Grouper News:

--Taps Audible Magic for Tech Allowing ID and Removal of Copyright Video
--Teams with Sony on "ScreenBites" Channel, "Seinfeld" Promotion

Grouper, the video-sharing site that was acquired by Sony p*ictures Entertainment in August (see [itvt] Issue 6.92 Part 1), has tapped Audible Magic to provide it with content-management and filtering technology that will allow it to identify and remove video and music that has been uploaded to its service in violation of copyright (note: Universal Music Group recently sued Grouper for alleged copyright violations). The company says that the technology will help it monitor, track, manage, filter and monetize digital content on its site. "Since we are connected to a major Hollywood studio, we are uniquely positioned to address the needs of content owners," Grouper co-founder and CEO, Josh Felser, said in a prepared statement. "This p*artnership will make it easier for us to grow our business." Added Sean Carey, EVP of digital services and distribution at Sony p*ictures Entertainment: "Grouper is one of the first user-generated video sites to employ filtering technology, and it illustrates our determination to find new and better ways to give the public the ability to be as creative as they wish, while providing the best possible entertainment experience. By using Audible Magic's cutting-edge technology, we're providing solutions to content p*artners, such as giving them the right to determine what properties go online." Audible Magic claims to have one of the largest databases of copyrighted song "fingerprints" in the world.

In other Grouper news:

• The company has launched a new channel, called "ScreenBites," that will allow visitors to its site to watch famous scenes from Sony p*ictures Entertainment's library of m*ovies and TV shows, and then purchase the full-length movie or show on DVD or via digital download. Clips on offer through the new channel include Robert De Niro's "You talkin' to me?" scene from "Taxi Driver" and Cuba Gooding Jr.'s "Show me the money" scene from "Jerry Maguire." Consumers can post the channel's clips to their blogs and Web sites using Grouper's "one-click Web-posting" feature. Each clip includes "hot links," that consumers can click in order to purchase the full-length movie or program from which the clip is taken. At launch, the ScreenBites channel offers 100 clips: Grouper says that it will expand to include "hundreds more" over the next few months. "This 'ScreenBites' feature represents the ideal marriage of world-class entertainment with the online video community," Grouper's Felser said in a prepared statement. "The heart and soul of Grouper exists in our incredible user-generated videos, but our m*illions of users will also have fun watching 'Show Me The Money' moments from must-have Sony p*ictures m*ovies and TV shows and sharing them with friends or posting on their MySpace, Blogger and Facebook pages. They will also appreciate how easy we've made it to buy a DVD or download their favorite films and TV shows."
• The company has launched a video promotion for the release of Sony p*ictures Home Entertainment's new "Seinfeld: Season 7" DVD. The promotion includes a custom-created "Seinfeld" environment, in which fans of the show can watch iconic scenes, trailers and bonus materials, and share them with their friends. Content on offer includes new segments in which Larry Thomas, the actor who played the show's "Soup Nazi" character, discusses his career since the end of the series; a 24-hour sneak preview (on November 21st) of new episodes of a show called "Sein-Imation," that re-creates classic "Seinfeld" scenes using animated stick figures; and clips from every released DVD season of "Seinfeld," including clips from such classic episodes as "The Soup Nazi," "The Sponge," and "The Rye" (note: end-users can embed the clips on their blogs and profile pages, using Grouper's "one-click Web-posting" feature). The "Seinfeld" promotion launched with 15 clips from Season 7, together with commentaries on select episodes, blooper videos, and the DVD trailer, and has since expanded to include clips from earlier seasons. The promotion is also offering a click-to-buy option that takes consumers directly to an Amazon.com link where they can purchase all the available DVD's of the show. "The 'Seinfeld' promotion on Grouper gives Sony the opportunity to reach out to both longtime 'Seinfeld' fans and engage new viewers with new material that supports the television show in syndication, the latest DVD release and the iconic 'Seinfeld' brand," Robert Oswaks, EVP of marketing for Sony p*ictures Television, said in a prepared statement. "We're thrilled to be reaching out to a new generation of viewers on exciting emerging platforms like Grouper, with TV's greatest comedy."

Originally Published: December 5, 2006  in [itvt] Issue 7.08 Part 2

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