**UROCKET/SUPERTRACK/EPAC NEWS**
Preview Systems Enables Supertracks and Urocket Inc. to Offer Digital Downloads of 25 Full-Length Albums and Singles From Well-Known EMI Artists
CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2000--Preview Systems (NASDAQ:PRVW) today announced that its Digital Distribution of Music (DDM) technology is enabling Supertracks to provide $20 pre-paid Internet Music Cards(TM) (IMCs) that consumers can redeem at Urocket's Web site (www.urocket.com) for music downloads from well-known EMI artists.
The first stage of the IMC promotion targets select NEC PC users. This promotion marks one of the first times that a significant amount of content from major label artists is available for secure digital download.
Through the IMC promotion, currently, music from the following artists(1) (in alphabetical order) is available on the Urocket Web site: Blur, Cracker, dc Talk, Enigma, Ben Harper, Janet, Lenny Kravitz, Spice Girls and Tina Turner. The music downloads are being offered in their original format - consumers can choose from whole albums and commercially released singles.
Last Fall, EMI Recorded Music selected Preview Systems as its preferred technology provider for digital music distribution and has worked closely with Preview Systems, Supertracks and Urocket to ensure that the complete e-commerce system is secure, reliable and offers high audio quality and an easy purchase process for consumers.
"We believe the availability of premium content from well-known artists is indicative of the commercial importance that EMI gives to new secure digital distribution channels," said Vincent Pluvinage, CEO of Preview Systems. "It's also a strong endorsement of the flexibility and interoperability of our music solution, which incorporates Intel's Software Integrity System(TM) and Lucent's ePAC music codec. Using a tamper-resistant `plug-in,' the downloaded music can be played back securely on AOL's WinAmp player."
"Our relationships with Preview Systems, EMI and Urocket underscore how our digital distribution model addresses the needs of consumers, artists, record labels and retailers," added Charles Jennings, CEO of Supertracks. "We are especially excited about this first use of the Internet Music Card, which provides a strong branding tool for Urocket while making it even easier for consumers to purchase and download music online."
Said Rudy Burger, President and CEO of Urocket, "Urocket's mission is to deliver high quality Internet music content and services into the living room. We are happy to be working with EMI, and with Preview Systems and Supertracks as our technology and service providers for the secure electronic delivery of music."
About Preview Systems
Preview Systems' technology solutions enable global e-commerce networks for electronically distributing and licensing digital goods. Its systems provide an Internet-based infrastructure to connect publishers of software, music and other digital products, simultaneously to any of their distribution channels. Distribution rights, branding, licensing transactions and reports, worldwide electronic fulfillment to end-users and control of their usage rights are securely managed in real-time. Preview Systems is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol PRVW.
About EMI Recorded Music
EMI Recorded Music is an international music company with operations in more than 50 countries. EMI Recorded Music includes important local and international artists, including some of the biggest names in the recorded music industry. EMI has artists in every leading music genre, including pop, rock, jazz, classical, urban, dance, Christian and country. The world famous labels include Angel, Capitol, Blue Note, EMI, Priority and Virgin. Its current roster includes approximately 1,500 artists who typically release more than 1,200 albums each year; last year EMI had 27 releases that sold in excess of one million units. EMI Music Publishing is the world's largest music publisher.
About Supertracks
Supertracks develops and operates end-to-end solutions for digital distribution of music (DDM). The company's key focus is maximizing Internet distribution elements, including complete e-commerce solutions and promotions, to support record labels and retailers. Supertracks is committed to helping ensure a completely satisfying experience for the consumer. Supertracks utilizes best-of breed technologies to answer the needs of both retailers and labels with flexible architectures, digital rights management and high levels of security.
About Urocket Inc.
Urocket Inc. is based in Mountain View, Calif. and was founded to develop and market products and services that will bring premium Internet music to the home. Distributing secure digital downloads of current music over the Internet using a convenient, secure method for payment via the Internet Music Card(TM), is the first step in this strategy. Urocket is planning several key additional innovations to be announced in the year 2000.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The statements contained in this release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, including statements regarding Preview's expectations, beliefs, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future and in particular, growth of the digital music marketplace and consumer downloads of content through our solution and this promotion. These forward-looking statements concern, among other things, the extent to which participants in the promotion make purchases using our solution, as well as the technical benefits the parties expect to achieve with our solution. Those results are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including: the growth and acceptance of electronic distribution of music, the number of additional well-known artists and premium content available for digital download, technical challenges specific to the customers' implementation of our solution and the ability of the solution to achieve desired security and other expected business benefits. Actual results may differ materially due to these and other factors. The matters discussed in this news release also involve risks and uncertainties described from time to time in Preview's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see the Risk Factors described in Preview's final Prospectus dated December 7, 1999 for its initial public offering and our news releases. Preview assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this news release.
(1) Editor's Note: The following is a list of all the music (alphabetical by artist) available for download from the Urocket Web site:
-- Blur: Blur, 13, M.O.R. (Single)
-- Cracker: Gentlemen's Blues, Golden Age, Kerosene Hat, Low (Single)
-- dc Talk: Jesus Freak, Supernatural, Just Between You and Me (Single)
-- Enigma: MCMXC, A.D, Cross of Change, Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi
-- Ben Harper: Fight for Your Mind, Welcome to the Cruel World, The Will to Live
-- Janet: janet., Velvet Rope, That's the Way Love Goes (Single), I Get Lonely (Single), Together Again (Single)
-- Lenny Kravitz: Let Love Rule, Mama Said, Are You Gonna Go My Way, Circus, 5, It Ain't Over Til It's Over (Single), Always On the Run (Single), Rock and Roll is Dead (Single)
-- Spice Girls: Spice, Spiceworld, Wannabe (Single), Say You'll Be There (Single), 2 Become 1 (Single), Spice Up Your Life (Single), Stop (Single), Too Much (Single)
-- Tina Turner: Wildest Dreams, What's Love Got To Do With It, Missing You (Single)
CONTACT:
Preview Systems Inc.
Mel Salvador, 408/517-3235
mels@previewsystems.com
or
mPRm Public Relations
for Preview Systems
323/933-3399
Paul Breton
pbreton@mprm.com |
