AWN's stock ticker features the most prominent publicly traded companies in the world of animation. AWN, Inc. makes available certain financial information from third party information providers. AWN does not give advice in any such fields, and has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. This information is provided solely as a means to keep our readers informed of the market performance and trends of certain companies. AWN strongly suggests that one seek advice from a competent professional regarding any investment or financial issues.

Creative Planet, Inc., the parent company of Animation World Network, has secured an additional US$38 million in new equity financing. The new funding will help drive its strategy to deliver technology solutions and resources for increased cost-efficiencies in the moving image production process.

AWN's stock ticker features the most prominent publicly traded companies in the world of animation. AWN, Inc. makes available certain financial information from third party information providers. AWN does not give advice in any such fields, and has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. This information is provided solely as a means to keep our readers informed of the market performance and trends of certain companies. AWN strongly suggests that one seek advice from a competent professional regarding any investment or financial issues.

SGI and Intergraph Corporation, two of the leaders in high-performance graphics workstations and software, have announced an alliance that allows both companies to share each other's products and expertise. Under the partnership, Intergraph will purchase US$100 million in SGI products and services over three years. In turn, SGI will obtain assets from Intergraph, including Intergraph Computer Systems' Zx10 family of ViZual Workstations and Servers.

Sources say that Vancouver-based film producer Lions Gate Entertainment is on the verge of purchasing Harvey Entertainment. As reported in VARIETY, Harvey chairman/CEO Roger Burlage has been shopping the home of Casper around to many companies. Last spring Burlage saved Harvey from acquisition by Artisans by securing US$17 million in funding from entertainment company Kushner-Locke and then-investment banker and current Lions Gate vice-chairman, Michael Burns. The funds came in the form of $11.5 million in cash and $5.5 million in Kushner-Locke stock.

3dfx Interactive Inc. announced the completion of its merger with GigaPixel Corporation. Subsequently, George T. Haber, a founder of GigaPixel, and Andrei M. Manoliu, a member of the GigaPixel board of directors, will join the 3dfx board. "The merger marks an important step in enhancing the 3dfx technology leadership and expanding our business for the future," said Alex Leupp, president and CEO of 3dfx.

netGuru, Inc. (formerly Research Engineers, Inc.) has expanded its netGuruDigitalmedia facilities to provide animation, production and digital media services for U.S. and offshore producers. Based in both Yorba Linda, California, U.S.A. and Calcutta, India, the company offers animation services including 2D animation, clean-up, in-betweening, digital ink and paint, 3D animation, special effects compositing, audio/video editing, and Web and interactive animation and graphics. netGuru also markets AXA Team 2D Pro, a 2D pencil test and ink and paint software package, and newly released AXA-Web.

Go.com, Inc., the Internet group of the Walt Disney Co., has changed its name to the Walt Disney Internet Group. The name change was made to better reflect the new direction of the Internet company, which has moved its focus away from a Yahoo-like portal to a more Disney-geared entertainment destination. The Disney arm has been plagued with problems from the start. In the last quarter, the company reported a net loss of US$272.1 million, including amortization of intangible assets.

Rainbow Studios, a creator of digital entertainment, announced its acquisition of Motional Realms, the developers of the ReelMotion real-time simulator that uses physics and collision detection to animate vehicles and objects realistically. By simulating the underlying physics, ReelMotion allows animators to animate any type of two or four-wheeled vehicle, a variety of aircraft and other objects.

In light of Nasdaq’s delisting of their stock, troubled animation producer Cinar Corp. has brought in investment bank Merrill Lynch & Co. to help assess the future options for the company, which may include the sale of all or parts of the company. "Merrill Lynch & Co. will work with us and our current advisors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, to review all strategic alternatives available to the Company in order to maximize future shareholder value, including any proposed business combination, partnerships or mergers," said Barrie Usher, President and CEO of CINAR.

The Chinese Administration of Radio, Film and Television has instituted a new regulation cutting the airtime of imported cartoons. Starting on June 1, TV networks in China must air six Chinese toons for every four imported ones. Before the new rule two-thirds of the cartoons broadcast in China were from foreign soil and with their domestic production only reaching 6,000 minutes (roughly 272 twenty-two-minute episodes) a year there is little for Chinese programming to choose from.

AWN's stock ticker features the most prominent publicly traded companies in the world of animation. AWN, Inc. makes available certain financial information from third party information providers. AWN does not give advice in any such fields, and has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. This information is provided solely as a means to keep our readers informed of the market performance and trends of certain companies. AWN strongly suggests that one seek advice from a competent professional regarding any investment or financial issues.

Pulse Entertainment has signed a deal with Paris-based digital post-production company, Exmachina, which will have the French post house resell Pulse technology to developers, designers, agencies and corporate clients in Europe. Exmachina first utilized the Pulse software to create a Web character, Akinia, who helps on-line gamers solve riddles in a treasure hunt. "We are making Pulse technology one of the cornerstones as we build our Web business," said Pierre Noizat, general manager of Exmachina.

New York-based New Tinkerbell, Inc. has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co. in regards to the Tinkerbell trademark. As reported in the on-line magazine, INSIDE, New Tinkerbell and its several affiliates claim they purchased the rights to the character from the then rights holder, the Hospital for Sick Children of London, in 1952 a year before Disney’s PETER PAN was released. For 13 years, New Tinkerbell has been producing various products with the image of Tinkerbell on them.

Late swing-jazz singer Louis Prima’s widow, Gia Prima, has filed suit against the Walt Disney Company for unpaid royalties from video and DVD sales of THE JUNGLE BOOK, in which her husband voiced the character King Louie of the Apes. The Prima estate has received royalties on audio recordings of the soundtrack, however Disney contends the contract Prima signed was for audio recordings only and that Disney has "met all contractual obligations to Mr. Prima's estate." However, new technologies, like videocassettes and DVDS, were not invented when Prima signed the contract.

On Wednesday, July 27, 2000, Sony Corp. announced it fell into the red in the first quarter ended June 30, 2000 as one-off charges from a change in U.S. accounting rules eroded profits. The electronics and entertainment company posted a group net loss of ¥88.26 billion (US$808.2 million) in the quarter, versus an ¥18.43 billion ($168.8 million) profit a year prior. Sony had ¥101.65 billion ($930.8 million) in extraordinary losses from film advertising costs and canceled projects’ development expenses in the first quarter of this year due to new U.S.

The Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA), a French broadcasting watchdog, has approved the three-way merger between Vivendi, Canal + and Seagram, the parent of Universal Pictures. The okay came on the heels of Vivendi chairman and CEO Jean-Marie Messier’s decision not to fold Canal +’s subscriber base into Vivendi Universal, thus avoiding French television ownership laws prohibiting a single shareholder from owning 49% or more of a TV network.

Avid Technology, Inc. announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2000. Revenues for 200O were US$120 million up from $116.4 million a year ago. For the quarter, the company recorded a net loss of $18.1 million, or $.07 per share, including amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, compared to a net loss of $8 million, or $.34 per share in the second quarter of 1999.

AWN's Stock Ticker features the most prominent publicly traded companies in the world of animation. AWN, Inc. makes available certain financial information from third party information providers. AWN does not give advice in any such fields, and has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. This information is provided solely as a means to keep our readers informed of the market performance and trends of certain companies. AWN strongly suggests that one seek advice from a competent professional regarding any investment or financial issues.

On Wednesday, July 26, 2000, Cinar Corporation began its discussions with Nasdaq officials to explain why they have not filed their annual reports and financial statements from as far back at November 30, 1999. In the midst of the talks, Cinar has announced they have been sued again! This time, the former owners of Cinar subsidiary, Carson-Dellosa Publishing, which Cinar purchased in 1997, have brought forth the lawsuit.