Adobe Spent $50,000 Lobbying in 1Q
WASHINGTON (AP) – Adobe Systems Inc. spent $50,000 in the first quarter to lobby federal officials on tax credits, cybersecurity, patent reform and other issues, according to a disclosure report.
That was less than the $150,000 it spent in the same period a year earlier. The San Jose, Calif., software company spent $70,000 lobbying in the fourth quarter of last year.
Adobe also lobbied on the White House’s Open Government Directive – rules directing agencies to take immediate and specific steps to open their operations to the public. It lobbied in support of personal data privacy and security legislation and in support of extending a research and development tax credit for companies. And it lobbied in support of a patent reform bill.
The agencies Adobe lobbied January through March include Congress, the Executive Office of the President, Department of Treasury and the State Department, according to the form it filed April 20 with the House c lerk’s office.
2 more Japan Theaters Cancel Dolphin Hunt Film
Yuri Kageyama
TOKYO (AP) — Two more movie theaters in Japan have canceled screenings of “The Cove,” an Oscar-winning documentary that shows footage of a dolphin hunt in a Japanese village.
In recent months, protesters with loudspeakers have been shouting slogans at the Tokyo office of Unplugged, the distributor of “The Cove,” criticizing the film as a betrayal of Japanese pride.
Unplugged said Friday the cancellations at Cinemart theaters in Tokyo and Osaka were triggered by worries about safety of moviegoers and businesses nearby. The Tokyo cinema where the movie was to open changed its mind Thursday after getting angry phone calls and warnings of protests.
Most Japanese have never eaten dolphin meat. But some believe killing dolphins and whales is part of traditional culinary culture and resent the interference of outsiders focused on species protection.
“The Cove” screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October and at smaller events in Japan but has not opened to the Japanese public. The Japanese version blurs the faces of some people on screen to lessen the possibility of trouble.
Unplugged said talks were under way with other theaters to show the film, although details weren’t released.
Dolphin Hunt Film Canceled in Tokyo After Protests
Yuri Kageyamar
TOKYO (AP) – A movie theater in Tokyo decided against showing the dolphin-hunt documentary “The Cove” after nationalist pressure and warnings of protests, the distributor said Thursday.
In recent months, activists have protested and screamed slogans outside the Tokyo office of the Japanese distributor, Unplugged, alleging that support for the film signals betrayal of Japanese pride.
Theater N Shibuya was scheduled to start showing the film June 26. Unplugged said the theater changed its mind after getting deluged with angry telephone calls and being warned that screenings would be met with protests.
The American movie that won the Academy Award for documentary this year shows undercover footage of the dolphin hunt in a Japanese village and documents efforts by Ric O’Barry, a former trainer for the “Flipper” TV series, to stop the slaughter of dolphins for food.
Takeshi Kato of Unplugged said he remained determined to show the film, and talks will continue with other theaters.
“This is definitely not an anti-Japanese film,” he said in a statement. “We believe it is necessary to carry out constructive discussion of the issue.”
Most Japanese have never eaten dolphin meat. But some believe killing dolphins and whales is part of traditional culinary culture and resent the interference of outsiders focused on species protection.
“The Cove” screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October and at smaller events in Japan but has yet to open to the Japanese public. The Japanese version blurs the faces of some people on screen, such as fishermen, to lessen the possibility of trouble.
In April, the U.S. Air Force Yokota Air Base, west of Tokyo, canceled a screening at its on-base theater to show sensitivity to local culture.
O’Barry said the film needs to be shown, so that word would spread and Japanese would want the hunts stopped.
“Why are they so scared about the truth of the dolphin slaughter getting out?” he said in an e-mail Thursday. “Because they know that the massive dolphin slaughter is indefensible – tragically cruel – scientifically unsupportable.”
Actor Dennis Hopper Remembered at NM service
RANCHOS DE TAOS, N.M. (AP) — Jack Nicholson and Val Kilmer were among the actors who joined dozens of Dennis Hopper’s relatives, friends and Taos locals to remember the two-time Oscar nominee at a memorial Mass on Wednesday in New Mexico.
Hopper’s simple wooden coffin was ushered into the adobe chapel at historic San Francisco de Asis church.
Hopper, who was twice nominated for Oscars and received a star this year on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, died Saturday at age 74 at his home in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009.
Nicholson, cast alongside Hopper in “Easy Rider” as a drunken young lawyer in a breakout role, described Hopper as “an all-around guy.”
“It was a very singular relationship I had with him, like nobody else. We were soul mates in a way. I really miss him,” Nicholson said.
The church’s bells chimed as Hopper’s casket was brought into the chapel and again as it was taken out after the two-hour service. The rumbles of about half a dozen motorcycles could be heard in the distance as the casket was taken away in a funeral procession. A private burial followed.
Hopper first came to New Mexico in 1969 to scout locations for the iconic “Easy Rider.” He lived in Taos for 12 years through the early 1980s.
Mourners who poured out of the chapel after the service described it as “lovely,” ”tender” and “beautiful,” without mention of Hollywood or Hopper’s public persona.
During the service, Hopper’s son, Henry Lee Hopper, drew tears from many in the crowd as he read from Walt Whitman’s collection of poems, “Leaves of Grass.” Other relatives also spoke.
Many said the Mass gave them a sense of Hopper’s spirit, and stories of his early days as a Kansas farm boy, his wild side and the time he spent in Taos making films and art continued to be shared after the memorial at a gathering of his friends and family.
Jewel Taps Technology in Pre-release Video Concert
Ryan Nakashima, Business Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Album release parties were once a way to generate buzz and boost sales of new music. These days, they may be one of the few moneymaking opportunities left for the music business.
Jewel is selling tickets to a live video relay of a performance scheduled for Monday in which she will play songs from her new album, “Sweet and Wild.” Fifty U.S. venues, such as Morton’s steakhouses and private clubs owned by ClubCorp, are participating, along with theaters in Australia.
Free, illegal copies of Jewel’s new songs figure to hit the Internet soon after her album’s June 8 release. But organizers of Monday’s event are betting her loyal fans will pay $42.50 to be among the first to hear her new album in its entirety before it goes on sale. Or for $92.50 they can have dinner included. Signed CDs are also being sold for $7.50 online and at the events.
“A Jewel fan trusts Jewel,” said Scott Borchetta, CEO of her label, The Valory Music Co. “They trust that she’s going to give them a great record.”
Velocity Broadcasting, a company that sets up live, high-definition video presentations for business clients, is putting on the event. Twenty cameras will track the pop/country artist onstage and backstage during the event, which will be shot at a studio in Pittsburgh and transmitted via satellite.
Velocity CEO Philip Elias said the event is a good way to promote album sales by giving ticket-buyers a unique experience. Fans in different locations will also have electronic handsets that will allow them to play trivia games and influence the songs Jewel plays. Some will be able to ask questions to the artist directly.
The system, called First Spin, gives artists a way to showcase a body of work rather than just one song, he said.
“When you listen to one song on the radio and have the ability to download one song, it makes the artist kind of disposable,” Elias said. “First Spin is designed to get to the body of work.”
Pre-sales of the signed CD topped 5,000 about 10 days before the event, and about 90 percent of those buying a ticket online have elected to buy the album.
Rock Band Claims Rand Paul Violated Copyright
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Canadian rock band Rush has sent a letter to Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul, saying his campaign is violating copyright laws by playing their music without permission.
The Courier-Journal of Louisville reported that Rush’s attorney, Robert Farmer of Toronto, had sent the letter to the Paul campaign. Farmer told the newspaper his objection is not political.
The Paul campaign had used one song by Rush, which was founded in the late 1960s, at a rally in Kentucky and another song as background in a fundraising video.
Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton said Wednesday that he had received the letter. He called it a non-issue.
Such flaps between politicians and professional musicians are not uncommon.
Feds Meet With Director Cameron on Gulf Oil SpillBy Matthew Daly
WASHINGTON (AP) — “Top kill” didn’t stop the Gulf oil spill. How about something “titanic”?
Federal officials are hoping film director James Cameron can help them come up with ideas on how to stop the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The “Avatar” and “Titanic” director was among a group of scientists and other experts who met Tuesday with officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies for a brainstorming session on stopping the massive oil leak.
The Canadian-born Cameron is considered an expert on underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies.
More than 20 scientists, engineers and technical experts attended the meeting, which also included representatives of the Energy Department, Coast Guard and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Other organizations represented at the gathering included the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; Oceanographic Institute at Harbor Branch, Florida Atlantic University; University of California at Santa Barbara; Nuytco Research Limited; World Wildlife Fund; and the University of California at Berkeley.
Memorial Day Movie Attendance Drops to 17-year Low
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood fizzled over one of its traditionally busiest times as movie attendance for Memorial Day weekend came in at the lowest in 17 years.
Overall revenues for the top-50 films during the four-day holiday weekend came in at $192 million, the lowest since 2001. Factoring in today’s higher admission prices, about 24.2 million tickets were sold, the least since a 22.5 million head count in 1993, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
While “Shrek Forever After” finished first again, holding up well with $57.1 million from Friday to Monday, the weekend’s big new releases got off to so-so starts.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s action tale “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” came in second with $37.8 million. Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Sex and the City 2,” which many thought would debut at No. 1, wound up in third with $36.8 million.
“When you have a Memorial Day weekend down this much, it just tells me the movies in the marketplace are just not grabbing people the way they have in past years,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.
Domestic revenues over Memorial Day weekend last year came in at $221.3 million for the top-50 films, with movie attendance at 30.1 million. Memorial Day weekend attendance reached a modern peak of 39.6 million in 2004, when “Shrek 2” was in theaters.
Quirk In Law Slows Extradition of Accused Producer
Linda Deutsch, Special Correspondent
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A quirk in Mexican law has delayed extradition proceedings for a TV producer being sought in the death of his wife at a posh resort in Cancun, authorities said Tuesday.
“Survivor” producer Bruce Beresford-Redman has said he returned to his Los Angeles home after leaving Mexico without his passport last month.
Still, authorities in Mexico said the extradition process requires a search of that country to determine that a suspect is not there before an extradition request is made to another nation.
Francisco Alor, the Quintana Roo state attorney general, said that determination could be made by Wednesday.
“We’re following a process that’s clearly established and based on the theme of collaboration between two countries, and we will begin right away,” he said.
Evidence against Beresford-Redman includes unspecified testimony by hotel employees and tourists, and contradictions by Beresford-Redman, the prosecutor said.
A judge in Mexico issued an arrest warrant Monday for the producer in the death of Monica Beresford-Redman. Her body was found April 8 in a sewer at the resort where the family was staying.
If Mexico requests extradition, the U.S. State Department will review the facts and decide whether to authorize a formal extradition request. Beresford-Redman could then be arrested and have the option of waiving extradition to Mexico or fighting it.
Hirsch said his client would resist extradition.
“I am incensed at the suggestion that I could have had anything to do with her death,” he said. “I am innocent.”
In a statement for the family, Triessl suggested that if Beresford-Redman was innocent, he should waive extradition and return to Mexico to defend himself.
The producer, an Emmy nominee for three episodes of “Survivor” who also created the MTV show “Pimp My Ride,” has acknowledged he had a long-term affair with another woman.
FCC Plans Study to Measure Broadband SpeedsBy Joelle Tessler, Technology Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission wants to find out whether broadband providers are delivering Internet connections that are as fast as advertised.
The FCC is seeking 10,000 volunteers to take part in a study of residential broadband speeds. Specialized equipment will be installed in homes across the country to measure Internet connections. Those results will then be compared with advertised speeds. The agency hopes to get a cross section of volunteers who subscribe to broadband services provided by a range of phone and cable TV companies.
The new project grows out of several proposals outlined in the FCC’s national broadband plan, released in March. The plan calls for the government to collect, analyze and publish detailed information, market by market, on broadband pricing and competition. The plan also recommends that the government require broadband providers to disclose information about pricing and performance.
“The big issue here is knowing what you are paying for,” said Joel Gurin, who heads the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
According to data cited in the national broadband plan, average residential download speeds are typically only half as fast as the maximum speeds advertised by U.S. broadband providers.
Meanwhile, survey results released by the FCC on Tuesday found that while 91 percent of broadband users say they are at least somewhat satisfied with their home connection speeds, 80 percent of broadband users do not know how fast their home connections are.
The survey, based on phone interviews with more than 3,000 adults from April 19 to May 2, found that 71 percent of mobile broadband users are at least somewhat satisfied with their connection speeds.
The FCC will summarize its findings on home broadband connections in a report later this year. The commission is also seeking input on ways to measure mobile broadband speeds.
The agency already offers several online tools to let consumers get a more basic reading of their home broadband speeds at http://www.broadband.gov/qualitytest/about/
Broadband subscribers who want to participate in the FCC’s new study can register at http://www.TestMyISP.com.
Video game group spent $1.2M lobbying in 1Q
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Entertainment Software Association, a trade group for video game companies, spent $1.2 million during the first quarter to lobby on the regulation of video game content, First Amendment protection, copyright enforcement and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report.
This is up 23 percent from $980,000 spent in the same quarter a year earlier and even with the amount it spent in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The group, whose members include Microsoft Corp., Disney Interactive Studios Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment America, and Nintendo of America, among others, also lobbied on piracy, industry ratings and immigration.
The ESA opposes efforts to regulate the content of entertainment media, including the creation of government-sanctioned ratings systems. The video game industry has its own ratings system run by the nonprofit Entertainment Software Rating Board, which was established in 19 94 by the ESA.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a California case that pits free speech rights against a state law, which never took effect, banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors.
In the January-March period, the ESA also lobbied on broadband deployment, green cards for skilled foreign workers and the H1-B visa program, which allows temporary employment of foreign workers in specialized and advanced-degree positions.
The ESA lobbied Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, the Justice Department, the FBI and other agencies, according to the report filed April 20 with the House clerk’s office.
