Exhibit 99.1
[LETTERHEAD OF MACROVISION]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Macrovision Acquires GLOBEtrotter's European Distribution Operation
SUNNYVALE, CA (October 5, 2000) -- Macrovision Corporation (Nasdaq: MVSN), a
leading developer and supplier of electronic licensing, rights management, and
copy protection technologies for the business software, consumer multimedia
software, home video, digital pay-per-view, cable, and satellite markets,
announced today that it has acquired the assets of Manchester (UK)-based
Productivity through Software plc (PtS) which are applicable to PtS' license
management business. PtS has served as the exclusive European distributor for
Macrovision's GLOBEtrotter Software division since the early 1990s. PtS plc will
continue to operate its other businesses outside of license management,
including its e-business, application testing, Java-based development and
security, and other activities.
As part of the transaction, Macrovision's GLOBEtrotter division will form a
European sales and support group near Manchester which will consist of 18 PtS
employees who currently sell, service, and support GLOBEtrotter products in the
United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Toby Gawin, heretofore Macrovision's Vice
President, Software Sales and Marketing for Europe, will relocate from London to
Manchester and becomes Managing Director, GLOBEtrotter Europe.
"We're excited to begin this new chapter in GLOBEtrotter's European business and
look forward to setting up a GLOBEtrotter-direct organization as we continue to
expand our business," commented Mark Belinsky, Senior Vice President and General
Manager of GLOBEtrotter. "The PtS team which will form `GLOBEtrotter Europe' is
an outstanding group of people with extensive knowledge of the GLOBEtrotter
product line and well established customer relationships."
About Macrovision
Macrovision has three divisions which are responsible for developing and
marketing its various proprietary electronic management, rights management, and
copy protection technologies.
o The GLOBEtrotter division provides ELM (electronic license management)
solutions to independent software vendors (ISVs), and software asset
management tools for business applications. These products, led by
FLEXlm(R), are in use by over 2,000 ISV customers throughout the world.
o Macrovision's Computer Software Copy Protection division produces copy
protection and rights management technologies for consumer and
entertainment software publishers.
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MACROVISION ACQUIRES GLOBETROTTER'S EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTION OPERATION -PAGE 2
Its flagship product - SafeDisc(R) CD-ROM copy protection - has been
licensed to over 100 mastering and replicator facilities worldwide and is
used by many major interactive software publishers including Microsoft,
Electronic Arts, and Eidos. Over 50 million CD-ROMs have been copy
protected with SafeDisc since market introduction in the fourth quarter of
1998.
o The Video Copy Protection division provides technologies that are used by
motion picture studios, cable and satellite TV operators, consumer
electronics companies, and personal computer manufacturers to prevent the
unauthorized duplication, reception or use of copyrighted video materials.
Macrovision has its corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, with
European headquarters in London and Asia-pacific headquarters in Tokyo.
Note to Editors: Additional background information on Macrovision Corporation
and its products can be obtained from our Web Site at www.macrovision.com. For
more information on GLOBEtrotter and its products, see www.globetrotter.com.
All statements contained herein, including the quotations attributed to Mr.
Belinsky, as well as oral statements that may be made by the Company or by
officers, directors or employees of the Company acting on the Company's behalf,
that are not statements of historical fact, including statements that use the
words "believes," "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "intends" or "look
forward" or similar words that describe the Company's or its management's future
plans, objectives, or goals, are "forward-looking statements" and are made
pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements
regarding the financial effects of the acquisition of assets from PtS, the
business strategies and product plans of the Company, the advantages of the
acquisition for the Company, the features and benefits of the products of the
Company, and the reorganization efforts to be undertaken by the Company.
Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be
materially different from the historical results and/or from any future results
or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Among the
important factors that could cause results to differ materially are the
following: the ability of the Company to integrate the operations and
administration of the acquired business effectively and efficiently; the ability
of the Company to achieve operational and other business synergies; the risks
associated with the integration of geographically dispersed operations; the
effect of the acquisition on customers and other business partners of the
Company and the acquired business; and the costs associated with integration.
Other factors include those outlined in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
for 1999, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and such other documents as are
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These
factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. The Company
operates in a continually changing business environment and new factors emerge
from time to time. The Company cannot predict such factors, nor can it assess
the impact, if any, of such factors on the Company or its results. Accordingly,
forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual
results. The Company is not obligated to revise or
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MACROVISION ACQUIRES GLOBETROTTER'S EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTION OPERATION - PAGE 3
update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or
circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
# # #
Editorial Contact:
Mark Belinsky
Globetrotter Software, Inc.
+1 (408) 445 8100 x104
[email protected]
