the system only about 25 times in the past two years and in "every
case and at all times" with the permission of the courts. "The FBI cannot
and does not 'snoop,'" said Kerr, assistant director of the agency.
Representatives of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a policy group
based in Washington, made an interesting suggestion. The CDT representatives
suggested that Internet Service Providers such as Microsoft's MSN or America
Online be put in charge of administering the system, because of the high
potential for government abuse. Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and Vint
Cerf, an Internet founding father who was selected to serve as an unbiased
technical adviser on the Senate panel, were quick with criticism of the
suggestion. Hatch said the proposal "strikes me as alarming, quite frankly."
Cerf believed that aside from the personal privacy issues raised by the
suggestion there existed also the possibility of evidence corruption. "I
have a feeling," he said, "that the ISP geeks would be less familiar with
restraints than the FBI gentlemen." Attorney General Janet Reno plans to
award a university contract to study Carnivore by Sept. 25 and to issue a
report by Dec. 8.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E3), AUTHOR: Ariana Eunjung Cha]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25183-2000Sep6.html)
See Also
WEB GURU CERF DEFENDS FBI'S USE OF CARNIVORE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Ted Bridis]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB968280823274189422.htm)
(Requires subscription)

MERGERS/ACQUISITIONS

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT APPROVES DEUTSCHE TELEKOM'S VOICESTREAM BID
Issue: Merger
The proposed merger of Deutsche Telekom and VoiceStream Wireless is nearly
complete, after the U.S. Justice Department approved the takeover by
default. The review period lapsed without opposition. But the transaction is
still to be approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and also by
VoiceStream shareholders. When Deutsche Telekom, Europe's biggest telephone
company, agreed to acquire 100% of VoiceStream for about $50 billion in cash
and stock in late July, a group of U.S. congressmen voiced its opposition
against the deal, mainly on the grounds that Deutsche Telekom is 58%-owned
by the German government. The senators urged the FCC to consider
national-security implications of any foreign acquisition of a U.S.
telecommunications firm. If the deal sails through, the German government's
stake would be reduced to 45%. But the lawmakers, with the quiet support of
several large U.S. telecom companies, are pushing legislation that would bar
any company that is 25% or more owned by a foreign government from acquiring
a U.S telecom company.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: WSJ.COM Roundup
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB968321872331479735.htm)
(Requires subscription)

TIME WARNER TO BUY AFRICANA.COM SITE
Issue: Merger
Earlier this year, Harvard University Prof. Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr.
predicted that his Web site, Africana.com, would become the dominant portal
for blacks worldwide. Although he is giving up its independence, Prof. Gates
has taken a major step toward achieving his goal by selling Africana.com to
Time Warner, a move that is poised to raise eyebrows at Harvard and
elsewhere in academia. Harvard and other higher education institutions are
struggling to balance scholarly pursuits with the entrepreneurialism of
Internet-inspired faculty. Time Warner hopes to attract more black
subscribers to America Online after the proposed AOL-Time Warner merger.
AOL-Time Warner has interests in an array of black-oriented Web sites,
including NetNoir.com and Volume.com, a site under development by Home Box
Office, a unit of Time Warner. Although Africana.com isn't the largest black
portal, Time Warner officials say Mr. Gates's site holds a unique niche
because of its educational bent and high-brow columnists -- many of them
courtesy of Mr. Gates's platinum Rolodex. A source familiar with the
negotiations said the price was at least $10 million, and Prof. Gates could
reap at least $1 million in the transaction, a noteworthy boon for an
educator who asserted earlier this year that he didn't expect to get rich
off his Internet efforts. He declined to comment on this matter.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Daniel Golden]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB968282511599715727.htm)
(Requires subscription)

NO CONCESSIONS IN AOL MERGER
Issue: Merger
Executives of Time Warner and America Online do not plan to offer any
concessions to clear their proposed merger plans when they meet regulators
of the European Commission, the administrative arm of the European Union.
The European Commission has sent the two companies a 45-page statement of
objections, arguing that the merger in its current form would allow the
companies to dominate the online distribution of entertainment and of music,
in particular. European concern has been magnified in Time Warner's separate
plan to merge its music business into a joint venture with the EMI Group of
Britain, the big music distributor. In an all-day hearing today, also in
private, Time Warner and EMI executives tried to convince officials that the
deal would be beneficial despite reducing the number of major music
distributors to four from five. The European Commission can block mergers
between companies that generate European sales of more than 250 million
euros a year, currently $217 million. On many occasions, including mergers
between two American companies, officials have used their power to force
companies into divestitures or changes in their practices. The commission's
deadline to reach a final decision on Time Warner's deal with EMI is Oct.
16, and on its merger with America Online, Oct. 24. The companies have to
submit proposed remedies at least one month before then.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C9), AUTHOR: Edmund L. Andrews]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/07/technology/07ONLI.html)
(requires registration)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

RECORDING GIANT WINS RULING OVER WEB SITE
Issue: Intellectual Property
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that MP3.com, an online
music site, willfully violated copyright laws. The ruling clears the way for
a potentially crippling damage award and provides the strongest sign to date
that major record labels are winning control of music commerce on the
Internet. Judge Rakoff said he would fine the company $25,000 for each CD
it copied from, a punishment that could yield a total fine of as much as
$250 million. MP3 officials had argued that anything more than $500 per
violation would be a "death sentence." A rival to the better-known Napster ,
MP3.com, started as an Internet bazaar for fans to sample and buy songs by
unknown bands. Later, it began offering users access to major-label artists
without having first obtained the licensing rights. Universal Music Group
and the four other major record labels sued the company. While the other
labels settled out of court, Universal continued with the suit. "If this
ruling holds up on appeal, the music industry is now in the driver's seat in
terms of deciding what business models can be used," said Eric Scheirer, an
analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in Cambridge, Mass. The industry will
"decide where the boundaries of copyright are, and the ground rules for
licensing music." Judge Rakoff said some Internet companies "may have a
misconception that, because their technology is somewhat novel, they are
somehow immune from the ordinary applications of laws of the United States,
including copyright law." Not so, he said: "They need to understand that the
law's domain knows no such limits."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: David Segal]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24289-2000Sep6.html)
See Also:
JUDGE FINDS MP3.COM WILLFULLY INFRINGED ON UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP'S
COPYRIGHTS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B16), AUTHOR: Anna Wilde Mathews And Colleen
Debaise]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB968264393911222386.htm)
(Requires subscription)

WIRELESS

AOL IN TALKS WITH SEVERAL CARRIERS
Issue: Internet/Wireless
The largest U.S. Internet services provider, America Online, is in talks
with several firms in search of deals to help it tap into the booming mobile
phone marketplace. Internet companies, which are eager to pair up with
wireless providers, have paid large sums of money for deals with carriers
such as Sprint PCS Group and ATT Wireless Group Inc.in the U.S. to secure a
prominent display on wireless devices' highly coveted small screens,
offering content and services including news and e-mail.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-aol-wireless-dc.html)
(requires registration)

--------------------------------------------------------------

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org) and Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org) --
we welcome your comments.

MERGER
Regulators Are Seeking Big Concessions For Approval Of Aol-Time
Warner Deal (WSJ)

EDTECH
Internet at School Is Changing Work of Students--and Teachers (WSJ)

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Technology's Gender Gap (NYT)
Online Deliveries Lighten Burden for the Disabled (USA)

TELEVISION
Microsoft Plans to Take Windows Into the Digital-Television Market
(WSJ)

MERGER

REGULATORS ARE SEEKING BIG CONCESSIONS FOR APPROVAL OF AOL-TIME WARNER DEAL
Issue: Merger
Federal antitrust officials have expressed a willingness to block America
Online's $129 billion acquisition of Time Warner unless the two companies
accept far-reaching restrictions on their combined market power. Federal
Trade Commission staff have raised serious antitrust concerns based on the
companies' potential power over Internet access in cities where Time Warner
controls cable systems n those cities. As a result, AOL-Time Warner could be
forced to open its cable lines in those markets to provide high-speed or
"broadband" Internet access to competitors. Many critics fear that a
combined AOL-Time Warner will have too much control of media content and
distribution. While AOL and Time Warner have pledged publicly to provide
cable access to their competitors, the FTC appears convinced the promises go
far enough.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: John R. Wilke]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB968095243675126827.htm)
(requires subscription)
See Also:
F.T.C. LAWYERS PRESSING FOR CONCESSIONS FROM AOL AND TIME WARNER
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: The Associated Press]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/09/biztech/articles/05aol-timewarner
.html)
(requires registration)

EDTECH

INTERNET AT SCHOOL IS CHANGING WORK OF STUDENTS--AND TEACHERS
Issue: Education
About 95 percent of the nation's public schools are now connected to the
Internet. By comparison, less than half the nation's households are. The
wiring of America's schools is also changing the way teachers teach and
students learn. Quite possibly, it may be increasing how much students
learn, particularly average and shy ones, educational technology experts
say. While there are no published studies to verify those preliminary
conclusions, and most schools suffer from shortages of tech-trained teachers
and classroom computers, specialists are pleased with the initial results.
"There is nothing that says technology will improve student achievement, but
we believe that it does because it meets so many different learning styles,"
says Cindy Bowman, an education professor at Florida State University.
Two-thirds of public school teachers say they now employ computer
applications in lessons, and at least 30 percent use the Internet, according
to an Education Department survey. And students at every grade level this
school year will exchange e-mails with "keypals" in foreign countries, take
"virtual field trips" to museums and historic sites or research the range of
academic subjects on the Internet.
SOURCE: Washington Post (A02), AUTHOR: Kenneth J. Cooper ]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11928-2000Sep4.html)
(requires subscription)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

TECHNOLOGY'S GENDER GAP
Issue: Digital Divide
Studies show that women are active users of the new technology and that
female Internet users slightly outnumber male users. However, fewer women
are entering today's booming technology fields. The most recent National
Science Foundation statistics show that between 1984 and 1997, the
proportion of women receiving bachelor's degrees in computer science dropped
from 37 percent to 27 percent. Currently, women make up only 20 percent of
the information technology work force. The technology industry badly needs
more workers. Women represent a major untapped source of talent that could
solve the shortage. One reason is that girls receive little encouragement to
explore computers early in their schooling. Most computer games are
male-oriented, and there are few female role models in technical industries.
Women who perform well in high school math and science are often put off by
male-dominated lecture halls in college. Women who do end up joining the
technology work force have complained about a lack of opportunity for
advancement and an absence of support and mentoring.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A30), AUTHOR: New York Times Editorial Staff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/05tue3.html)

ONLINE DELIVERIES LIGHTEN BURDEN FOR THE DISABLED
Issue: Digital Divide
Online companies with real-world delivery services are a boon for the
disabled. The delivery service of online grocer, YourGrocer.com, works well
with Mary West's need, for example. "I was looking for a place to do a lot
of my shopping," said Ms. West, 35, "because I am visually impaired and I
can't read labels and things on the grocery shelves." Ms. West found
shopping so difficult she had taken to ordering out more than was healthy.
Now she uses special voice recognition software to surf the Web for
everything from dishwashing detergent to vegetables. The growth of online
services such as YourGrocer.com is a winning situation all around. The
customers are empowered and the businesses are finding new markets. The
first page of Kozmo's employee training manual includes a letter from a
disabled customer, a single mother in Seattle who suffers from Epstein-Barr
syndrome and has severe nerve damage from surgeries. "I find myself at the
mercy of my own limitations," Ms. Massey wrote. "Your service has helped
make my life filled with more quality time. By being able to order books,
magazines, movies, games and food from Kozmo, I find that I am able to feel
more in touch and up to date with... people." A recent poll conducted for
the National Organization on Disability found that adults with disabilities
were twice as likely as the nondisabled to report that the Internet had
significantly improved their lives. But the poll also found that only 43
percent of the disabled respondents had access to the Internet, compared
with 57 percent of the nondisabled respondents.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A28), AUTHOR: Jayson Blair]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/09/biztech/articles/05hand.html)
(requires registration)

TELEVISION

MICROSOFT PLANS TO TAKE WINDOWS INTO THE DIGITAL-TELEVISION MARKET
Issue: Television
Microsoft, looking to recapture lost ground in the digital-television
market, has plans to announce later this week a new version of its Windows
operating system that will also power digital TV sets. "Set-top boxes are
growing to be more like PCs," Ed Graczyk, director of Microsoft's TV
Platform Group, said in an interview Monday.Due to be released in the second
half of next year, the company's embedding of existing television software
into PC operating system is its latest attempt to become a leading force in
digital entertainment. Therese Torris, director of European Internet
commerce at Forrester Research in still doesn't think Microsoft is likely to
catch up soon with the digital-TV market leaders. "They don't have ties with
the [major television] networks. They are not part of the TV industry," she
said.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B12), AUTHOR: David Pringle]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB96810193724627324.htm)
(requires subscription)

--------------------------------------------------------------

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org) and Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org) --
we welcome your comments.