Friday, September 24, 2010

The Weekend Linkage

Your weekend reading (and viewing.) We start with an update on "Collusion?"

Several leading technology companies have agreed to settle civil charges that they violated antitrust law by agreeing not to poach each other's skilled employees, the Justice Department announced Friday.

The settlement prevents Google Inc., Apple Inc., Intel Corp., Adobe Systems Inc., Intuit Inc. and Walt Disney Co. unit Pixar Animation from agreeing not to solicit, recruit or compete for each other's talent. The companies did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, according to court documents. ...

While on the subject of Pixar, somebody tell me why this is written like it's news?

Pixar’s upcoming animated feature Brave is officially set to be directed by Brenda Chapman, who is also slated to pen the script. Chapman will act as the first woman to direct a Pixar feature. ...

(Brenda C. has been attached to the feature awhile, yes? Or is this just the "official" announcement?)

Techland interviews Guardians scribe John Orloff.

[John Orloff:] ... I really just think about writing a good story. I think everything else will take care of itself. I think we were hoping to write a movie to appeal to young and old – I know it sounds cheesy. I've been to a couple moves with my kids where I wanted to slit my throat after 10 minutes, but my kids enjoyed it. We wanted something everyone could enjoy. ...

Somehow this had floated right past me:

Meet the Muslim Super Heroes Who Are Ready to Indoctrinate American Kids

... on the Hub Network!

Forbes Magazine tells us about a Glendale Company:

Dreamworks Animation is down over 2% in afternoon trading on news that an analyst at Lazard Capital downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold ...

Across Flower Street and over in Burbank, the Mouse continues to sweep with a Big Broom:

Walt Disney Co. said Steve Wadsworth will step down as president of the company’s Interactive Media Group. ...

Wadsworth, a 17-year veteran, becomes the sixth Disney division head to leave his job this year. ... Disney’s interactive group lost $65 million last quarter ...

But as there are losses, there are also possible gains:

BOB HOSKINS has signed up to star in a sequel to his hit 1988 movie WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT - but he's sceptical over plans to make the follow-up film fully animated. ...

We'll end on an upnote: the new Superman trailer.

Have a blessed and joyous weekend.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

like i said in another post.. "slap on the wrist". Knew nothing would happen to these companies. Business as usual.

yeah, it's me! said...

bet a strike might get some kind of reaction....

rufus

Anonymous said...

(Brenda C. has been attached to the feature awhile, yes? Or is this just the "official" announcement?)

Um, yes. Regular people don't know this stuff, they haven't publicized the title until now, and now that TS3's gone and everyone's heard of RapTangled, got to keep the wheel turning.

Meet the Muslim Super Heroes Who Are Ready to Indoctrinate American Kids

"Educational superheroes" died with Captain Planet. That is all. :)

pappy d said...

re: Collusion

Thanks Steve, for following up my question so promptly. I wonder if TAG would have standing in a civil suit on behalf of the members.

It seems like this settlement leaves the burden of proving collusion by the companies named in the DOJ suit on the employees seeking damages. The Justice Dept. gets paid an undisclosed sum & the companies are free to continue the practice, since it was never established that they did anything wrong in the first place. They do agree not to make a NEW agreement to collude (though that would be unnecessary since Respondents have an understanding on that point. That's the very reason they're in court!).

Bizarre.

In effect, Justice colludes by not enforcing the antitrust laws providing they get paid off.

Steve Hulett said...

Good old corporatism at work.

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