tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83619048329455190442012-02-02T21:26:38.081-08:00Updates and comments on the business side of the entertainment industryRoger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.comBlogger921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-28286933506054088432011-08-20T10:33:00.000-07:002011-08-20T10:33:53.662-07:00

First of all, it's nice to be back online.  I took several weeks off of blogging and tweeting to recharge my battery and simply observe for a while.  Time well spent.  I'll probably start getting back into things a little slowly.  Here's my first thought: Hewlett-Packard's stock price suffered an historical drop this week.  I suppose they could point to general economic uncertainty, but no one

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-26940326756049954462011-06-25T13:13:00.000-07:002011-06-25T13:13:07.916-07:00

I can't believe it's been several weeks since I posted.  Some periods in our lives are like that.  We get really busy and time flies by.  Technology is definitely changing the pace of our lives, including how we use media.  It's an impact that all of us in the entertainment business need to understand. I went to a great program this week at the Screen Actors Guild.  It was a discussion of the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-86750237822370109002011-05-16T12:52:00.000-07:002011-05-16T12:52:39.773-07:00

Earlier this month, Nielsen released the results of a study that shows consumers moving towards tablet devices, and away from laptops and eReaders.  I commented at the time that this isn't news, but it is an important trend that should not be ignored. In a recent interview, Jeff Bezos wouldn't confirm that Amazon is going to release its own tablet, but he didn't deny it either.  He did indicate

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-14789632760026124422011-05-14T10:33:00.000-07:002011-05-14T10:33:28.620-07:00

You learned everything you need to know about success in the entertainment industry the first two weeks of your junior year in high school. About 7 months ago, I wrote a blog post about how to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the entertainment industry.  It turned out to be one of my more popular posts, and as I sit here 7 months later, I think I stand by everything I said.  Things are

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-80864127749062371992011-05-11T01:18:00.000-07:002011-05-11T01:26:13.135-07:00

The Challenges of Deal-Making During A Digital Revolution Clearly we live in interesting times; that's not news to anyone.  But being a lawyer, agent, executive or other deal-maker in the entertainment business over the past few years has been especially challenging. In addition to the economic downturn, many challenges are arising from the blurring of lines between the various methods of

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-71892895787975684982011-04-23T16:43:00.000-07:002011-04-23T16:43:23.318-07:00

As Distribution Moves To The "Clouds," How Will It Change Our Business? In the wake of announcements and presentations at the NAB convention earlier this month, it has become clear that content management is moving to the clouds.  Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Verizon, HP and others are all aggressively pursuing the development of cloud-based media management systems.  These companies are already

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-55099144762619805632011-04-10T14:32:00.000-07:002011-04-10T14:32:42.903-07:00

Watching and understanding the cycles of "life" in business are keys to longterm success. Ok, this might be a little esoteric, but if you go with me for about 5 minutes, I think you'll get some benefit from the discussion. In thinking about what I wanted to write this week, I was looking at the current activity in our industry.  There are new companies coming online and old companies jumping

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-21701442495125322742011-04-02T19:14:00.000-07:002011-04-02T19:14:41.664-07:00

Anyone who reads my posts or tweets, knows that I love technology.  I'm always reading and writing about cutting edge technologies and how they are impacting the entertainment industry.  New tech is driving the launch of new companies, and the development of new strategies for old companies.  Technology is undoubtedly the most important factor for achieving success in today's entertainment

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-50647465335977899862011-03-28T01:11:00.000-07:002011-03-28T01:11:45.021-07:00

Before going to bed this evening, I briefly scanned the entertainment news of the past couple days.  A few things caught my eye, but this article really got me thinking.  It's a short report on the Weinstein Company's new video game venture.  That's right, Bob and Harvey are going into video games. My first thought was the realization that gaming must truly be the new driving force of the the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-44415373752879684002011-03-22T01:17:00.000-07:002011-03-22T12:23:31.884-07:00

An exciting trend is quickly developing in the entertainment business.  We are at the beginning of a new period of opportunity for creators of quality films and programming. It seemed for the past several years, the quality of content was of marginal concern.  Certainly many good films and programs were getting made, but the business and technical aspects of the industry seemed to be more

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-91718381868702584952011-03-15T18:55:00.000-07:002011-03-15T19:33:43.666-07:00

Hewlett-Packard's (Relatively) New CEO Has Some Ideas For The Company's Future -- Not Necessarily Great Ideas, But Ideas Nonetheless In a 40-minute speech at an event in San Francisco yesterday, Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker laid out his vision for the company's role in the new digital media universe.  This was Mr. Apotheker's first public address since taking over the HP reins from Mark

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-75520114274931625182011-03-13T12:37:00.000-07:002011-03-14T00:15:52.157-07:00

Ubisoft's "Companion Gaming" Strategy Is A Hint At How The Gaming Industry Is Getting On-Board With The Cross-Platform Experience Every current strategy analysis in the content industry inevitably turns to the idea of migrating the content across different devices.  In truth, this is one of  the factors that is most important to a majority of consumers.  If they buy or rent a film, they want to

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-72025227709164927622011-03-05T14:04:00.000-08:002011-03-05T18:12:47.914-08:00

At first glance, the new iPad 2 appears to be a combination of already-existing technologies in a superior, user-friendly design - a fairly typical Apple product.  That may be an accurate description, but this particular package of features might also provide a new vision of what digital media can and will become. If you want to get an orientation on Apple's new tablet, check out this video.  

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-56084767443206532052011-02-26T15:51:00.000-08:002011-02-26T18:24:02.645-08:00

For years, there has been a steady stream of of articles reporting the continuing decline of the recorded music industry. Everyone knows the saga by now.  As music became available on the Internet, people stopped buying CD's and younger listeners started freely copying song files from one another.  A whole generation of consumers now has the idea that music should be free, and sales of recorded

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-9074778514788913802011-02-23T01:26:00.000-08:002011-02-23T01:36:58.157-08:00

With Amazon's entrance into the streaming business, the horses are officially out of the gate in the new race for home entertainment dominance. My buddy, Jack Wrigley, emailed me today to point out the importance of Amazon's acquisition of LoveFilm which has allowed the Internet retailer to magically turn its Prime subscription shipping service into a film-streaming service. With the flip of a

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-44524745140166854602011-02-19T17:52:00.000-08:002011-02-19T17:52:08.548-08:00

Broadcast and Cable Outlets Supplement Ad Revenue By Becoming Their Own Brands. There is a fascinating trend going on in the world of broadcasting.  Networks are recognizing that their own names and logos have market value that goes beyond merely attracting viewers.  This isn't just a theory, as manufacturers of products are paying real dollars to carry the trademarks of outlets like E!

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-17020943470067779322011-02-12T15:22:00.000-08:002011-02-12T15:25:48.282-08:00

With an IPO currently scheduled for later this year, is Pandora sexy enough to attract investors? This week, Internet radio company, Pandora, filed its application to sell stock to the public.  If you read between the lines, the application may be more of a publicity move than a financial milestone. There is no doubt that Pandora could use the $100 million it hopes to raise.  The company is

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-62360539865920766142011-02-06T22:10:00.000-08:002011-02-06T22:10:00.245-08:00

I was going to title this post with a question - asking if this is the year the indy film business starts to climb out of its doldrums.  But in truth, I am writing about it because I think there is no question.  This is indeed the turn around year.  Here's why I feel so optimistic: Obviously, the volume of sales at Sundance was a big positive.  Since 2008, Sundance sales had been in the dumps,

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-89126456004428989462011-01-29T16:20:00.000-08:002011-01-29T16:20:43.889-08:00

Unfortunately, Tom Rogers and his team don't seem to think so.  This recent article on TiVo's struggles gives a clear picture of the challenges TiVo is facing.  Major cable providers have no reason to partner with TiVo.  They all have their own DVR's and TiVo would probably only confuse customers and cannibalize the cable provider revenue. Tom Rogers If you read the quotes from Rogers, he

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-20963611325714669332011-01-28T12:05:00.000-08:002011-01-28T12:05:18.977-08:00

If you read my posts and tweets, you know that I am an avid observer of Netflix and its ongoing impact on the entertainment business.  I also spend some time chatting about it offline with other folks in our industry.  One of my favorite bantering partners is my friend Jack Wrigley of XStreamHD.  (By the way, XStreamHD is a very cool delivery and management system for HD content.  Check it out

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-64347344285454254302011-01-16T01:19:00.000-08:002011-01-17T15:44:37.904-08:00

This recent article in the Hollywood Reporter gives a comprehensive view of both the public and private statements of studio execs when talking about Netflix.  There are a couple of great points that shed light on the future for the current star of the home distribution marketplace. First, it is clear that Netflix is an important buyer of films and television programming.  Studios are happy to

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-80226499050839571372010-12-19T20:09:00.000-08:002010-12-19T20:17:27.395-08:00

As social media begins to dominate the Internet, it's more critical than ever that your first audience truly loves what you're doing. Social media has been a part of the media landscape for about 5 years, and it's impact is already being felt in a big way.  As we approach the beginning of 2011, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his team have built a cyber-city of over a half billion users.  There

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-56846772134064258072010-12-04T22:55:00.000-08:002010-12-06T14:48:54.000-08:00

This may sound odd coming from a lawyer, but courtroom victories often have limited value.  In fact, winning legal battles can sometimes do more harm than good.  In 1999, TiVo invented the DVR, and registered patents to protect its novel ideas.  Initially, TiVo was so successful in bringing its product to market, that the word "TiVo" actually became a verb (a good indicator of massive market

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-82435071874495928732010-12-01T00:58:00.000-08:002010-12-01T00:58:37.902-08:00

There is a very good recent article in the NY Times discussing how Netflix gained its power, who is threatened by it and why.  On the one hand, the article feels a bit trite in that it looks at the recent offering of a streaming-only package as Netflix' "move onto the web."  However, in the body of the article, it becomes clear that digital distribution has been a part of the Netflix business for

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-57550373289258433952010-11-23T15:38:00.000-08:002010-11-23T15:47:41.934-08:00

It seems that online shopping and the in-store experience are coming together this holiday season, courtesy of the growth of the smartphone market. Online holiday purchases have steadily increased each year for the past several Christmas seasons.  This year, it is a little different because many consumers now carry the internet with them in the form of a smartphone.  This means that they don't

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-36914294513776701042010-11-06T02:35:00.000-07:002010-11-06T02:35:09.490-07:00

It seems every day there is another news story describing shock at the decreasing number of cable subscribers.  Like yesterday’s story with the headline, “Cable Subscribers Fleeing, But No One Knows Where.”  What??  With all due respect to the Associated Press, this is about as hard to figure out as a bad murder mystery.  The butler did it, now move on.   Here is the truth.  We have reached the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-74417709378087777922010-10-31T03:08:00.000-07:002010-10-31T09:35:31.510-07:00

We are about to experience the most profound metamorphosis the entertainment industry has seen since the commercialization of television.  It is a huge opportunity for anyone who is willing to jump in with both feet, but you need to start now. Since the introduction of television into the living room around 1948, the broadcasting industry has been controlled by a virtual handful of people.  Even

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-65052024749830415942010-10-02T23:52:00.000-07:002010-10-03T09:17:40.352-07:00

At a Liberty Media investor event yesterday, Liberty Chairman, John Malone, drew a comparison between Netflix and HBO.  He was discussing the relationship between his Starz unit and Netflix, and seemed to be acknowledging the amount of power that Netflix is gaining as home video moves online. It's an interesting question - Is Netflix the next HBO?  What are the similarities, and does it make

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-89029955398716877332010-09-27T23:23:00.000-07:002010-09-27T23:23:59.126-07:00

I've been having a terrific online banter with Brian Newman regarding the use of a David Letterman clip in a recent film.  Brian's last observation was extremely astute, and got me thinking.  The essential issue is whether the use of that clip constitutes a Fair Use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act and relevant case law. In making his most recent argument, Brian relies pretty heavily on

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-25324693669666531972010-09-24T12:16:00.000-07:002010-09-24T12:18:40.930-07:00

At the suggestion of my online friend and fellow film pro, Sheri Candler, I read this very interesting blog post from Brian Newman (NY media consultant and immediate past CEO of Tribeca).  Brian's comments are very well thought out but, in my opinion, incorrect.  Of course, there is nothing better than a well-reasoned disagreement, so here goes. The basic topic centers on a comment from Dave

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-15874687143007356732010-09-21T15:08:00.000-07:002010-09-21T15:08:35.241-07:00

Briefly, take a look at this extremely important article which has emerged from the conference being presented this week by The Wrap.  The article makes many great points. The main thrust is a summary of research showing a vast expansion in the amount of time people are spending interacting with electronic media.  No surprises here, but the numbers are very interesting to see. Also, it goes

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-86663144877889024372010-09-19T14:39:00.000-07:002010-09-19T16:10:33.704-07:00

Starz Media is blazing a bit of a new trail with its pending release of the sci-fi thriller, The Resistance.  I think their strategy on this release is an excellent vision for combining digital and traditional media platforms.  (Another really good article on the program and strategy is here.)  However, I'm not sure their particular approach is the best for maximizing revenues. The program is

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-25516204481777381462010-08-21T17:50:00.000-07:002010-08-24T17:57:53.425-07:00

Clients often ask me about obtaining "life rights" in connection with films based on real events.  Most clients are under the impression that they can't make a film about real people without getting permission.  Not true. Here's a great example -- the upcoming film, Social Network.  This article in The Hollywood Reporter describes apparent negotiations between producer Scott Rudin and executives

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-13532016504422434562010-08-19T09:55:00.000-07:002010-08-19T10:01:14.648-07:00

Reading this article in The Hollywood Reporter, I had a somewhat shocking realization.  As the market for film (and everything else) becomes truly global, there is no escaping the impact of other cultures on the content that is created in this country. The article focuses on the Chinese government's resistance to creating a rating system for film.  The Chinese system is black and white --

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-15168313521020483842010-08-07T11:58:00.000-07:002010-08-07T11:58:32.150-07:00

There was a very good article a few days ago in The Wrap about the downward trend in 3D box office revenues. (By the way, The Wrap is a favorite publication of mine on the entertainment business.  If you don't read it, you should.)  While the author (Daniel Frankel) gives fair coverage to the topic, I think the article misses the big picture. An underlying assumption seems to be that tracking 3D

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-13546894481664124512010-08-06T15:10:00.000-07:002010-08-06T15:10:32.121-07:00

According to a number of news accounts (like this one at Billboard.com), Rondor Music (a division of Universal), the publisher of the hit Beach Boys song, California Girls, has sent a demand to Katy Perry in connection with her current hit, California Gurls. Rondor is seeking compensation for an alleged copyright infringement. The gist of the claim stems not from the obviously similar title (

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-74859314381725319512010-07-27T11:32:00.000-07:002010-07-27T11:32:31.670-07:00

An article I saw last night discusses how major computer manufacturers are all chasing the iPad with similar tablet devices of their own.  You can read the article for the interesting details.  However, I wanted to quickly comment on the importance of this trend. The iPad is truly a new class of hardware that has changed the media landscape.  It's a highly portable device optimized for obtaining

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-81293050800073236952010-07-22T17:43:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:52:00.090-07:00

Here is a pretty good article that discusses the shifting trends in the in-home distribution of films.  Obviously, the trend is away from DVD's and moving towards direct delivery.  In fact, the shrinkage in the DVD numbers is pretty dramatic.  The DVD is going the way of the CD. Blu-ray is making up some of those losses, but Blu-ray will eventually follow the same path.  Right now Blu-ray discs

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-46157219938827498522010-06-28T15:31:00.000-07:002010-06-28T15:31:14.616-07:00

The CFTC has approved Cantor Exchange to trade futures based on film box office performance.  Earlier in the month, the CFTC had approved a similar program to be operated by Media Derivatives.  All of this would appear to be a big "green light" for the trading of film futures. But... Unfortunately for Cantor and MD, the House of Representatives included a ban on these trades as a part of the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-76099380109901888342010-06-17T17:11:00.000-07:002010-06-17T17:11:08.305-07:00

There is an opportunity quickly emerging for consumer electronics companies.  Most of the new 3D televisions  (other than the Vizio TV that was just announced) use glasses with active electronics.  The television manufacturers are supplying one or two pairs of these glasses with each TV, and then selling extra pairs for about $200 each. In reality, these glasses can probably be sold for under

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-54189250392702197822010-06-12T17:02:00.000-07:002010-06-16T11:01:12.211-07:00

Today I was reading a very good article on Businessweek.com which addresses investment in startup businesses  built around Twitter.  The thrust of the article is that Twitter's acquisition of Tweetie, and its limitations on building ad-based businesses around the Twitter platform, is making it very hard for Twitter-based startups to attract investors. Ok, I don't want to sound too sarcastic here

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-29556995633914444022010-05-29T17:52:00.000-07:002010-05-30T11:46:18.967-07:00

There are interesting developments this week in the intersection between digital media and the more traditional media of film and television. These events raise the question once again of whether digital media will have a positive, negative or neutral impact on traditional media. On the negative side, Voltage Pictures filed its lawsuit this week against all persons who have infringed its

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-82401510985728356322010-05-18T20:17:00.000-07:002010-05-18T23:08:03.622-07:00

There have been some very interesting articles recently predicting how consumers will be entertaining themselves five years from now.  The implications are significant.  Let me give you some highlights, and then make some quick comments. - Displaybank, a consumer electronics research group predicts that sales of 3D televisions will grow by 91% this year, making up 3% of the world televisions by

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-80346345606641690152010-04-17T15:26:00.000-07:002010-04-17T15:27:45.139-07:00

My good friend, Tammy Hunt (talent manager and entertainment professional extraordinaire!), shot me an email yesterday asking if I thought the approval of the futures exchange for trading on film performance is a good idea. I had been following the progress of that story, but I hadn't really stopped to consider the implications. This afternoon, I responded to Tammy, and I actually was pleased

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-9416687459861109822010-04-09T09:36:00.000-07:002010-04-09T09:36:33.550-07:00

There is a lot of resistance in Hollywood to the futures market being finalized by Wall Street brokerage, Cantor Fitzgerald.  In short, CF is seeking final approval to operate an exchange that will allow investors to place bets on the future box office performance of Hollywood films.  Sounds like fun.  So why is there such aggressive resistance in Hollywood? A quick story that will illustrate my

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-47475176988193194742010-03-16T08:45:00.000-07:002010-03-16T08:45:21.322-07:00

I saw an article this morning about improvements in the iPhone navigation/traffic application from Tom Tom.  It struck me that this provides a great example for a lot of companies of how to manage strategy in a dynamic environment. Tom Tom was chasing Garmin in the navigation hardware business.  However, as car manufacturers quickly adopted built-in navigation systems, and the number of iPhones

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-59946835601529413002010-03-14T15:46:00.000-07:002010-03-14T15:46:21.637-07:00

That's right - you read that title correctly.  I believe that the technology revolution of the past couple decades is perhaps the biggest boon to our collective culture in the entire history of mankind.  Many of you probably disagree with that statement -- at least I hope so.  It is the perception of a conflict between technology and culture that I seek to dispel.  First, I view "culture" for

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-11108105244999639262010-02-15T10:11:00.000-08:002010-02-15T10:58:46.317-08:00

It's Monday morning -- a holiday in the U.S. celebrating our Presidents.  For those of us in the film business, that means one more day for folks to see another film before heading back to another week of work.  This weekend's box office was topped by a star-packed film that critics hated.  "Valentine's Day" made almost $67 million in its first three days of release.  That is a huge number for a

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-32775569927105638192010-02-01T10:08:00.000-08:002010-02-01T10:08:52.785-08:00

Here we are on February 1. We are fully into 2010 -- past the time when we are wishing one another a happy new year.  We're getting down to business.  We're also past January, which is the month of trade shows and awards.  In the past 30 days, the Consumer Electronics industry had their big shindig in Las Vegas, the musical instrument business had it's major annual conference in L.A., the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-42629770997642514692009-12-15T10:47:00.000-08:002009-12-15T10:47:34.708-08:00

In reading and tweeting on a few news items this morning, I was compelled to write a quick blog post.  I think I am restating the obvious, but sometimes it's good to remember simple lessons.  So, here it is: If you want to make a lot of money in the entertainment business (or any other business), solve a real problem for a price that people are willing to pay.  That's what successful companies

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-3592564774215164522009-12-07T23:46:00.000-08:002009-12-08T23:11:38.109-08:00

At this time of year, it's interesting and fun to think about where our industry is headed.  More specifically, what are the important trends in entertainment?  Which changes are most likely to impact those of us who don't work at NBC Universal? We can talk about the various developments and what they might mean for the various sectors, but I think this coming year there is one single

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-32335669657663431912009-11-09T20:37:00.000-08:002009-11-09T20:39:37.798-08:00

I had an excellent email exchange with Jonathan Polansky yesterday and today. Jonathan is a media consultant, anti-smoking advocate and the principal of Onbeyond, LLC , a media consultancy in Fairfax, California. His current project is on behalf of the University of California. I am going to reprint our exchange for you because I think it raises some great issues. The essential topic is the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-31097950720519280342009-11-04T22:35:00.001-08:002009-11-08T16:59:46.447-08:00

An article in today's Variety details efforts by the MPAA to help its members gain the ability to broadcast first-run movies directly to consumer's homes. The article raises a few issues: 1. Apparently, approval from the FCC is needed for the MPAA members to use DRM protection on the broadcasts. Not surprisingly, the studios would be unwilling to give consumers access to broadcasts of

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-60975303899469508812009-10-25T15:38:00.000-07:002009-10-25T17:13:15.025-07:00

As the name of the blog implies, I am all about the business side of entertainment. I suppose I'm fairly creative for a lawyer, but I inevitably look at the entertainment business as a fun, challenging and interesting way of making money. If you're not in it for that reason, then what you're doing isn't really a business.(As an aside, I do serve as a music supervisor for films and there is

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-46339900032374875742009-10-20T11:52:00.000-07:002009-10-20T12:39:38.539-07:00

After yesterday's post, I got into a great Facebook discussion with attorney/writer/producer/sales agent, Darlene Cypser (@DarleneCypser) of Colorado. She was kind enough to provide a link to the actual auditors' report which ostensibly caused the governor to shut down the program. Darlene suggests that, based on this report, there was definitely a problem. I don't disagree, but we probably

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-88575922915902653052009-10-19T18:55:00.000-07:002009-10-19T20:02:03.782-07:00

There is an excellent article in today's Wall Street Journal about the suspension of the Iowa Film Tax Incentive Program. Clearly, the program was driving a lot of film business through a state that would otherwise have very little. But when an audit of the program expenditures revealed subsidies helping to purchase luxury cars, an expensive bed and an iPod, the governor halted the program and

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-68983065638081907412009-10-16T23:36:00.000-07:002009-10-17T00:50:06.994-07:00

Earlier this week, I was listening to my favorite business podcast - The Business, hosted by Kim Masters. Let me preface this by saying that I am not picking on TB or Kim. In fact, I am a huge fan of both. I think Kim is seriously one of the very best entertainment reporters I've seen, heard or read.With that said, I have to complain about the negative tone of some of her recent reports.

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-43072718425154900872009-10-11T23:59:00.000-07:002009-10-12T00:59:08.778-07:00

In this article from Friday's Variety, Peter Bart and Michael Fleming paint a fairly negative picture of the current state of the Hollywood film business. In its subtitle, the article promises both the yin and the yang of the prevailing conditions, but by the end of the piece, it feels like a lot of yin and only a little yang. They don't really put much emphasis at all on the bright side of the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-34010757842111789942009-10-09T00:51:00.000-07:002009-10-09T01:28:00.113-07:00

An article in today's Variety gives details of recent deals where financial partners other than studios are backing development efforts of proven film producers. The top line relationship addressed is Barclays Bank's reported backing of Jerry Bruckheimer's development efforts with a $20 million credit line. The article also discusses yesterday's Imagenation Abu Dhabi deal with Walter Parkes

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-2143258372808135322009-10-02T20:00:00.000-07:002009-10-02T20:43:56.760-07:00

I had a great discussion today with Ted Kroeber regarding the new venture from Tom Ortenberg, One Way Out Media. The new company is slated to undertake a variety of functions in the independent film world, including financing, distribution and consulting. This of course takes advantage of Tom's vast experience and superior track record in the film industry.On the positive side, I think Tom's

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-79438037699694758232009-10-01T19:17:00.000-07:002009-10-01T20:09:22.488-07:00

For those of us who watch the media landscape (and make our living in the entertainment business), the development of truly interactive television is an elusive landmark that has been slowly approaching for years. It has become almost a myth, with millions of dollars already lost because it failed to develop as quickly as many hoped it would.In the past year or so, I have written fairly often on

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-59349126050740591152009-09-26T01:28:00.000-07:002009-09-26T02:26:02.389-07:00

Today's Hollywood Reporter carries an article on the impact of digital video recorders (DVR's) on television viewing habits. The article tracks a study on the topic, and makes a couple of interesting points.First, although many homes (36%) now have DVR's as a part of the home entertainment system, over 90% of TV viewing is still done in the traditional linear sense. The programs recorded on the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-56378852085567851262009-09-19T09:38:00.000-07:002009-09-19T10:16:22.595-07:00

Most often, I like to write about developments in the entertainment business and the likely implications for members of that industry. But every once in a while, I feel compelled to share something I've learned in the course of my work day. Usually the lessons are not new, but have only been forgotten. I figure sometimes all of us can use a reminder.Recently, I have been reminded that effective

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-57100254339385307842009-09-17T01:34:00.000-07:002009-09-17T02:13:07.610-07:00

This week Blockbuster announced it will likely be closing almost 1,000 of its stores in the near future. Of course, this is no surprise. It has been clear to everyone who watches this industry that the retail video store is dying a not-so-slow death. And the success of the Redbox kiosk business is speeding that process.So, Blockbuster is now going to spend up to $60 million in shutting down

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-617829867455482012009-09-11T09:05:00.000-07:002009-09-11T09:35:57.986-07:00

This week's big news on the business side of the film industry has to be JP Morgan's announcement of its return to the digital cinema funding business. The Wall Street survivor announced a $525M fund that is targeted to roll out about 500 new digital screens per month, almost doubling the North American penetration by the end of 2010 to as many as 13,000 screens. The fund will ultimately

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-41965111280095681182009-09-09T23:41:00.000-07:002009-09-10T00:11:52.578-07:00

A day doesn't go by without some media executive talking about "promoting a brand across all of our platforms." In normal person speak, this means, "I think we're finally figuring out how to make the Internet work for us."Initially, I think traditional entertainment companies viewed the Internet as a threat (of course) and then as another place to advertise their films and programs. Now they are

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-26600779046629207502009-09-08T01:12:00.000-07:002009-09-08T01:53:16.867-07:00

The recent coverage by the Hollywood Reporter of the independent film business included an article by by Steve Zeitchik on the current state of the industry. While Steve starts with a lot of doom and gloom, implying that the entire industry may be on the brink of collapse, he ultimately paints a fair picture that I found somewhat positive. His ultimate conclusion is that producers need to keep

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-54500546433247862962009-01-01T17:33:00.000-08:002009-01-01T17:54:18.901-08:00

Happy new year to all. Early this morning (technically after the old contract expired), Time Warner Cable and Viacom reached a new deal. Basically, the story was as follows: Viacom felt that TWC was paying too little for Viacom programming relative to the number of viewers. A Bernstein media analyst, Michael Nathanson, backed this up in a published report, and he appeared to be right. So,

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-70356260437085256092008-12-19T17:55:00.000-08:002008-12-19T18:51:53.309-08:00

It was reported by the Wall Street Journal, AP and other news sources today that the RIAA plans to stops its mass lawsuits against consumers.  Instead, the music-industry group is forging agreements with ISP's that will send notices to heavy uploaders asking them to stop.  If they don't stop, then the ISP's will presumably take action, such as slowing down the abuser's connection or possibly

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-6405563204944751202008-12-13T01:29:00.000-08:002008-12-13T01:39:47.351-08:00

This is a really interesting article about a recent social media campaign undertaken by Kmart. In short, Kmart gave a $500 gift card to each of 6 influential bloggers and told them to go shopping at Kmart and then write about their experience. There was no censorship or editing, and the bloggers each disclosed the arrangement in their blog entries.According to independent metrics, the campaign

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-8547570111429816762008-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:002008-12-05T12:19:53.591-08:00

Interesting news on Joe Satriani filing an action against Coldplay for copyright infringement.  He claims that the Coldplay hit single, Viva la Vida, infringes on his 2004 release, If I Could Fly.  I'm no musicologist (although I did graduate from Musicians Institute's guitar program), but I listened to both tracks and I can definitely see his point.  I anticipate there will be a settlement on

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-10443120394012049092008-12-04T11:34:00.000-08:002008-12-04T12:06:20.411-08:00

It's been only a day, and Marc Shaiman's creative musical take on Prop 8 (the California anti-gay marriage initiative which was voted into law last month) is today's "next big thing" on the Net.  In less than 24 hours, the 3 minute video featured on funnyordie.com has already been seen almost 1.3 million times.  Those are pretty  impressive numbers when you consider the marketing budget is

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-50913771824361259842008-12-03T00:57:00.000-08:002008-12-03T00:58:40.245-08:00

A more technical (and very insightful) take from Greg Tarr on the importance of this week's technical developments in the Mobile DTV area:Mobile DTV Takes Another Step: " A seemingly minor yet important item came out of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) this week in regard to the forthcoming Mobile DTV..."

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-79844928828904353452008-12-01T09:51:00.000-08:002008-12-01T10:07:13.524-08:00

This article from Broadcasting and Cable discusses how the technical hurdles have been cleared to allow digital television to be broadcast to mobile devices.  This allows manufacturers to start building the hardware that will put television in everyone's pocket.  This is a significant development for the media industry.It marks another major milestone in giving consumers the content they want

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-48568794549950496632008-11-30T14:41:00.000-08:002008-11-30T15:07:28.284-08:00

It's been almost 9 months since my last post. I moved my practice to a larger firm and took a blogging break to sit back and watch. So what's changed in 9 months? In some respects, a lot. But in many respects, not so much.We have a new president from the other party taking office in less than 2 months. The economy continued to get worse and then went into a bit of a free fall. People were nervous

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-60382295198185861732008-03-10T10:11:00.000-07:002008-03-10T10:23:18.129-07:00

Well, it's Monday morning and I'm doing my normal review of news and announcements. It's definitely a slower environment. There is a lot of talk about the economic slow down. Obviously, this is a self-perpetuating situation. As people hear more about a slowing economy, they become more cautious (if not downright nervous) and they develop a wait-and-see attitude towards their next strategic

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-5124480576082382512008-03-08T06:38:00.000-08:002008-03-08T07:01:32.973-08:00

I look through the news daily, mostly just to keep myself informed. I'm also looking for interesting items to blog on. As you can see, I haven't written a blog entry for almost a couple of weeks. I've been looking, but honestly, I just didn't see anything that caught my eye or sparked any big thoughts. Maybe it was me, or maybe things really slowed down.Clearly, the economy is struggling a

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-23987770957836768572008-02-25T10:28:00.000-08:002008-02-25T11:46:47.535-08:00

An article in yesterday's NY Times does an excellent job of covering the point I was making last week. That is, the entire DVD business has a limited lifetime and Sony's Blu-Ray victory is somewhat hollow. The disc business is not a long-term business and it is already showing signs of fading.The article discusses what the various studios are doing in an attempt to bolster the DVD and Blu-Ray

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-31283830592675801622008-02-19T09:51:00.000-08:002008-02-19T10:06:41.798-08:00

No surprise here. Warner Bros. put the first nail in HD-DVD's coffin with the announcement at CES that WB hi-def content would thereafter only be published on Blu-Ray. Walmart, Best Buy and Netflix hammered in the final nails over the past week or so. When retail won't sell your product, it makes it very hard to stay in business.To Toshiba's credit, it didn't waste time in seeing that the game

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-49922019879362437262008-02-18T11:03:00.000-08:002008-02-18T11:15:51.960-08:00

Another good article this morning (this time from the BBC) which is indicative of the speed with which mobile media is advancing. The gist of the article is that the sales of smartphones will surpass the sale of laptops within the next 12 to 18 months. Think about that -- 12 to 18 months. That is right around the corner. This means that everyone is quickly heading towards having robust media

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-44112718979974909342008-02-16T00:48:00.001-08:002008-02-16T01:01:59.525-08:00

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Thursday, one of the panels was apparently very revealing on the topic of advancing mobile media business models. The Hollywood Reporter has excellent coverage on that story.If you ask most people, they would probably characterize the content providers as reluctant to make their content widely available on mobile devices. Personally, if I had to guess,

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-75990205375608631972008-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:002008-02-14T10:28:15.587-08:00

Another article today relevant to what I was talking about on Monday. Video Business confirmed that in December, as new television programming was waning because of the strike, viewers turned to the Web. The article notes a 34% increase in online video consumption -- apparently a lot of it at Youtube. (Check out the table showing market shares of online video traffic -- very interesting.)It's

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-85434424287836959492008-02-12T11:45:00.000-08:002008-02-12T12:02:29.155-08:00

The most interesting news on the digital entertainment front comes out of Barcelona, Spain today. That's the site of the Mobile World Congress where there have been two very interesting and related developments. First, Microsoft announced its acquisition of Danger, a mobile phone operating system. The Danger software is especially adept at facilitating social networking through mobile devices.

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-56989488679790066972008-02-11T08:51:00.000-08:002008-02-11T09:24:36.348-08:00

It looks like the WGA labor action will be coming to an end in the next couple of days. The show runners are heading back to work today, so that's a pretty good indication that the union anticipates a positive vote from the membership on Tuesday evening. (http://www.variety.com/VR1117980626.html)There is already a lot of talk about what the writers accomplished with their job action. The most

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-59002921373470388532008-02-02T13:49:00.000-08:002008-02-02T14:09:47.639-08:00

Clearly the big media business news of this week is Mircrosoft's unsolicited (and unwanted) offer to buy Yahoo for a combination of Microsoft stock and cash. Depending on the price of the MS stock at any particular time, the deal is worth around $42 billion. That represents a steep premium over the pre-offer price of Yahoo.Obviously, the deal is driven somewhat by the current low price of Yahoo

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-44857682761840893642008-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:002008-01-29T09:33:44.190-08:00

I am excited by a report in yesterday's Variety on Sony's deal with SK Telecom of Korea. The new arrangement further expands Sony' s digital distribution of film content in Korea by adding a mobile element. Under the deal, SK Telecom will reportedly have the right to distribute a limited number of full-length films (including the Spiderman series) and television programs directly to mobile

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-7554805772383945332008-01-26T11:46:00.001-08:002008-01-26T12:03:26.372-08:00

This week, Live Nation sold its theater business to Key Brand, a private investment group. (Check out the Variety coverage here.) The deal divests Live Nation of virtually all of its legit theater assets, and launches Key Brand as a solid niche player in that industry. This is a great example of a strong company further focusing its business on the assets that are making money.Live Nation has

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-88974603946772410362008-01-24T22:35:00.000-08:002008-01-24T22:56:05.760-08:00

I just returned from this year's Sundance Film Festival and I am more enthusiastic than ever about the economic potential of the independent film industry. While the number of film sales at Sundance seemed to be down a bit from some prior years, I am more excited by the people I met and the energy in the air. In the hotel hallways and theater lobbies, there was almost constant chatter of new

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-48522766232253134322008-01-12T11:33:00.000-08:002008-01-12T11:51:51.222-08:00

Buying a creative company is very tricky. Successful creative enterprises can be very attractive targets. The profit margins can be outrageously high. The work can be exciting and high profile. The culture and work environments are often exhilarating.On the other hand, it is really easy to overpay for a creative enterprise -- and I don't mean by just a little bit. Sometimes a buyer can pay

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-83228119757541070022008-01-02T11:13:00.000-08:002008-01-02T17:46:33.796-08:00

I'll get back to the discussion of deal points soon, but I saw an article in Business Week today that I really wanted to comment on. The article addresses the rumour about Digg.com being up for sale this year, as well as the other rumour that Digg might be buying a couple of competitors. Digg CEO, Jay Adelson gave BW a fairly open interview. He essentially denies that Digg is buying or selling

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-42578787117819589392007-12-30T11:02:00.000-08:002007-12-30T11:19:23.869-08:00

The essence of many companies in the entertainment industry is the ability to create. This can include creating content, but also the ability to creatively market and distribute that content. These are the skills that often drive value and make a company an attractive acquisition target.However, actually realizing the value from creativity is very tricky. As everyone who has ever looked at the

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361904832945519044.post-27614946897298402792007-12-27T18:00:00.000-08:002007-12-27T18:08:57.631-08:00

In my law practice, I spend a lot of time helping clients buy and sell companies -- especially companies engaged in various aspects of the entertainment business. It is my favorite work. After years of doing it, I've learned that succesfully buying or selling an entertainment company requires a lot of specialized knowledge. There are a lot of tricks. I want to share what I've learned, and I

Roger Goffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01909177619015141167noreply@blogger.com0