Press Releases

NEW YORK, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Island Def Jam Music Group has partnered with TuneCore to launch IDJ First Look [http://www.idjfirstlook.com/] today, a new web portal that provides unsigned artists with potential access to such coveted major label services as worldwide distribution and marketing.

Through this new partnership, unsigned artists using Island Def Jam Firstlook will not only be able to get their music distributed to such leading retailers as the iTunes Store, Amazon MP3 and eMusic, among many others, but may have the chance to gain the attention of Island Def Jam's hit-making creative staff for possible upstreaming and/or marketing and promotional opportunities.

"We are delighted to team up with TuneCore, a company that shares our commitment to unsigned artists and to creating even more value for music on the Web," stated Christian Jorg, Senior Vice President of New Media & Commerce for Island Def Jam. "As the music industry continues to transition, we believe it's crucial to offer independent musicians real opportunities to be heard and possibly discovered."

"Island/Def Jam is one of the most successful and recognizable record labels on the planet. I am really excited to provide any artist that wants it unique access to reach the people within Island/DefJam with a new model; the artist, gets distribution and an association and potential larger relationship with IDJ," stated Jeff Price, CEO and Founder of TuneCore.

About ISLAND DEF JAM

The Island Def Jam Music Group is home to a multi-cultural and diverse family of artists and has fast become one of the most successful labels in the industry. It is comprised of Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, and is in partnerships with Disturbing Tha Peace and Slip N Slide. The roster boasts an array of talented artists including Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Fall Out Boy, The Killers, The-Dream, Fabolous, Melissa Etheridge, LL Cool J, NAS, Chrisette Michele, Bon Jovi, Ludacris, Lionel Richie, Rihanna, Hoobastank, Jeremih, Sum 41, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and Ne-Yo.

About TuneCore

TuneCore is a low, flat fee service that distributes music to iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody and many other major download and streaming sites while taking no rights and no revenue from the sale of the music. Artists are building careers, selling significant volumes of music and generating revenue through TuneCore. Since its launch in 2006, TuneCore has distributed tens of thousands of albums and millions of songs to iTunes and other digital stores by Grammy winners and unsigned artists alike. TuneCore artists include Drake, Beck, Jay-Z, Aretha Franklin, Keith Richards, Public Enemy, Nine Inch Nails, Ricky Skaggs, Paul Westerberg, MGM Studios, Warren G, Bjork, Moby, High School Musical cast members, Ali Lohan, Cirque Du Soleil, Starbucks and tens of thousands more. More music is released in one day via TuneCore than any major record label over a year and the site recently expanded its offerings to distribute full-length films, TV shows, concert films, and documentaries to iTunes.

www.tunecore.com

For more information on TuneCore, please contact Nick Loss-Eaton [nlosseaton@shorefire.com], Miya Hannan [mhannan@shorefire.com] or Matt Hanks [mhanks@shorefire.com] at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171. For more info on Universal Music Group, please contact Maria Ho-Burge [maria.ho-burge@umusic.com], 212.331.2569.

SOURCE Universal Music Group

RESTON, Va., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Archerfish Solo(TM) by Cernium has been named an International CES 2010 Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honoree. The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. Archerfish Solo will premiere at CES in the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall One, in Booth # 21934.

Archerfish Solo, the first Thinking Camera(TM) for consumers, delivers advanced homeland security technology in a single, compact, wireless device that combines both a video camera and a recorder. Unlike motion detection-based video monitoring systems, Archerfish Solo analyzes video content in real time and is able to distinguish people and cars from other objects, providing homeowners and business owners just the information they need, where and when they need it. Archerfish Solo builds on the capabilities of Archerfish Quattro(TM) Interactive Video Monitoring and Recording System, a 2009 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honoree.

A complete, do-it-yourself solution, Archerfish Solo is operational out of the box without additional PC requirements and works even when the user's PC is turned off. Other features unique to the product include an intelligent video filter that automatically filters out video that is not of interest and reduces false alerts caused by random motion; a video search engine that pinpoints specific video event clips based on date, time, device and location; and multi-format instant video notifications to any user's email address or mobile device.

To learn more about Archerfish Solo, visit www.myarcherfishsolo.com.

About Cernium

Cernium Corporation develops innovative, high-value products that employ video to deliver useful and timely information for better security, communications and lifestyle management. Cernium has brought advanced video analytics technology to scores of facilities worldwide; customers represent markets from residential and small-medium business consumers to Fortune 100 manufacturers, government, healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, entertainment and major cultural institutions. Cernium's product portfolio includes Archerfish(®), the first interactive video monitoring and recording solution for consumers; Perceptrak(®), video surveillance software for medium-large enterprise; and ExitSentry(®), passenger flow monitoring for airport checkpoints and exit lanes. For more information, visit www.cernium.com.

For more information on Archerfish, visit:

www.myarcherfishsolo.com

www.myarcherfish.com

http://twitter.com/MyArcherfish

SOURCE Cernium Corporation

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The promise of the digital revolution in the music industry takes another step forward with the creation today of Interscope Digital Distribution (IDD), by Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records. Through http://www.interscopedigitaldistribution.com/, IDD will work in conjunction with TuneCore to distribute new and independent artists' original music for sale on such leading retailers as the iTunes Store, Rhapsody, Amazon MP3, Shockhound, eMusic, and Napster, among many others worldwide.

IDD adds a fresh twist to the digital distribution model for independent music by offering unsigned artists a unique opportunity to reach the ears of A&R executives all while providing them complete freedom of choice. Interscope/Geffen/A&M's top A&R staff will closely monitor the IDD service as a way to discover great talent. By signing on for distribution specifically through IDD, artists will have the chance to gain their attention. A number of artists may then be selected for development deals.

IDD is digital DIY done right - giving music artists a platform for self-expression, allowing them to retain all of the profits from their efforts, and presenting an opportunity for them to access the resources of a major record company.

About TuneCore

TuneCore is a low, flat fee service that distributes music to iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody and many other major download and streaming sites while taking no rights and no revenue from the sale of the music. Artists are building careers, selling significant volumes of music and generating revenue through TuneCore. Since its launch in 2006, TuneCore has distributed tens of thousands of albums and millions of songs to iTunes and other digital stores by Grammy winners and unsigned artists alike. TuneCore artists include Drake, Beck, Jay-Z, Aretha Franklin, Keith Richards, Public Enemy, Nine Inch Nails, Ricky Skaggs, Paul Westerberg, MGM Studios, Warren G, Bjork, Moby, High School Musical cast members, Ali Lohan, Cirque Du Soleil, Starbucks and tens of thousands more. More music is released in one day via TuneCore than any major record label over a year and the site recently expanded its offerings to distribute full-length films, TV shows, concert films, and documentaries to iTunes.

www.tunecore.com

For more information on TuneCore, please contact Nick Loss-Eaton [nlosseaton@shorefire.com], Miya Hannan [mhannan@shorefire.com] or Matt Hanks [mhanks@shorefire.com] at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171. For more info on Universal Music Group, please contact Maria Ho-Burge [maria.ho-burge@umusic.com], 212.331.2569.

SOURCE Universal Music Group

NEW YORK, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Many transfer pricing systems are coming under unprecedented stress as companies and revenue authorities around the world reassess their economic expectations in the current environment and plan for a global recovery, a new report from KPMG's Global Transfer Pricing Services group concludes.

Tax authorities -- under pressure to provide revenue to their governments -- are demanding additional documentation from formerly profitable companies that are now incurring losses and, therefore, paying less tax, KPMG partners and professionals indicate in the report, "Planning for the Recovery - Examining Transfer Pricing in the Current Environment and Beyond."

"The economic events of 2008 and 2009 have dramatically tested the entire transfer pricing system--a system that has been developed over a period of increasing globalization and prosperity," said Steven Fortier, global leader of KPMG's Global Transfer Pricing Services group and principal with KPMG LLP, the U.S.-based audit, tax and advisory firm.

"Multinational companies now need to adjust rapidly to new, much more difficult conditions and take a careful look at guidance from tax authorities, as well as their own current practices, in order to redraw transfer pricing policies in the new and different economic environment," he added.

Further, Fortier said that to meet increasingly stringent tax authority requirements, corporate taxpayers will need to find new ways to demonstrate that prices charged for inter-group transactions are appropriate.

The report, which addresses some of the critical transfer pricing issues that companies and their tax departments will continue to face in the coming years, is based on research and insights from leading KPMG transfer pricing professionals around the world.

Benchmarks Difficult to Find

According to the KPMG research report, a key challenge during the transfer pricing audit process has been the lack of comparable transactions to act as benchmarks for intra-group commerce, as economic activity around the world has slowed.

"The problem has been felt acutely in the area of third-party benchmarks," said Fortier. "For example, there is a lag in the availability of publicly available financial data, meaning that the full impact of the recession on company profitability is difficult to assess contemporaneously," he explained. "Furthermore, certain companies that may have been used historically as benchmarks may have been acquired or gone bankrupt during the recession, which would reduce the pool of benchmarks and potentially lead to 'survivor bias' in the financial results."

APAs Under Pressure

Advanced pricing agreements (APAs), often considered clear solutions to transfer pricing issues, have also come under strain, the report concluded. APAs are binding contractual agreements, the terms of which are fixed while the agreement is in force. This means that companies wanting to change agreements because of market changes, falling prices, or revenue losses, may find it difficult to adjust or terminate APAs that no longer match business realities.

"Taxpayers should expect an aggressive approach to their transfer pricing if they do not comply with an executed APA," Fortier said. "That said, understanding the relevant tax authority's views on APAs is important for companies in, or expecting to enter, an APA in the current environment."

The full report, prepared to meet the needs of tax and corporate finance executives, is available at: http://www.kpmg.com/Global/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesAndPublications/Pages/Planning-for-the-recovery.aspx.

Articles in the report deal with such issues as: the implications of the economic downtown and recovery for common inter-company structures, the defense of transfer pricing arrangements in the recession, and the ability of taxpayers to mitigate issues with existing advance pricing arrangements.

About KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.us.kpmg.com), is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International. KPMG International's member firms have 137,000 professionals, including more than 7,600 partners, in 144 countries.

    Contact:
    Robert Nihen/Ichiro Kawasaki
    KPMG LLP
    201-307-8296/8640

SOURCE KPMG LLP

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute announces a GREENGUARD Program Technical Partnership with leading international testing and certification company TUV Rheinland LGA

ATLANTA, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) has teamed up with Germany-based TUV Rheinland LGA as a technical partner to provide product testing and manufacturers' evaluations for GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification in Europe. This partnership helps GEI to better serve European and globally operating customers and further establish GREENGUARD Certification in European markets. TUV Rheinland LGA will offer product evaluation and manufacturing reviews as required by GREENGUARD Certification, while management, administration and monitoring of the GREENGUARD Certification Program(SM) will remain with GEI.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090401/DC92292LOGO-b)

"We are thrilled to partner with such an esteemed and quality-driven organization as TUV Rheinland LGA," said Henning Bloech, GEI's Executive Director. "GREENGUARD Certification is based on the highest data quality and analysis requiring chemical evaluations at extremely low levels. Very few laboratories worldwide are able to meet our standards. With Air Quality Sciences and now TUV Rheinland LGA as GREENGUARD Program Technical Partners, we are fortunate to work with two of the leading organizations in this field."

LGA participates in third-party proficiency and round-robin testing with Air Quality Sciences, GEI's long standing technical partner, to ensure comparable test results, data quality and analysis. In addition to demonstrated proficiency, GEI requires established quality programs such as ISO 17025 from its certification partners as well as established technical and scientific expertise. This high level of accuracy and repeatability is important in assessing product emissions for their human health impact.

"GREENGUARD Certification is becoming increasingly important in the markets we operate," commented Michael Jungnitsch, Managing Director for TUV Rheinland LGA. "Becoming a GREENGUARD Program Technical Partner is a testament to the high quality standards under which TUV Rheinland LGA operates. We are excited to work with GEI and help our customers create value through GREENGUARD Certification."

About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)

Founded in 2001, GEI is a third-party organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program(SM). The Institute's mission is to improve human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air. GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified(R) products must meet stringent standards for low chemical emissions based on established health criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by a number of "green" building programs, including the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED(R) program. For more information and a complete listing of certified products, visit www.greenguard.org.

About TUV Rheinland LGA

TUV Rheinland LGA is a group of companies providing testing and other services, based in Nuremberg, Germany. Their parent company is TUV Rheinland, headquartered in Cologne, Germany with over 12,000 employees in 62 countries and annual revenues of euro 1.1 billion (~$1.6 billion). TUV Rheinland LGA and the companies in its group work independently and impartially for all sectors of business, as well as for private and public clients. The services mainly involve testing and examination, consultancy, certification and training. The TUV Rheinland LGA group practices continuous quality assurance for greater customer satisfaction; this is documented by a certified management system.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

Henning Bloech

https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=91890

SOURCE GREENGUARD Environmental Institute