ADOBE ACQUIRES MACROMEDIA
In what is undoubtedly the biggest ever deal in the content creation and Web development sector, Adobe Systems Incorporated announced on Monday a definitive agreement to acquire Macromedia in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion. The acquisition is intended to extend the company's lead in the market for creating and distributing digital documents. Adobe, best known for its Acrobat document-sharing software, said the deal would help it meet rising customer demand for audio and video documents and images that are compatible with handheld devices.
CREATIVE ARCHIVE FOR UK ONLY
After the massive build-up given to the BBC Creative Archive project, (a consortium of the BBC, Channel 4, BFI, and Open University), it's a bit of a disappointment to see that they've decided to spin-off their own license rather than endorse Creative Commons. It would seem that while the BBC has vehemently endorsed the exploration of free-for-non-commercial-use licensing for its content, it has simultaneously denied its benefits to the rest of the world since the license (as it stands) is explicitly for "use within the UK". http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk
NIN GOES GARAGE
In a bold move to spread their Industrial Music even further afield, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails has decided to release the new single from NIN's upcoming album as a GarageBand file to facilitate remixes by a legion of technologically omnivorous fans. Though by no means the first time a major-label artist has released a track to the public for remix, this is certainly the first time such a project has been as open to the common user. The repercussions to 'traditional' IP views in music could be beneficial to us all.
DIY FEATURE ANIMATION REDEFINED
Rustboy is a short film project that started out as a hobby but has evolved over time into an ambitious animated (not-so-short) film and several side-projects thanks to the lateral approach and dogged perseverance of its creator Brian Taylor. Interest generated by Taylor's elegantly designed and beautifully detailed website led to the creation of a book and assorted merchandise whose sales will ultimately help to fund the film. If you want to see a prime example of how the DIY approach can work across a variety of spectrums check out: http://www.rustboy.com
ANIMATION BIGWIG QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." - Walt Disney