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DAILY NEWS
Sep 10, 2007 2:32 PM
Insatiable Demand at Noank Media
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A Toronto-based online file sharing company is acquiring film and TV content to compliment its existing library of music and documents, in advance of its launch in Chinas.
Noank Media, the Harvard University spin-off offering technology and licenses to monetize and legalize online file-sharing, says it is adding to its cache of content as it further expands and refines its digital licensing and distribution enterprise in preparation for its launch in China.
âEveryoneâs welcome as we augment our catalog with video content for our China launch this fall. We continue to add media -- with our current focus on film,â said Paul Hoffert, CEO and co-founder of Noank. âNoank has an exclusive partnership with a major Chinese ISP to provide a new distribution channel for video and film.
We help rightsholders publish and monetize their catalogs and, given the insatiable demand for media in China, we expect excellent business growth.â
Noank Media Inc. was founded by Harvard Law Faculty members William Terry Fisher and Paul Hoffert. Fisher (Chair) is Director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, where Wikipedia, podcasts and Creative Commons were nurtured.
Hoffert (CEO) is a founder of the Canadian Independent Record Production Association and former President of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.
The launch of Chinese operations this fall marks the end of the start-up phase for the global online media distribution firm. Since late 2006, the company has been building relationships and market potential in China. With the imminent Beta operations commencing October 28, Noankâs Asia-Pacific subsidiary Feilio and its partner CERNET (China Education and Research Network) will eventually deliver access to more than 24 million Chinese students and faculty members at
2,500 universities.
âOur Chinese launch reflects the model we plan to use in Brazil, India and North America: a deep and diverse content catalog distributed through a compelling localized interface to consumers who are eager to get better performance and cleaner files than they get through illegal file sharing. Our economies of scale and direct wholesale distribution to consumers ensure low consumer cost and high
returns to rightsholders,â Hoffert continued.
Noank Media Inc. provides non-compulsory blanket licenses that monetize and legalize online file-sharing.
The Noank business model generates much higher
revenues than current online services, and the company shares advertising revenues as well as content fees with content suppliers. Noank supports all media types â" film, music, video, still images and documents â" for entertainment and education.
