11:05 AM - 12:20 PM
Track I:
Next Generation P2P Music and Film - DRM, Paid for Pass-Along and Other Legal Distributed Computing Models and the Entertainment Industries
While the debate over legal issues in music and movie distribution of content continues, the P2P and distributed computing industry is making strides in taking its technologies into the mainstream. With many evolving solutions on the way from paid-for-pass-along along with various DRM solutions and advertiser based options - and now an active trade association for P2P exists to enhance the solutions in the marketplace - we are pleased to hold a standalone solution session on the topic. In this session we will attempt to go beyond the legal issues into the practical applications of P2P in the marketplace. P2P advocates make claim to a major share of the market that will play a central force in the future of the music and film industries. In this session, we will hear the case for P2P - understanding it strengths and weaknesses.
Billy McNair, co-founder and CEO, Peerflix
Srivats Sampath, President & CEO, MERCORA
Chip Venters, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Containers
John Beezer, President, Shared Media Licensing, Inc.
Andy Cooper, President, Intent MediaWorks, Inc.
Robert Summer, Executive Chairman, iMesh
Leslie Poole, Chief Executive Officer, Javien Digital Payment Solutions
Marty Lafferty, Chief Executive Officer, Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA), Moderator
Chip Venters, Chief Executive Officer, DigitalContainers, Inc., is a care
er entrepreneur with experience in the startup, product development and marketing of information services and software. DigitalContainers has technologies and patents that enable an entirely new digital content distribution and sales system where all intellectual property has a profitable business model. With this system, the creators of digital media, documents, software, games and other intellectual property can quickly and easily monetize their digital goods by creating, packaging, registering and releasing them into the global market in just a few easy steps. Previously he was Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of SiteScape, Inc., a start-up teamware and community software company that grew to a position of industry leadership and 350 enterprise customers in just 18 months. Chip authored numerous white papers and was a frequent presenter at international conferences on teamware and communities of practice while at SiteScape. Chip was a founder of DeskGate Technologies, the original inventors of the DigitalContainers technology. DeskGate’s pioneering systems for the sale of digital goods, lead to major industry awards within the first two years of the company’s inception, (Best New Company, Internet World, 1998). Many of DigitalContainers patents are based on the technologies developed by Deskgate. Venters was the founder of Smart Communications, an electronic communication service bureau serving the trade associating industry. Smart was parent company of TotalFax, a major provider of enhanced fax services, which was sold to Premiere Communications, Inc., TotalAccess Communications, another Smart company was an Internet service provider in DC who combined with Interpath, now owned by Progress Energy.Srivats Sampath, President & CEO, Mercora: Srivats was most recen
tly with McAfee.com before merging the company with Network Associates (NYSE:MFE) in October 2002. He served as McAfee.com's founder, President and Chief Executive Officer from December 1998, guiding the company through a successful IPO in December 1999, achieving "the top 5 performing stocks" ranking on NASDAQ for CY 2001 and eventually helping it grow into the largest managed consumer security services company with over 4m paid subscribers. Prior to founding McAfee.com, Srivats was with Netscape Communications, a provider of Internet software and services, as Vice President of Server Product Marketing. From June 1993 to June 1996, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Discussions Corporation, a company he founded to develop email based groupware solutions. Srivats also worked as Director of Product Marketing for Network and Security Products for Central Point Software, Inc. and was the Chief Architect and co-founder of the LAN Enhancement Operations and Microcomputer Communications Division of Intel Corporation. Srivats serves on the boards of Determina and as Chairman of Voltage Security. He received his BS Degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Madras University in India. Srivats also holds multiple patents in delivering security-as-a-service and contextual internet advertising.Leslie Poole, Chief Executive Officer, Javien Digital Payment So
lutions: On the forefront of the online payment industry, Leslie Poole joined microCreditCard in 2000 and then successfully merged it with Javien Digital Payment Solutions, Inc., in 2001. Since then he has led Javien in developing e-commerce solutions for leading companies in a variety of industries. In the entertainment industry specifically, digital music providers have made significant strides and Javien’s role in this success is notable. The company’s technology powers the digital content sales for Ruckus Network, iMesh and Trans World Entertainment’s FYE Download Zone among others. For over 15 years Leslie Poole has made a career out of leading ventures in both the technology and financial industries. Previously, Mr. Poole co-founded Broad IP Networks, a networking infrastructure company, and served as the chief executive officer. He has also held positions as the senior vice president of sales and marketing for Network Security Technologies, Inc. and executive director of The National Investment Fund for Credit Unions, where he grew assets under management from $100 million to over $1 billion. Mr. Poole sits on the Content Division board of the Software and Information Industry Association, the Digital Media Committee at American Business Media and the board of Fort Belvoir Federal Credit Union.Billy McNair, co-founder and CEO, Peerflix: Billy sets corporate strategy an
d oversees all business and operational aspects of Peerflix. Prior to co-founding Peerflix, Billy served as Principal at GrayStar Group, a consulting firm providing strategic services to leading technology companies such as Ariba, Borland, Fortify Software, Mobius Venture Capital and Barracuda Networks. Before his tenure at GrayStar Group, Billy was Vice President of Business Development and General Counsel at Spinway, a provider of e-commerce and private-label ISP solutions for leading brick and mortar retailers. He was instrumental in the acquisition by Bluelight.com and was responsible for orchestrating partnerships with Hewlett-Packard, Costco, Barnes & Noble, Capital One, and Ace Hardware, among others. Prior to joining Spinway, Billy worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Advanced Micro Devices, and several law firms and strategic consulting organizations in Washington, D.C. He holds a B.A. from UCLA, and J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Santa Clara University.Andy Cooper, President, Intent MediaWorks, Inc., has extensive experience as both an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Intent MediaWorks provides technology systems and services for the secure, legal and profitable distribution of digital entertainment media via the Internet (on open P2P, closed P2P, social networks, the web, and IPTV). Andy founded and was co-CEO of Unison Site Management, a leading cellular site owner. He also founded Avesta Technologies, an enterprise software company, where he served as chief financial officer and executive vice president of business development and sales. Avesta was purchased by Visual Networks. Additionally, Andy was with Morgan Stanley & Co. for fourteen years, most recently as principal of Morgan Stanley Venture Partners, focusing on late-stage venture investments, consolidations and buy-outs. He was the lead partner and served on the board of directors of a number of companies including: CSG Systems International (the leading cable customer and billings solutions provider); Protection One Alarm (residential alarm company); LionBridge Technologies (software localization company) and Weblink Wireless (messaging company). Prior to joining the venture group at Morgan Stanley, Andy worked in the debt capital markets and mergers and acquisitions divisions. Andy earned his B.A. degree from Duke University.
John Beezer, President, Shared Media Licensing, Inc.: John may be best known for his role in the award-winning 1996 documentary Hype!, which still turns up on high-numbered cable channels from time to time. The film investigates the media prank turned pop culture phenomenon that came to be known as grunge music. It highlights John's role as one of the movement's few unrepentant instigators. As the grunge music media frenzy crested in the early 90's, John concluded that his unique skill set would be most valuable in the field of advertising. However, John was quickly disappointed by the constricted thinking he encountered. Taking a long-term view, he became fascinated by the opportunity to develop emerging communications technologies for commercial purposes. Initially, this led to a series of experiments with new media, including sponsored videocassettes and the distribution of interactive brochures on floppy discs. When the Internet emerged as a commercial medium in the early 90's, John co-founded Brazil Design Group (aptly named for Terry Gilliam's dystopian comedy). In 1995, Brazil Design developed the marketing campaign for the launch of Real Audio 1.0 which became the most successful software introduction to date. Most of Brazil Design Group was then absorbed into RealNetworks. John remained a digital media consultant until 1998 when he was hired by Microsoft Research to work on the development of Microsoft Reader, Microsoft's e-Book software and a forerunner to Tablet PC. When the group's focus shifted from the development of new features to content security issues, John chose to move on. Upon leaving Microsoft in 2000, John worked as Internet Director for Maria Cantwell's successful US Senate campaign. Shortly thereafter, John and a few friends developed the idea for Weed and together they founded Shared Media Licensing. The Weed software was launched in December of 2003. John's role as President of Shared Media Licensing is the culmination of a career that has consistently promoted innovation in music, marketing and technology.
Robert Summer serves as the Executive Chairman of iMesh. As a music industry veteran and the former head of Sony Music International and RCA Records, Summer brings extensive knowledge of the music industry to the authorized peer-to-peer service and will oversee all aspects of the operation and liaise regularly with music industry partners to assure the performance and integrity of this new digital music venture. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Summer brought unique design skills to the music business and is credited with innovations in packaging, product introduction and the globalization of artist marketing. His executive career began in 1973 with appointment as Vice President RCA International. Thereafter, he served as President RCA Records USA and then President of the world wide company. While President of RCA Records he was elected President, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) where he was a leader in the early fight against record piracy. In 1985, as RCA prepared for the sale of the Company to General Electric, he left to become President, CBS Records International. He was immediately elected to the Board of the International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) where he once again took an active role in the fight against new forms of record piracy. With the sale of CBS Records to Sony, he became President Sony Music International and was later appointed Executive Vice President, Sony Music Entertainment. In this latter capacity, he opened the Sony Corporation office in Brussels and established an EC lobbying initiative for Sony Pictures, Sony Music and other Sony enterprises. Summer, has been honored by several charities, and most recently was awarded the 2005 Distinguished Achievement Award, the highest award granted by the alumni association at Carnegie Mellon University. He has also has lectured at Columbia University, The New School and Carnegie Mellon and, with his wife, owns and operates a vineyard in Litchfield County.
Marty Lafferty, Chief Executive Officer, Distributed Computing Industry
Association (DCIA): As DCIA’s CEO, Marty Lafferty is responsible for industry outreach, strategic development and management of all association initiatives. He is an accomplished new media industry leader with a track record of successful multi-business collaboration and excellence in pioneering the distribution of content via new technologies. Throughout his career, Lafferty has served in senior leadership positions for some of the world’s most innovative technology and entertainment companies. Lafferty joined DCIA from Lafferty Media Partners LLC (LMP) where he served as Managing Partner. Prior to LMP, he was CEO of Zoom Culture, which he transformed from a year-old dotcom into a thriving digital television and new media firm within 24 months, working with partners including NBC and PAX TV. He also led Zoom’s software development team and partnered with Apple engineers to serve as the first Beta client for Scale 8’s advanced global storage network and edge content distribution system. Previously he served as CMO for StreamSearch.com, where he oversaw the conversion of streaming video search engines from a technological to an entertainment market focus, working with and for major studios such as Paramount and Artisan. While there, he also led the creation of the interactive multimedia site for Sundance Film Festival. During his tenure as Microsoft TV VP of Corporate & Service Marketing, Lafferty supported the strategic refocus of Microsoft’s WebTV acquisition from a purely B2C niche subscription offering to a B2B application suite for multichannel service distributors and their set-top suppliers, in addition to introducing plans for the Xbox game console. While serving as President of FutureVision, Lafferty supervised the redesign and rollout of the industry’s first true switched digital network service offering and the company’s acquisition by Verizon. Before FutureVision, as VP of TV Answer, he led the development of numerous technically diverse simulcast interactive applications using IVDS over-the-air transmission spectrum, and secured affiliations with PBS and commercial broadcast station groups, culminating in a strategic alliance with CapCities/ ABC. Lafferty was also CEO of NBC’s Olympics joint venture, where he led multiple vendors to develop alternative security solutions for a satellite-delivered mini-subscription PPV signal, as well as oversaw cable and broadcast affiliate marketing. Prior to that, as GE Americom VP of Cable Services, he contributed to GE Astro’s new fleet development and deployment, generating $445 million in sales to television programmers in 18 months. As VP of TDBS, he led Turner Broadcasting’s internal and GI engineering teams to develop and deploy the industry’s first signal-scrambling security technology for basic programming services. Lafferty has received recognition from, and held leadership positions in, numerous industry organizations throughout his career. He was awarded the Council for Entrepreneurial Development Award as a top-fifty new company. He served as Membership Chairman of the Interactive Services Association, and was named Chairman of the International Digital Satellite Television Symposium. Lafferty also co-founded the Satellite Broadcasting Communications Association and served as its first Vice Chairman. Lafferty holds a Master’s degree from Yale University and Bachelors with honors from Williams College. He has received the NCTA’s President’s Award and a CTAM TAMI Award for industry service.