PMA 07 kicks off tomorrow; check out online PMA Show Daily, PMA Show Blog

DIMA 2007 and PSPA 2007 kicked off yesterday and run through today. DIMA 2007 is help at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev. PSPA 2007 is help at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel next to the Convention Center. PPFA 2007 starts today and runs through March 11 at the Las Vegas Conventon Center.

  PMA 07 will run March 8-11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. PSRO 2007 runs March 8-11 and SPAA 2007 runs March 8-9; both will be at the Convention Center.

PMA becomes official affiliate of ZOOM music licensing for photo slide shows and videos

The Wedding & Event Videographers Association International (WEVA), in conjunction with INgrooves and EMI Music Publishing, agreed to add  PMA as an official industry affiliate of ZOOM, the new music platform for licensing copyrighted music for use by digital imagers and videographers based in the United States and Canada.

  The new agreement gives PMA members in the United States and Canada the ability to license copyrighted music using a PMA group discount for uses such as the production of personal digital slide shows put to consumers' favorite music. Members may sign up now at www.ZoomLicense.com at no cost and receive the PMA discount for licensing music for their productions.

  Since the emergence of personal videos more than 20 years ago, there has not been an efficient and cost-effective way for digital imagers, including, school picture labs, wedding and portrait labs, wedding and event videographers, photo retailers and professional photographers, to legally license popular music used in their productions, leaving them and their clients exposed to potential copyright infringement. The ZOOM License for Videography and Digital Imaging utilizes the cutting-edge digital media software to make music clearance a streamlined and cost-effective process.

  "In becoming a ZOOM industry affiliate, PMA shows its support for the rights of music copyright holders and enables its members immediate access to the most simple and most affordable solution for licensing music in the United States and Canada," said WEVA International Chairman Roy Chapman.

  "Combining still images with music has become an increasingly popular service for PMA members to offer their customers," said Ted Fox, PMA executive director. "Many customers want to combine their personal photos with a favorite song which, up until now, would possibly infringe on copyright. ZOOM takes away the uncertainty with an easy and convenient way to license music for these projects. PMA is pleased to offer to its members this service at a substantial savings."

  INgrooves and EMI Music Publishing will be clearing songs along with various other music publishers and record labels.

  "There is no charge to create a ZOOM account, and doing so allows you to receive news about ZOOM, including the announcement of new clearances," said Robb McDaniels, CEO of INgrooves, the administrator of ZOOM.

  "Creating an account also allows you to purchase a music license 'bundle.' Using ZOOM's search engine you can confirm the songs you want for your production is available and register that particular use simply by checking a box," McDaniels explained. "You can also request songs for clearance. The ZOOM platform aggregates all the stored uses and makes payment to the publishers and labels. Music is being cleared on a continuous basis."

CompUSA announces realignment strategy, to close 126 stores

CompUSA , Dallas, Texas, announced a comprehensive strategy to improve the company's financial status. The proposed plan includes a cash infusion, store closures, major expense reductions and a corporate restructuring, the company said. As part of CompUSA's realignment strategy, the company will receive a $440 million cash capital infusion, but didn't name the source. The financial boost will be designated to improve the company's balance sheet.

  "Based on changing conditions in the consumer retail electronics market, the company identified the need to close and sell stores with low performance or non strategic, old store layouts and locations faced with market saturation. The process began last week with the closing of four CompUSA stores and over the next 60-90 days, the company will close a total of 126 stores in the United States to focus on initiatives that enhance its top performing locations," said Roman Ross, CEO, CompUSA. The four closed stores include Long Beach, Calif., Store # 175; San Mateo, Calif., Store #728; Mesquite, Texas, Store #127; and Skokie, Ill., Store #177.

  Earlier this week, the company named Gabriela Villalobos to executive vice president, sales and operations. Villalobos will be responsible for store, services, small business and e-commerce sales. On an interim basis, she will oversee merchandising and marketing.

Amplis Foto and Canon Canada enter partnership to grow specialty dealer channel

As part of a strategic re-orientation plan focused on accelerated Canadian market development, the Consumer Imaging Group of Canon Canada Inc. appointed Amplis Foto Inc., Markham, Ontario, Canada, as its new distribution partner for the photographic specialty dealer channel, effective March 1.

  "Amplis was selected as a value added partner based on a solid business foundation that supports effective sales and service. Their strengths include EDI, a history of strong relationships with retail partners, national sales representation and marketing tactics that focus on educating end users and driving traffic to retail stores," says Ian Macfarlane, vice president and general manager, Canon Canada Inc., Consumer Imaging Group. "We are working closely with Amplis Foto to ensure the transition from our current distributor will be as seamless as possible."

  Amplis Foto Inc., established in 1983, is a marketing and distribution company dedicated to serving the advanced amateur and professional photography markets as well as the motion picture/television industry. Amplis Foto has sales representation across Canada to support over 600 stocking dealers with exclusive distribution rights for over 30 product lines including Broncolor, Gitzo, Hahnemühle, Kata, Manfrotto, Photoflex, Tamrac, and Tamron.

Adobe to give away online version of Photoshop software

Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., will release a free online version of its popular Photoshop image-editing software within six months, the company said Thursday. The online product will be a stripped-down version of the application that has become an industry standard for graphics professionals and pro photographers, reports a CNNMoney.com article.

  The move is part of a larger effort by the company to bring key aspects of its software portfolio -- which includes audio, video, and graphics applications -- online to draw advertising dollars and lure users into buying software upgrades, says CNNMoney.com. Until now, Adobe's business has been based primarily on packaged software.

  The company currently offers four versions of its Photoshop software, from the high-end CS2 package targeted to creative professionals to the free Album Starter Edition for the casual photographer. The online offering will be more like the consumer products, according to Adobe.

  Last month, the company announced that it would enter a partnership with image- and video-hosting website Photobucket to give the site's 35 million users free access to Adobe's Web-based video editing tools, reports CNNMoney.com. The Photobucket features will become available to the site's users sometime in March.

myPhotopipe.com wins U.S. Department of Homeland Security contract

myPhotopipe.com Inc. , Atlanta, Ga., a Web-based provider of digital photo processing and related services, was awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The award calls for myPhotopipe.com to provide photographic printing and design support services to the DHS Office of Public Affairs. The Office of Public Affairs chronicles the agency's responders, documents incident response teams, travels with Secretary Michael Chertoff, and provides photographic prints to the agency's internal users as well as to the media and the general public.

  "This is a milestone event in our company's history, and a real credit to our focus on the professional segment of the fast-growing digital photo processing market," says L. Douglas Keeney, CEO, myPhotopipe.com Inc. "We are pleased to make this announcement, especially given the fact that we were competing against 12 other companies, including a number that were much larger than us. Homeland Security has told us that a significant factor in their decision to select myPhotopipe.com involved recommendations from our current customers."

In memoriam: Chris Swain

Chris Swain of  Swains International Plc died suddenly in a hospital in Thailand following a heart operation, reports PMA Newsline United Kingdom. Swain was born in 1945 and in 1964 began his career in color processing in the Channel Islands. In 1970 he joined the family business, which at that time consisted of a single outlet.

  In 1975, when his father Ernest retired, Chris Swains became managing director and decided to concentrate the business on the wholesaling operation. This operation began in the location adjacent to the Westgate shop in Hunstanton, United Kingdom, where Ernest had been trading since 1938. Following Ernest's death in 1985, Chris Swains added the title of chairman of the company to his responsibilities. He recently completed a management buyout of Swains by the three directors: Alan Comer, Danny Williams, and Roy Sealey, reports PMA Newsline United Kingdom.

People on the move

·    Samy's Camera, Los Angeles, Calif., recruited Valerie Maros, former international executive with Calumet Photographic, to head Samy's Camera. The appointment is effective March 7 and will be introduced at PMA 07 in Las Vegas, Nev., this week. Maros joins Samy's Camera from her position as vice president of the United States Operation and international director of Procurement for the United States and European Union for Calumet Photographic. Samy Kamienowicz founded Samy's Camera in 1976 with a vision for a full-service store, carrying an extensive array of photographic equipment and supplies with an experienced and friendly staff. His vision is exemplified at their main location on Fairfax Boulevard in Los Angeles, with four floors brimming with the latest selection of photographic equipment.

·    BJ's Wholesale Club Inc., Natick, Mass., elected Herb Zarkin president and chief executive officer of the company. Zarkin has served as interim CEO since November 22, 2006. He will remain as chairman of BJ's board of directors. Zarkin has been a director of the company since November 1996 and chairman of the board of directors since 1997. From 1993 to 1997, he served as president, chief executive officer, and director of Waban Inc., which operated BJ's Wholesale Club as well as HomeBase in Stafford, United Kingdom, another warehouse merchandising business.

·    Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., elected Judi Hess and John O'Grady as vice presidents of the company, effective immediately. O'Grady became director, U.S. and Canada Sales, and vice president, Digital and Film Imaging Systems in 2004. Previously, O'Grady served as general manager of the company's digital imaging business in the Americas Region. He joined Kodak in 1997 following a 12-year career at Verbatim, and has held key business development and regional management positions in Kodak's digital imaging businesses. He resides in Atlanta, Ga. Hess became general manager, Workflow and Prepress Equipment, and vice president, Graphic Communications Group in 2005 following Kodak's acquisition of Creo. Prior to the Kodak acquisition, Hess served as president of Creo from 2002 to 2005 and as corporate vice president of Printing Workflow Solutions from 2000 to 2002. She originally joined Creo in 1995 as program manager for Workflow Products. From 1981 to 1995, Hess worked with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates, a high-technology commercial and defense contractor in Canada. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

·    Lucidiom Inc., Vienna, Va., named Rachel Van Tassel vice president of Marketing to oversee the company's global promotions efforts. Van Tassel started with Lucidiom at the company's inception in 2001 on its design team, helping build the intuitive user interface for its photo kiosks. During her career at Lucidiom, she has been responsible for developing the graphics for the Automated Photo Machine (APM) kiosk user interface and the company's marketing materials and promotions. Most recently Van Tassel was Lucidiom's project manager.

·    Wholesale distributor DBL Distributing Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., appointed Raymond T. Di Filippo vice president of Key Accounts. Di Filippo will be responsible for leading the development and growth of new and existing key accounts within DBL's rapidly growing fulfillment services/e-commerce customer segment. He has 25 years of experience delivering strategic sales, promotional and merchandising programs and most recently from Gibson Audio (division of the Gibson Guitar Corp.), where he held the position of vice president Sales and Channel Development.

Industry notes

·    PMA magazine publisher Gary Pageau recently spoke with Bob Ohlweiler, marketing director, inkjet products, at Eastman Kodak Co. at the launch of Kodak's new desktop all-in-one printers. In today's addition to the DIMAcast podcast library, Ohlweiler talks technology and market positioning at the launch of Kodak's inkjet printing business.

·    Collages.net,   Langhorne, Pa., collaborated with  Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS), Evergreen, Colo., a non-profit infant bereavement photography organization that offers professional photography services to families grieving over the loss of their newborn or young child. This partnership provides NILMDTS photographers with a free Collages.net account. With this partnership, Collages.net aspires to help NILMDTS by creating awareness about healing through memories. To tastefully display the images, Collages.net, working with Puc', Littleton, Colo., designed a special template website for NILMDTS photographers. The password-protected websites, that remain live indefinitely unless deactivated by the photographer, offer families an online slide show of their images and the ability to purchase professional photographs. Proceeds from all print sales go directly to the NILMDTS charitable organization.

·    Fujifilm U.S.A. Inc., Valhalla, N.Y., and Verizon Wireless, Basking Ridge, N.J., announced Verizon Wireless joined the Fujifilm Get the Picture Online Service Network, one of the largest online retail print service networks. Through this relationship, Verizon Wireless customers can now print digital cameraphone and digital camera pictures directly from Verizon Wireless' picture sharing online site, Pix Place, to any participating retail photofinisher. The Get the Picture Online Service Network contains more than 10,000 retail locations for cameraphone and digital camera photo printing, including Walgreens, Longs Drugs, and Ritz Camera.

·    DBL Distributing Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., signed a new distribution agreement with Hitachi to offer Hitachi's line of DVD camcorders. DBL will carry Hitachi's DZHS300A hybrid DVD/HDD camcorder which lets users capture hours of movies directly to a built-in hard drive without changing discs or tapes or running out of space.

·    On March 1, Lenovo voluntarily recalled certain 208,000 9-cell lithium-ion batteries. These batteries were manufactured for use with ThinkPad notebook computers that shipped worldwide between November 2005 and February 2007. These models may have shipped with either 6-cell or 9-cell batteries; only the 9-cell batteries with the part number FRU P/N 92P1131 are being recalled. There are alist of battery recall FAQs online. Until a replacement for a recalled battery arrives, if consumers intend to transport their ThinkPad notebook PC or use it in a manner that may subject it to a strong external impact, they should turn off the system, remove the battery, and only power the ThinkPad by plugging in the AC adapter and power cord

For global industry news, visit Newsline International on the Web

  Brand loyalty amongst digital camera buyers divided, says photo site survey (March 6)

  Jessops shares crash on slump in digital camera sales (March 6)

  Marriott plans high-def TVs with "digital connectivity panels" (March 5)

  Wall Street Journal's Cranky Consumer tests transfer services (March 2)

  German photo/imaging market sees 5.7 percent digital camera growth (March 2)

  U.K. retailer Tesco's $2 billion U.S. invasion may hit Colorado (March 2)

  CeWe Color invests in growth, restructuring; expects earnings increases in 2008 (March 1)

  Consumers see all-in-one products as inferior, according to study (Feb. 28)

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