emi and roxio (maker of easy cd creator) announce "secure" cd burning partnership

[schmooky007]

from the roxio website:

Roxio and EMI Recorded Music Partner to Commercialize Consumer CD Recording

Hollywood and Milpitas, Calif., June 5, 2001 - Roxio, Inc., "The Digital Media Company," (Nasdaq: ROXI) and EMI Recorded Music announced today that they have entered into a strategic relationship to develop a secure CD recording platform whereby Roxio's software will allow a customer to "burn" EMI music onto CD when permitted to do so. EMI has additionally made an equity investment in Roxio.

Through this relationship, Roxio will provide its technology and multiple distribution channels while EMI will provide strategic guidance and advice. The two companies will work towards creating solutions designed to protect against the unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted content.

"By partnering with a market leader such as Roxio, EMI will work to develop ways for consumers to easily record authorized music onto recordable CDs," said Jay Samit, Senior Vice President, New Media, EMI Recorded Music. "Cooperation between technology companies and the music industry is at the core of our plans to develop new revenue streams for our artists."

"EMI continues to demonstrate leadership in pioneering technologies for digital distribution that are both effective and practical," said Chris Gorog, President and CEO of Roxio, Inc. "We want to continue to work with leaders in the music industry, like EMI, to not only provide for the protection of their digital content, but also to enable record companies and artists to get paid for burning. Our goal is to enable consumers to legally download and record music to CD in a consumer-friendly manner while fairly compensating copyright owners and creators."

Industry analysts have projected that by 2004, 25 percent of all media will be distributed via the Internet. By the end of this year, it is expected that 5 billion blank CDs will be shipped in support of an estimated installed base of 100 million CD recorders. The agreement between Roxio and EMI recognizes the fundamental changes taking place in the way content is distributed and the parties' intent to create a new, secure standard for digital content delivery.