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NTT DoCoMo to Test Mobile Media Distribution Service

R&D
TOKYO, JAPAN, September 30,1999 --- NTT Mobile Communications Network, Inc. (NTT DoCoMo) will soon begin testing its new Mobile Media Distribution (MMD) Service for distributing musical content. The service will be tested on NTT's PHS 64kbps data communications network.

To this end, NTT DoCoMo recently concluded agreements with:

  1. Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd.,(President: Takashi Kawada, Headquarters: Yokohama) which will form a joint venture with NTT DoCoMo to conduct field trials of the MMD Service.

  2. Sony Corporation. (President: Nobuyuki Idei, Headquarters: Tokyo), which will jointly test the MMD service.

  3. IBM Corporataion. (Chairman & CEO: Louis V Gerstner, Jr. Headquarters: New York), which will jointly test the MMD service.


The MMD Service allows users to gain access to songs, concert schedules and other music-related information anywhere and at any time by downloading them from record companies, music publishing houses and other content holders. The content holders can also use the service for marketing and promotional purposes. The test will start from April, 2000.

NTT DoCoMo will also study the possibility of further extending the MMD Service to W-CDMA that is scheduled to be commissioned in Spring 2001.

In advance of the testing, NTT DoCoMo and record companies have set up the MMD Service Workshop to discuss various methods for using cellular and PHS phones to expand and revitalize the music market in this October.

For details, please see attachments

[Attachment 1]

Outline of Field Test


  1. Purpose

    To verify the possibility of expanding and reinvigorating the music market through an MMD Service on the PHS 64kbps data communications network and copyright protection technology.

  2. Description of test
    System reliability and promotional marketing effects will be verified by downloading musical information, including songs, supplied by content holders to recording media possessed by PHS users through MMD Service platforms.

  3. System outline



    		4.  Matsushita Communication
    Industrial Co., Ltd    		 Sony Corp.
    IBM Corp
    Music distribution system EMDLB system*1 EMMS*2
    ("OpenMG"as copyright protection technology)
    Communication terminal SD Memory compatible
    PHS 64K terminal    		 "Memory Stick?" compatible or ready
    PHS 64K terminal
    Recording Media SD Memory Card "MagicGate Memory Stick"
    ("MG Memory Stick?")
    Audio Player SD Memory Card compatible
    Portable Player terminal    		 "Memory Stick TMWalkman R"


    *-PEMDLB system: Music distribution system which Matsushita and UMG, BMG, and AT&T are jointly developing and promoting in the US.
    *-QEMMS: Music distribution system which IBM has developed.






[Attachment 2]

Business Tie-up with Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd.


  1. Purpose:

    To provide content holders and customers with a safe, high-quality music distribution system and terminals/recording media by building and operating MMD Service platforms from April, 2000. This will be done with the cooperation of Matsushita Communication Industrial Co. and NTT DoCoMo.

  2. Areas covered by Matsushita Communication Industrial Co.

    (1) Planning, development, renting, building, operation and maintenance of EMDLB based backyard system of music distribution.
    (2) Development of SD memory card-compatible PHS 64kbps terminals
    (3) Development of SD memory card-compatible portable audio terminals

  3. Areas covered by NTT DoCoMo

    (1) Building and provision of MMD Service networks
    (2) Inviting content holders to participate in field tests


  4. Others

    The date of incorporation, name, capital, etc. of the proposed joint venture company are now under consideration.
[Attachment 3]

Cooperative Agreement with Sony and IBM


  1. Purpose

    To provide content holders and customers with a safe, high-quality music distribution system and terminals/recording media by building and operating MMD Service platforms on PHS 64K data communications system from April, 2000. This will be done through the cooperation of Sony, IBM and NTT DoCoMo.

  2. Areas covered by Sony

    (1) Provision of technologies including compression technology (ATRAC3 *3)
      and copyright protection technologies ("OpenMG" *4 "MagicGate" *5)
     Provision of "Memory Stick Walkman"

    (2) Provision of memory stick-based Walkman

    *3 ATRAC3: This sound compression technology can achieve roughly twice the data reduction rate of the ATRAC sound compression used for the Mini Disc.

    *4 OpenMG: Copyright protection technology that securely manages the music data from EMD and receiving terminals . This copyright protection complies with the "MagicGate", andallow digital music content to record to compliant devices and media.

    *5 MagicGate: Copyright protection technology for "MG Memory Stick" and compliant products. Authentication technology ensures that protected content is only transferred between compliant devices and media, and protected content is recorded and transferred in an encrypted format to prevent unauthorized copying or playback.
  3. Areas covered by IBM

    (1) Building, operation and maintenance of EMMS-based music distribution platform.

  4. Areas covered by NTT DoCoMo

    (1) Building and provision of MMD Service network
    (2) Inviting content holders to participate in field tests


[Attachment 4]

MMD Service Workshop
  1. Purpose

    To provide record companies and NTT DoCoMo with a forum to discuss various ways in which mobile communication devices, whose penetration rate currently exceeds 40% of the domestic market, can be used to expand and revitalize public demand for music.

  2. Items to be studied

    (1) Planning of new music services to stimulate new demand for music.
    (2) Development of technology and systems for realizing a safe and reliable MMD Service
    (3) Possible methods for providing freely accessible platforms
    (4) Marketing policies for MMD Service
    (5) Billing methods

  3. Date of inauguration

    (1) Frequency: Once a month
    (2) Charge: Free

  4. Companies to be invited to Workshop
    19 companies

  5. Others
    Companies will decide on trial participants based on discussions at the Workshop.
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