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- SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT and Warner Music Group Announce Investment in ACCESS China Media Solutions, a Leading Digital Media Technology Company in China
BEIJING, NEW YORK, and SEATTLE – January 23, 2007 – Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG), SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, ACCESS CO., LTD., MELODEO, Inc. and ACCESS China Media Solutions today announced they are working together to develop and distribute world-class solutions for delivering mobile music and multimedia entertainment to wireless customers throughout China and other Asia Pacific marketplaces and beyond.
Warner Music Group and SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT have each made a strategic investment in ACCESS China Media Solutions, a company formed by ACCESS CO., LTD., and MELODEO, Inc. With this investment, Warner Music Group and SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT are now key partners in ACCESS China Media Solutions, adding both capital and marketplace expertise.
ACCESS China Media Solutions develops cutting-edge music based mobile platforms for wireless carriers and handset manufacturers. These platforms provide consumers with the highest-quality music experience available on the mobile handset, incorporating user-friendly interfaces and innovative mobile music products.
Music companies have long sought a secure, economically viable way to distribute their content in China and throughout the world. Piracy of both physical CDs and online digital music has made these efforts difficult over the past decade.
In contrast, mobile phone networks are inherently more secure, and have a built-in payment system that is ideal for the sale of high-value, copyrighted digital media. ACCESS China Media Solutions was formed to develop solutions designed specifically to securely deliver mobile music and multimedia content to wireless customers.
Ultimately, ACCESS China Media Solutions seeks to encourage the growth of a vibrant, legitimate digital music business in China and beyond that will foster the creative and economic development of regional music companies, recording artists and songwriters by ensuring that they are properly compensated for their work.
“This investment by Warner Music Group and SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT a strong show of faith in bringing together all the key elements to unlock the power of digital music marketing on mobile platforms,” said Wayne Zhang, CEO of ACCESS China Media Solutions. “We believe this partnership represents a pivotal point in the industry as we work together in this joint venture (ACCESS China Media Solutions) to unleash a new wave in the music business. Together we have the content, proven technologies, and network operators’ support to ensure that wireless customers can get their music and multimedia entertainment content the way they want it, whenever and wherever.”
“Our participation in this company is an integral part of our overall strategy to innovate and develop the legitimate music marketplace around the world,” commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. “At SONY BMG we are particularly excited about the opportunities from distributing music on mobile phones in China, and this project complements our successful Chinese direct licensing activities for digital music. ACCESS China Media Solutions is offering next generation mobile music platforms, to be used, for example, for mobile podcasting and Full Track Downloads. As one of the leading major music companies in the world providing a huge depth of international and Mandarin repertoire we are keen to see these technologies introduced into the marketplace by our new joint venture in conjunction with major local mobile phone operators.”
“As the first major music company to open a dedicated Chinese office in 2000 and the first to strike a direct, catalog-wide content agreement with a Chinese mobile operator in 2006, Warner Music Group views ACCESS China Media Solutions as an important advancement in our longstanding commitment to the dynamic Chinese music business,” said Alex Zubillaga, Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy and Business Development, Warner Music Group. “We’re confident that with ACCESS’s technology deployment expertise and MELODEO’s cutting edge platforms and user-interfaces, this new venture will unlock tremendous opportunities for content owners, wireless operators and consumers alike in the largest mobile marketplace in the world, which is the strategic key to the music business in this region.”
“Ensuring that digital music and entertainment content is delivered securely is crucial for all participants in the wireless marketplace,” said William Valenti, Founder/EVP, MELODEO, Inc. “MELODEO is committed to providing solutions that enable the delivery of on-demand digital content in the most user-friendly mode. As part of the ACCESS China Media Solutions joint venture, we are pleased to work with such content and technology leaders as SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Warner Music Group and ACCESS.”
“As part of our mission to build a connected world, we’re excited to be part of this joint venture along with industry leaders SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Warner Music Group and MELODEO to help develop and deliver a commercialized solution for safely and securely delivering digital music and entertainment content to wireless customers,” said Toru Arakawa, CEO, President and co-founder of ACCESS CO.,LTD., “Providing the mobile phone industry with a powerful and secure digital music delivery solution benefits all members of the mobile ecosystem-operators, handset and device manufacturers, content providers, application developers and artists. And most importantly, the wireless customers benefit with access to the music they want to hear.”
About ACCESS China Media Solutions
Formed as a joint venture between ACCESS CO., LTD., and MELODEO, Inc, in early 2006, ACCESS China Media Solutions develops technologies and solutions designed to enable the secure delivery of digital music and multimedia content to wireless customers. The company is focused on providing wireless operators and handset manufacturers world-class solutions to power advanced digital music and entertainment content services.
About ACCESS CO., LTD.
ACCESS CO., LTD. is a global company providing leading technology, software products and platforms for web browsing, mobile phones, wireless handhelds and other networked devices. ACCESS’ product portfolio, including its NetFront™ Browser, Palm OS® and the ACCESS Linux Platform™ provide customers with solutions that enable faster time-to-marketplace, flexibility and customizability. The company, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operates 29 subsidiaries and affiliates within Asia, Europe and the United States. ACCESS is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Index under the number 4813. For more information about ACCESS, please visit www.access-company.com/.
About MELODEO, Inc.
MELODEO Inc., a leader in synchronized Web / mobile digital media delivery, is dedicated to bringing consumers the best selection of on-demand podcasts, video and radio programs for the Web and mobile phone. MELODEO combines powerful content, a simple user interface and access from any device, making it easy to enjoy and share music, video and podcasts on any topic with friends.
Web site: http://www.melodeo.com/.
About SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is a global recorded music joint venture with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars, as well as a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is 50% owned by Bertelsmann A.G. and 50% owned by Sony Corporation of America.
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group became the only stand-alone music company to be publicly traded in the United States in May 2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Perfect Game, Reprise, Rhino, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire, operates through numerous international affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world’s leading music publishers. For more information about Warner Music Group, visit our corporate website at www.wmg.com
Copyright © 2007, ACCESS CO.,LTD., MELODEO, Inc., SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, WARNER MUSIC GROUP
ACCESS, ACCESS Linux Platform, NetFront, and certain other trade names, trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACCESS CO.,LTD, and ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc., which may be registered in Japan, the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and other countries. PalmSource, Palm OS, Palm Powered and certain other trade names, trademarks and logos are trademarks which may be registered in the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and other countries and are either owned by ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc. or its affiliates, or are licensed exclusively to ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc. by Palm Trademark Holding Company, LLC. These marks may not be used in connection with any product or service that does not belong to ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc. (except as expressly permitted by a license with ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc.), in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among customers, or in any manner that disparages or discredits ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc., its licensor, its subsidiaries or affiliates.
The registered trademark LINUX® is owned by Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark in the U.S. and other countries, and licensed exclusively to the Linux Mark Institute.
SONY and BMG, as used in the name SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT and in the SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT logo, are trademarks of, and are used under licenses from, Sony Corporation and Bertelsmann AG, respectively.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
ACCESS Linux Platform is a codename subject to change upon release of the final product without prior notice, in the sole discretion of ACCESS CO.,LTD, ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc., or the applicable third party.
ACCESS CHINA MEDIA SOLUTIONS
Tracy Hu
+86 (10) 64396436
Tracy.hu@accessmedia.com.cn
ACCESS CO., LTD.
China
Delia Liu
+86 (10) 63496167
delia.liu@accesschina.com.cn
MELODEO, INC.
Nate Murphy
MWW Group
+1 (206) 505-8390
nmurphy@mww.com
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
John McKay
+1 (212) 833-5520
john.mckay@sonybmg.com
WARNER MUSIC GROUP
Will Tanous
+1(212) 275-2244
Will.Tanous@wmg.com
Amanda Collins
+1 (212) 275-2213
Amanda.Collins@wmg.com
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