SunnComm Signs Agreement with Universal Music Group
SunnComm International, Inc. (OTC: SCMI), the developer of MediaMax announced that is has entered into an agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG).
, whereby the world's largest music company may choose at some point to elect the use of its MediaMax technology. SunnComm will receive a royalty from UMG should the company decide to use the technology. MediaMax is one of several technologies currently under review by UMG.
"We are delighted by our relationship with Universal. Today, MediaMax is the undisputed leader of CD copy management and enhancement technology in America. Our latest version of MediaMax, Version 5, puts us one step further ahead of our competition and another major step closer to becoming the world standard for audio CD copy management and enhancement," stated SunnComm president Peter H. Jacobs.
One out of every three music CDs purchased last year were pirated products, according to IFPI (http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/library/piracy2004.pdf). This is a huge number considering that there were well over 2.4 billion audio CDs sold worldwide in 2003. Meanwhile, recordable CDs outsold prerecorded music CDs by more than 2 to 1. Huge song-swapping services which trade in pirated music such as KaZaa have reported as many as 218 million users. SunnComm and its record label customers believe that the use of MediaMax can help stem the casual and illegal copying of recorded CD music.
The current Version 5.0 of MediaMax is state-of-the-art technology which features SunnComm's proprietary and cutting edge On-the-Fly Technology. This cutting edge new feature provides the consumer with a legal method of making licensed duplicate copies of the CD music they purchase without the record label needing to include a 2nd set of songs on the CD in a protected format. Whenever the consumer requests, the selected songs are encoded straight from the original CD Redbook audio to a protected DRM format that can be saved directly to the computer's hard drive. MediaMax also includes SecureBurn - SunnComm's extraordinary new technology which inhibits copying a copy of a MediaMax CD.
SunnComm's content authoring tool, "Sunny," provides an easy and inexpensive way for labels to add an extraordinary amount of bonus content to the audio CD for the music fan to enjoy while still retaining the ability to store the maximum audio content on the CD. Record labels can include such features as music videos, links promoting a label's current and catalog releases, information detailing an artist's personal appearances for the year, artist merchandise, and other artist endorsed products. Additionally, MediaMax provides music labels with the capability to display and print out approved bonus content such as CD art, posters, artist photos, lyrics, and press kits.
Millions of SunnComm revenue-producing commercial MediaMax CDs have been produced and sold to date in the United States based on SunnComm's licensing agreements with over 25 labels. SunnComm has been privileged to have its MediaMax technology integrated on Gold- and Platinum-Certified releases including a #1 selling CD on the Billboard Top 200. Although Universal is under no obligation to use MediaMax technology, this worldwide licensing agreement creates the framework and paves the way for the record giant to utilize MediaMax as they see fit.
Artie Ripp, special entertainment industry consultant to SunnComm and to SunnComm's exclusive marketing arm, QuietTiger, Inc. (OTC:QTIG) (www.quiettiger.com) was responsible for bringing SunnComm to UMG and for negotiating the agreement.
"We are delighted by our relationship with Universal. Today, MediaMax is the undisputed leader of CD copy management and enhancement technology in America. Our latest version of MediaMax, Version 5, puts us one step further ahead of our competition and another major step closer to becoming the world standard for audio CD copy management and enhancement," stated SunnComm president Peter H. Jacobs.
One out of every three music CDs purchased last year were pirated products, according to IFPI (http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/library/piracy2004.pdf). This is a huge number considering that there were well over 2.4 billion audio CDs sold worldwide in 2003. Meanwhile, recordable CDs outsold prerecorded music CDs by more than 2 to 1. Huge song-swapping services which trade in pirated music such as KaZaa have reported as many as 218 million users. SunnComm and its record label customers believe that the use of MediaMax can help stem the casual and illegal copying of recorded CD music.
The current Version 5.0 of MediaMax is state-of-the-art technology which features SunnComm's proprietary and cutting edge On-the-Fly Technology. This cutting edge new feature provides the consumer with a legal method of making licensed duplicate copies of the CD music they purchase without the record label needing to include a 2nd set of songs on the CD in a protected format. Whenever the consumer requests, the selected songs are encoded straight from the original CD Redbook audio to a protected DRM format that can be saved directly to the computer's hard drive. MediaMax also includes SecureBurn - SunnComm's extraordinary new technology which inhibits copying a copy of a MediaMax CD.
SunnComm's content authoring tool, "Sunny," provides an easy and inexpensive way for labels to add an extraordinary amount of bonus content to the audio CD for the music fan to enjoy while still retaining the ability to store the maximum audio content on the CD. Record labels can include such features as music videos, links promoting a label's current and catalog releases, information detailing an artist's personal appearances for the year, artist merchandise, and other artist endorsed products. Additionally, MediaMax provides music labels with the capability to display and print out approved bonus content such as CD art, posters, artist photos, lyrics, and press kits.
Millions of SunnComm revenue-producing commercial MediaMax CDs have been produced and sold to date in the United States based on SunnComm's licensing agreements with over 25 labels. SunnComm has been privileged to have its MediaMax technology integrated on Gold- and Platinum-Certified releases including a #1 selling CD on the Billboard Top 200. Although Universal is under no obligation to use MediaMax technology, this worldwide licensing agreement creates the framework and paves the way for the record giant to utilize MediaMax as they see fit.
Artie Ripp, special entertainment industry consultant to SunnComm and to SunnComm's exclusive marketing arm, QuietTiger, Inc. (OTC:QTIG) (www.quiettiger.com) was responsible for bringing SunnComm to UMG and for negotiating the agreement.
