March 9/New York: New York Media Services and Republic Bank present Understanding Commercial Union Contracts. Contact Carl Zucker, (212) 366-9390A.March 9/New York: Freelance Producers Network meeting at Hot Wax Recording. Contact Diane Huber, (212) 604-9700AMarch 11-13/New York: AIGA/DFTV.001 (American Institute of Graphic Arts/Design for Film and TeleVision. Number One), the first in an annual series of conferences dedicated to motion graphics. Info, call (212) 807-1990A.March 11-14/New York: Film Fleadh (Irish International Film Festival). For info, (212) 966-3030, ext. 225 or www.filmfleadh.comA.March 13-28/New York: Museum of Jewish HeritageaA Living Memorial to the Holocausts Conscience and Courage film festival. For info, (212) 968-1800, ext. 106A.March 18/New York: Canada Media Services presents Feature & Commercial Accounting Software Demos on MPAS, MediaWin, Movie Magic Budgeting and Scheduling, AICP software and more. Contact Steve Bizenov, (212) 366-9390A.March 23/Los Angeles: Los Angeles Media Services presents Commercial Production Software Demos on MCAS, MediaWin, MediaBid, PowerBid, BidForm and more. Contact Tina Bassir, (310) 471-9369, or Mona Nigro, (310) 440-9626A.March 31/San Diego: Deadline for entries to the International CINDY Competition. Info, entry forms, contact Sheemon Wolfe, (619) 461-1600, or www. cindys. com….April 1: Deadline for entries to the 4th Annual West Palm Beach Independent Film Festival. Info, (516) 802-3029 or www.wpbiff.org….April 9/Hollywood: the Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Annual Awards Program. Info, call Justine Smith, (323) 660-9311….April 17-22/Las Vegas: NAB 99: The Convergence Marketplace. Info, (202) 429-5419 or www.nab.org/conventions/nab99/….April 25-27/ Carlsbad, Calif.: The First Annual Entertech Conference on new technologies and issues shaping entertainment production, postproduction, marketing and distribution. For details, (877) 223-9753….May 5: London: The 37th Annual British Design & Art Direction Awards. Info, 44 (171) 840-1111 or www.dandad. org…May 6/Miami: 6th Annual Anti Film Festivals Animation Station. Contact Noreen Legault, (305) 674-9998A.
June 10-15/Montreux, Switzerland: Montreux Symposium A99 looking at the challenges arising from digital and HD technology. For info, call 41 (21) 963-3220 or email message@symposia.ch….July 13-19/Sydney, Australia: SMPTE 99 Conference at the Darling Harbour Exhibition and Convention Center. Info, 61 (2) 99.77.08.88 or www.exevents.com.au….Sept. 24-27/New York: The 107th AES Convention at the Jacob K. Javits Center. Contact AES, (212) 661-8528 or www.aes.org….Oct. 21-23/Mumbai (Bombay), India: Broadcast India 99 Exhibition & Symposium at the World Trade Centre. Info, (91-22) 215 1396, 215 2721 or www.saicom.com/broadcastindiaA.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More