Warner Music Sues Emeryville Based Music Search Engine Seeqpod

Warner Music Group is suing Emeryville, California-based SeeqPod. Other music search engines have been getting the same treatment from the major labels.

"SeeqPod searches for a particular type off content -- music--that SeeqPod knows is overwhelmingly copyrighted. The results that SeeqPod returns are links -- many of which SeeqPod itself solicits from is users -- to sites containing unauthorized and illegal copies of copyrighted music," according to the federal court lawsuit. (.pdf) "With simple clicks of a computer mouse, SeeqPod will play the work without authorization; will add it to a user's 'playlist' collection; will give the user the link where an unauthorized copy may be downloaded; and will embed the link on social-networking sites, like MySpace and Facebook, where the entire cycle of willful copyright infringement is repeated without end."

Via: Wired

LeapFrog to Cut 85 Jobs by April

LeapFrog (NYSE: LF) announced a net loss of $2.8 million, or a loss of 4 cents per share, on net sales of $144 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2007. That compares with a net loss of $49.7 million, or a net loss of 79 cents per share, on sales of $184.7 million for the third quarter of 2006.

This has lead LeapFrog to cut jobs, 20 already in January and 85 more by April. Too bad for a company that brings educational toys to our kids, lets hope they can get back on their feet.

Via: East Bay BusinessTimes

Trader Vic's in San Francisco Closes Doors, Emeryville Location Stays Open

The Trader Vic's location in San Francisco closed it's doors:

And over in the Civic Center, closed doors, at Trader Vic's (555 Golden Gate Ave., near Van Ness), presumably just for the holidays prompted concerned e-mails and phone calls.

Indeed, the mai tais will flow no more - the tiki restaurant with a long and storied background is no longer operating, and the answering machine says it's closed for good.

The San Francisco institution ran for many years in the space that currently houses Le Colonial. After closing 12 years ago, it opened in 2004 in its current location, the previous Stars. But it seems the reopened spot was never quite able to get on its feet.

Repeated phone calls and messages to Trader Vic's offices went unreturned, so it's anyone's guess as to what ultimately was the final straw. Two other Bay Area locations - one in Emeryville and the other in Palo Alto - remain open.

Luckily we still have our Trader Vic's, and their amazing Mai Tai's, in Emeryville.

via: http://tikitalk.astropad.com/archives/trader-vics-san-franciso-closes-for-good/