| Wed, May 20, 2009 |
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Amazon Countersues Discovery Over E-Commerce Patents
Now it’s Amazon’s turn: the online retailer is suing Discovery (NSDQ: DISAB) Communications (NSDQ: DISCA) over four patents related to e-commerce, TechFlash reported (via WSJ). Amazon’s suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Western Washington on Friday, specifically concerns patents for search and recommendation. In March, Discovery initiated legal action against Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) over e-commerce patents. In particular, that initial suit alleged that Amazon’s sale of the Kindle and its electronic book delivery infringes on one of the patents owned by Discovery and its founder John S. Hendricks on a digital content and delivery system that was filed in the 1990s, but wasn’t issued until Nov. 20, 2007. The Discovery suit was filed in a U.S. District Court in Delware.
Amazon did not specify what damages or penalties it is seeking against the cable TV operator. In its suit, Discovery did not seek to halt sales of the Kindle, and so is likely expecting to get a cut of its sales, assuming Amazon is able to build on the enormous momentum generated around the e-reader so far.
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paidContent.org
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| Mon, May 04, 2009 |
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Earnings: Discovery Q1 Profit Surges; Beats Analysts’ Estimates
Maybe the recession is good for cable companies… Discovery (NSDQ: DISAB) Communications (NSDQ: DISCA) saw its Q1 profits quadruple to $119 million ($0.28 cents per share) from up from last year’s $34 million ($0.12 cents per share). Profits would have gone even higher had it not been for a $32 million tax expense. Revenues were up a slight 1 percent to $817 million. Thomson Reuters (NSDQ: TRIN) analysts had expected earnings of $0.24 cents per share on revenue of $799 million, Dow Jones Newswires reported. The cable programmer, which runs Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, said U.S. networks profit rose 7 percent on a 5 percent revenue increase, driven by distribution and a 2 percent gain in ad-revenue.
Earnings release | Webcast (8"30 AM EDT)
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paidContent.org
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Earnings: Discovery Q1 Profit Surges; Beats Analysts’ Estimates
Maybe the recession is good for cable companies… Discovery (NSDQ: DISAB) Communications (NSDQ: DISCA) saw its Q1 profits quadruple to $119 million ($0.28 cents per share) from up from last year’s $34 million ($0.12 cents per share). Profits would have gone even higher had it not been for a $32 million tax expense. Revenues were up a slight 1 percent to $817 million. Thomson Reuters (NSDQ: TRIN) analysts had expected earnings of $0.24 cents per share on revenue of $799 million, Dow Jones Newswires reported. The cable programmer, which runs Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, said U.S. networks profit rose 7 percent on a 5 percent revenue increase, driven by distribution and a 2 percent gain in ad-revenue.
Earnings release | Webcast (8"30 AM EDT)
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paidContent.org
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| Thu, Apr 30, 2009 |
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Hasbro Pays Discovery $300 Million To Reinvent Itself As Kids Content Maker
Hasbro is effectively buying itself a stake in a new-look *Discovery* Kids, creating a 50-50 joint venture that will deliver family and kids TV and web content from late 2010.
While presented as a JV, Hasbro is actually buying its 50-percent stake by paying $300 million to Discovery (NSDQ: DISAB) Communications (NSDQ: DISCA). The new entity will continue to hold the Discovery Kids Network’s U.S. operations, but the pair say they will rebrand the network for the venture next year. There’s no name given yet, however, and Discovery Kids will continue to operate overseas. The JV will search for a president and general manager “immediately”, and Hasbro itself is also investing in building a new creative team to produce cartoons, live-action shows, game shows, digital and mobile content.
The deal is primarily about creating new TV distribution opportunities for Hasbro brands, but is referred to in the release as a “multi-platform initiative” that sees Discovery handed some control over Hasbro’s online efforts; the joint company will hold a minority interest in Hasbro.com. Details are limited today, but Discovery CEO David Zaslav, in the release, also says it’s about “delivering all-new brand experiences ... anywhere and anytime (audiences) want,” suggesting an online/digital component including VOD and games.
The venture will pool archive and original Hasbro brands like Trivial Pursuit, My Little Pony, GI Joe and Transformers with Discovery kids shows like Bindi The Jungle Girl, Endurance and Tutenstein, “as well as programming from third-party producers”. Tapping the experience of the toy-maker, which has often conceived TV shows to help shift products off shelves, the venture will also execute “merchandising opportunities associated with on-air content”.
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paidContent.org
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Hasbro Pays Discovery $300 Million To Reinvent Itself As Kids Content Maker
Hasbro is effectively buying itself a stake in a new-look *Discovery* Kids, creating a 50-50 joint venture that will deliver family and kids TV and web content from late 2010.
Whilst presented as a JV, Hasbro is actually buying its 50 percent stake by paying $300 million to Discovery (NSDQ: DISAB) Communications (NSDQ: DISCA). The new entity will continue to hold the Discovery Kids Network’s US operations, but the pair say they will rebrand the network for the venture next year. There’s no name given yet, however, and Discovery Kids will continue to operate overseas. The JV will search for a president and general manager “immediately”, and Hasbro itself is also investing in building a new creative team to produce cartoons, live-action shows, game shows, digital and mobile content.
The deal is primarily about creating new TV distribution opportunities for Hasbro brands, but is referred to in the release as a “multi-platform initiative” that sees Discovery handed some control over Hasbro’s online efforts - the joint company will hold a minority interest in Hasbro.com. Details are limited today, but Discovery CEO David Zaslav, in the release, also says it’s about “delivering all-new brand experiences ... anywhere and anytime (audiences) want”, suggesting an online/digital component including VOD and games.
The venture will pool archive and original Hasbro brands like Trivial Pursuit, My Little Pony, GI Joe and Transformers with Discovery kids shows like Bindi The Jungle Girl, Endurance and Tutenstein, “as well as programming from third-party producers”. Tapping the experience of the toy-maker, which has often conceived TV shows to help shift products off shelves, the venture will also execute “merchandising opportunities associated with on-air content”.
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paidContent.org
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