YAHOO signed a deal that will allow users to legally upload videos containing SONY BMG music to Yahoo’s video-sharing site. Sony BMG will receive a cut of advertising revenue generated by videos, which can be placed in a Yahoo.com player or embedded on third-party sites. Sony BMG cut a similar deal with Google Video and YouTube last year.
THE DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA has reached a tentative three-year agreement with ABC, CBS and NBC covering staff and news free-lancers. The pending contract gives DGA members wage increases and establishes guidelines for future wage negotiations. Guild members will vote on the agreement in January.
APPLE‘s exclusive iPhone deals have hit a snag in Germany, where a court has prohibited T-Mobile from bundling the iPhone with a two-year contract and requested that it function on competing cellular networks. Apple may be forced to offer an unlocked iPhone in Germany, which could threaten iPhone profits by letting consumers use the device on networks that do not have revenue-sharing contracts in place. The injunction was a result of a Vodaphone lawsuit claiming that exclusive mobile phone contracts violate German law.
ABC STUDIOS has a payment agreement in place with writers for upcoming webisodes of Lost, which were written by regular Lost writers before the strike. Writers (and other talent) were paid specifically for web use of the content and will earn residuals. The deal currently in place gives WGA members many of the rights that are at issue in the strike and could become a model for agreement when negotiations resume on Monday.
US NEWSPAPERS suffered further declines in ad revenue during the third quarter. Overall ad revenue fell 7.4% for the papers with a 9% drop specifically in print ads. Real-estate and classified ads suffered the biggest declines.