Mammoth Blog

CellphoneAccents.com, an online retailer of cell phone accessories, has chosen the performance marketing agency AffiliateTraction to represent, manage, and promote their affiliate program. They have launched the affiliate campaign in hopes of increasing online sales and creating a greater online presence.

CellphoneAccents.com offers thousands of cell phone accessories that address both form and function, including: faceplates, designer pouches, flashing batteries, customization kits, cases, chargers, and headsets. All products come with an unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee and a full 1-year manufacturer's warranty, as well as free shipping.

CellphoneAccents.com's Eugene Ku is enthusiastic about the new affiliate program: "CellphoneAccets.com has great products and service. We need to further establish ourselves online, and feel affiliate marketing is the best way to do so. Because of the free exposure and impressions we will receive, it makes the most sense in this struggling economy. I'm confident AffiliateTraction's valuable industry expertise and knowledge will ensure our affiliate program is successful."

Affiliate marketing programs allow for merchants to pay for advertising only after a sale is made, ensuring a measurable ROI. Instead of paying for all impressions or clicks, the merchant only has to pay for those converting to a sale. This results in free exposure and branding. An affiliate places a banner advertisement on their blog or website, and is then paid a commission of any sale that is generated through their efforts. In this way, both parties benefit. The tracking of this process is made possible with the TrackAssure, software provided by AffiliateTraction.

The CellphoneAccents.com affiliate program offers affiliates 15% per sale, and they are paid monthly by check when sales reach $50 or more. The program is available for promotion through the private tracking software, TrackAssure; as well as through the ShareASale network, the Commission Junction network, and the PepperJam network. Data feeds, customizable banners, advertorials, and text links are all offered to encourage publisher activity. In addition, affiliate support is available by phone and email 5 days a week.

Greg Shepard, the CEO of AffiliateTraction, explains why affiliate marketing is such a good strategy: "The performance marketing strategy is a smart, strategic choice in this market because it can produce significant results and doesn't require large up front costs."

AffiliateTraction has been in the affiliate marketing industry for 10 years, and specializes in starting, promoting, and managing affiliate campaigns. They offer clients' a comprehensive solution for their affiliate marketing efforts and establish their presence in the affiliate marketing channel. AffiliateTraction also provides affiliate support by email and phone 5 days a week, affiliate payment preparation, and promotes the affiliate program to potential online publishers.

To learn more about the CellphoneAccents.com affiliate program, visit: http://cellphoneaccents.affiliatetraction.com/

To learn more about AffiliateTraction's services, visit: http://affiliatetraction.com/ source>>>

The e-retailer has made a nice living off affiliate members who have been a large commission-only salesforce for a long time.

But the love doesn't go both ways. Joshua Odmark, a technology consultant at Simply Ideas LLC and who also blogs for Performance Marketing Blog, found that out recently. He wrote a recommendation and product review with a link from an Amazon link page -- except he did it through Twitter and Facebook. Amazon later killed a commission, pointing to its TOS, which says that '"Your site" means any site that you will link to the Amazon Site (and which you will identify in your Program application)"

But as Joshua notes:
"If you really think about it, what is the difference between posting a link on my blog, which is read by subscribers who are interested in what I have to say, as compared to the followers who are following me because they are interested in what I have to say? Seems to me a simple matter of semantics. Oh, and that whole character limit thing."

As states start to squeeze e-retailers like Amazon (forget the bite from other countries), I find the company's position odd. It's losing money from affiliates and penny-pinching its salesforce instead of expanding with the different ways the Internet allows users to find and buy products. But I guess since Amazon's profits have doubled to $207 million from last year, based mostly around the Kindle, it couldn't care less about the people who helped it. source>>>

MLB Picks and Predictions Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels Odds: While sportsbooks MMA betting players get pumped for UFC 100, some of the biggest divisional rivals in Major League Baseball fittingly slug it out this week. Let's explore some AL East and NL West matchups that have important divisional implications. The MLB Betting Odds list Los Angeles Angels -170 favorites to Texas Rangers +160 underdogs heading into this MLB Picks matchup.

Tuesday, July 7, 10:05 p.m. ET Dustin Nippert (NR) vs John Lackey (3-3, 4.70). Don't let John Lackey's mediocre stats fool Active Imageyou; he's starting to look like his old ace self again, allowing three or fewer runs in three of his last four outings. Texas gives him trouble historically (10-10, 5.79) but, even if he allows a pile of runs, he should get plenty of run support. The MLB Betting Odds list the total in this Texas Rangers at Los Angeles game is set at 9.5 runs.

Dustin Nippert, a converted reliever, hasn't pitched yet this season. Not only is he making his first start since being activated from the 60-day DL, he has a 6.42 lifetime ERA. You have to wonder if he should be in the majors at all right now. Best of luck to him - and to anyone brave enough to go against their handicapping software and pick Texas. MLB Predictions choice: Angels source>>>

MLB Predictions Oakland Athletics vs Boston Red Sox MLB Odds: Nomar Garciaparra returns to Boston for the first time since 2004 when he was traded and the Red Sox went on to win the World Series. I expect Nomar to be greeted with open arms as he is still well liked in the area. In return I expect plenty of runs in this game as the A's will be motivated to try and win one for Nomar. The MLB Odds list Boston Red Sox -260 favorites to Oakland Athletics +250 underdogs heading into this MLB Predictions matchup.

Active Image"I think we feel like we need this roster spot for about a week," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told his team's official Web site. "Rather than go make a move, I think we all kind of enjoy promoting from within. ... Hopefully this kid will help us win a couple of games."

John Smoltz has been hittable in his few starts for the Red Sox and the bullpen has struggled in Boston. The pens ERA is over 6 in its last three outings and the over has cashed in five out of the last six games. Ortiz is starting to hit again for the sox and the A's start a lefty in Brett Anderson. The Sox hit lefties at .282 at home this year and Anderson has seen the over cash in three of his last four starts. Nomar will have a great night at the plate and don't be surprised if the A's win. It will be a high scoring affair in Boston. MLB Predictions Bet On the over 9.5 . The MLB Odds list the total in this Oakland Athletics vs Boston Red Sox game is set at 9 runs.

Glen McNeil Weekly MLB Package MLB Picks & MLB Predictions for one week. Picks minimum: handicapper must provide you with at least 7 picks during subscription term, otherwise we will give you another such subscription for free. Join Glen For his MLB Picks & MLB Predictions for entire week at a small price. Bet with Heroes and receive -105 reduced juice MLB games. source>>>

MLB teams have now reached the mid-point of their seasons. Once a team has played it's 81st game, it is time to start counting backwards. The MLB season has been 162 games since the early 60s. Prior to that, there was a 154-game slate with plenty of doubleheaders. Then greed set in. There was the addition and eventual expansion of the League Championship Series, and then the addition of the Division Series. Now we have a baseball season that is bookended by snowfall.

In my preseason article on this site my predictions for the teams that would meet for the League Championship were the New York Mets (5/2) and the San Francisco Giants (12/1) in the National League. Over in the American, my prediction included the New York Yankees (3/2) meeting up with the Los Angeles Angels (6/1). The Mets, of course, are in the toilet. The Giants, meanwhile, have been getting consistent pitching and hitting after a so-so start. The favorite Yanks have been on a recent roll. The Angels are a balanced team that has been playing solid baseball. They most likely won't win 100 games like they did last season, but they will win more than enough. They seem to have overcome the grief of losing their young pitcher in an auto crash.

Now at the halfway point, I would like to break down the challengers and make my predictions known. That brings to mind a quote from the late broadcaster, Harry Caray: "What does a mama bear on the pill have in common with the World Series? No Cubs!" In the NL Central, I feel that the Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Reds or Astros could win. Who will step up? My pick is St. Louis. They have a decent staff anchored by Chris Carpenter, and I feel that their big bats will be along in time. With Tony LaRussa at the helm they have an added edge. In the West, the Dodgers had that great start. Whether having Manny Ramirez back is a plus or minus is still up in the air. The Giants pitchers and batters have both heated up. I feel that the wild card will come out of this division. I'll stick with my early pick, the Giants, to win it. In the NL East, the defending MLB Champion Phillies have not been able to win at home. Once they start winning at home, they could walk-away with this division. The Florida Marlins have enough tools to stay close and contend for the wild card.

In the American League, all the divisions appear to be wide open. In the East, Boston and New York will always be neck\-to-neck. The defending AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays are still alive too. What makes them a threat is that they have no fear of the Red Sox and Yankees. However, I like both the Red Sox and Yankees to make the playoffs. Over in the Central , the Tigers and Twins will duke it out. Both have excellent managers, but neither team can win on the road. I'll select Detroit. The White Sox won't be a factor unless they go get themselves another front-line hurler. Out West, the Angels, as previously stated, will win it. Texas and Seattle have their fans excited, but will falter down the stretch.

I will take another peak once we hit September, but right now I like the Angels to beat Philadelphia for the World Series crown. source>>>

Of the eight oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants, Sean Van Patten is an oddity. He actually follows the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

"I'm the only guy who even watches it at all," he said.

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While the UFC continues to gain steam as a mainstream sport, it still has a long way to go to be considered important to Las Vegas sports books. Few oddsmakers have a firm handle on how the fighters match up, and for the most part only hardcore fight fans are lining up at the betting windows.

The biggest names on the UFC 100 card Saturday at Mandalay Bay are Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir and Georges St. Pierre.

The Green Bay Packers' third wide receiver might be better known to most bettors.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board does not record specific wagering totals for UFC/mixed martial arts. It falls in the "Other Sports" category with golf, hockey, tennis, etc.

Van Patten estimates UFC/MMA accounts for "maybe 1 percent" of the state's sports annual wagering handle. "But I do know that it has definitely gained a lot of interest just in the last year," he said.

Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay called the 1 percent estimate mostly accurate but deceiving.

"It's got to be less than 1 percent of our handle," Kornegay said. "But that's an unfair assessment. It's not fair to rate it that way. There's just not enough events to properly give UFC a fair rating.

"It's definitely the fastest-growing betting sport that we have now, overtaking NASCAR. Each and every UFC event seems to get more and more action."

Kornegay said the total bet on this weekend's UFC card "would equal a good NFL game. It would surpass a Falcons-Browns game and equal a Giants-Bears game. It's tough to say sometimes since you might get some large wagers on any given fight or very few large wagers."

Boxing is still a big draw for books, but only when stars Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. are the headliners.

A couple of the UFC's top attractions, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, are starting to fade, leaving fighters such as Lesnar and Mir to take center stage. Lesnar is a minus-220 favorite over Mir in Saturday's main event.

The Venetian sports book, where Rob Akers is a knowledgeable MMA oddsmaker, regularly offers the most extensive UFC betting menu.

Akers has posted lines on all 11 of Saturday's fights as well as several proposition wagers. Many books are posting lines on about half of the fights.

About two years ago, LVSC began to make more MMA lines as the demand increased. Van Patten volunteered, mainly because no one else wanted to do it.

"We were getting requests to put up a match here or a match there, but just the marquee ones," he said.

Van Patten said he often consults "outside sources" and studies the numbers posted by offshore books Pinnacle and BetCris.

"I know enough about some of the bigger fighters. I don't follow it as much as some of these mixed martial arts junkies do," Van Patten said. "In order to get a good feel for it, you have to watch all the fights. That makes it difficult.

"When we first started doing it, we were only putting up the main event. Now, every two or three weeks, we're putting up five or six of the fights because the books are asking for more."
source>>>

Among the storylines somewhat hidden due to the stacked card at this weekend's UFC 100 is whether or not Brazilian Paulo Thiago has the goods to become a true welterweight title contender.

Thiago debuted at UFC 95 in February, signing a one-fight deal. His opponent was Josh Koscheck, making Thiago a decided underdog in the match, but shockingly, he TKO'd the usually durable Koscheck in the first round.

The victory was surprising as much for the method as the result. In his 10 previous fights, he had only one other TKO, and that was due to an opponent injury. Seven of Thiago's wins had come via submission (he remains unbeaten at 11-0).

While many people look at him as a fluky winner in that matchup, Thiago knows that a win over Jon Fitch would immediately stamp him as the real deal.

Thiago remains a bit of an enigma because prior to facing Koscheck, all of his 10 fights took place in Brazil, and not a single one of his prior opponents had ever fought in a major promotion, making it difficult to gauge his talent level. Had he simply run through lesser competition, or was he steamrolling opponents due to his superiority?

A second look at Thiago's win over Koscheck shows holes in his striking game; namely dropping his hands after throwing punches. He also shuffles awkwardly, has little head movement and just flat-out looks uncomfortable. Then again, against Koscheck, he never once tried to take the fight to the ground, which either suggests he had confidence in his standup game or that he lacked confidence in his ability to take Koscheck down.

Given that Fitch is also a very strong wrestler, we may see Thiago choose to stand up with him as well. If the fight does go the ground, Fitch, like Thiago, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Interestingly, this fight is guaranteed TV time ahead of the matchup between UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman and crowd favorite Stephan Bonnar, as well as that of top prospect Jon Jones.

Fitch, who is 18-3 with one no contest, is likely still at least two more wins away from another crack at a title shot, so the biggest upside to having a match like this on TV is in potentially showcasing the unknown Thiago. If he scores back-to-back wins over Koscheck and Fitch, he immediately becomes a star the same way Houston Alexander did when he burst on to the scene with KO's over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara. Thiago will have a chance to put an exclamation point on the statement he made against Koscheck, or he may prove a one-hit wonder. source>>>

The UFC 100 betting odds are showing a ton of recognition to Yoshihiro Akiyama making his promotional debut at UFC 100 this Saturday.

Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-1), called "Sexyama" by throng of passionate fans, will be making his UFC debut at #100 and he's currently a fairly large favorite on the betting odds as he gets set to take on Alan "The Talent" Belcher (14-5).

Bookmaker.com has the UFC 100 betting odds favoring Akiyama at a line of -275 which is strong praise considering how strong Belcher has been lately with 4 UFC wins over his last 5 fights with victories over Denis Kang and Ed Herman during that stretch.

Striking: Both guys can make a case here but I'll take Belcher's pure knockout power over Akiyama's diversity in the striking game. These two are both capable on their feet but if this one stays standing then you have to give the edge to "The Talent".

Wrestling: This one is difficult to call since Belcher has done well against excellent wrestlers and Akiyama generally finds a way to muscle his opponent to the ground if need be. Belcher's wrestling style is mostly defensive and Akiyama doesn't have overpowering takedowns but generally finds a way. I'll put this one at a push.

Submissions: Belcher does have a nice guillotine but there is no way he's on Akiyama's level in the submission game. This one is all for the newcomer so edge to "Sexyama".

UFC 100 betting picks: I do question Akiyama's chin and I think Belcher's takedown defense might be enough to pull the upset here. If this stays standing it's in Belcher's favor and when you are getting close to 2.5/1 UFC 100 betting odds back, that is a situation that you should look to take advantage of. source>>>

With gambling expansion as the hot issue in the state of Ohio, many researchers are scrambling to piece together evidence of what the impact of casino expansion could mean to the state. The latest study comes from the University of Cincinnati's Economics Center for Education and Research.

The study has revealed that 34,000 jobs could be created if casinos were to be approved for Toledo, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. The economic impact would be even greater according to the study, with $11 billion being pumped into the economy.

Those are big numbers for a state that is currently experiencing sharp unemployment rate increases. Businesses that are struggling would receive a major boost if the casinos were to become a reality.

"I don't think there is any doubt that adding casinos in Ohio would be beneficial to many different industry's," said observer Darryl Braggs, "these studies are showing just how big of an impact would be made, and lawmakers would be foolish not to want that kind of help."

Lawmakers are squabbling over the casino gambling expansion issue. The House wants slot machines at state racetracks and casinos, while the Senate disapproves of both. They have not yet found a happy medium.

The economic impact on the four cities where casinos are being proposed would be $656 million for Cleveland, $302 million for Toledo, $504 million for Columbus, and $388 million for Cincinnati. That is according to the UC study.

Of the 34,000 jobs that would be created, 16,000 of those jobs would be permanent. The other 19,000 would come from the construction of the casinos in the four cities. Construction is expected to begin in 2010 if the casinos are approved, and the target date for opening would be in 2012. source>>>

In the high-stakes court battle over the constitutionality of a federal law that bans all Internet gambling transactions that would be illegal in the gambler's state, a trio of federal appeals judges in Philadelphia appeared unlikely on Tuesday to strike the law down.

Instead, all three judges on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel seemed inclined to uphold the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 and to reject arguments from two lawyers for a gambling trade association who complained that the wording of the law is so vague it cannot be understood.

The act makes it a crime for gambling businesses to "knowingly accept" any funds "in connection with the participation of another person in unlawful Internet gambling."

Law professor Stephen A. Saltzburg of George Washington University, arguing for the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association, said the law is "so vague that reasonable people would have to guess" about its meaning.

A typical Internet gambler, Saltzburg said, may visit a gambling Web site in Costa Rica, where gambling is perfectly legal, and that transaction would be conducted in Costa Rica. By virtue of the Internet, he said, that gambler did not need to get on a plane, but he nonetheless was visiting a site in Costa Rica.

But 3rd Circuit Judge Kent A. Jordan was unimpressed.

"No matter how metaphysical you want to get, I'm not in Costa Rica -- I'm in Delaware," Jordan said.

Assuming that Delaware state law says Internet gambling is illegal, Jordan said, the federal law simply criminalizes the wire transfer of funds related to that illegal transaction.

"I'm struggling with what's vague about that," Jordan said.

Judge Dolores K. Sloviter said she, too, was having difficulty grasping the vagueness argument.

"It may be difficult to prove where the bet was placed, but that doesn't make the law unconstitutionally vague -- that's a question of proof," Sloviter said.

But Saltzburg said the vagueness lies in the statute's failure to define the term "unlawful Internet gambling."

"It's not at all clear that Delaware or any state can regulate international commerce," Saltzburg said.

Jordan interjected and said Saltzburg's argument would "put the rabbit in the hat." The issue, Jordan said, was not where else in the world a transaction was taking place, but only the conduct that was taking place in Delaware.

Saltzburg pressed his point, saying that if the hypothetical Delaware gambler "voluntarily accepts" to be fully bound by the laws of Costa Rica, where gambling is legal, the federal statute is vague because it fails to define such a transaction as illegal.

At that point, Judge Thomas L. Ambro joined his colleagues in rejecting the fundamental premise of Saltzburg's argument.

"You know you're in Delaware," Ambro said. "So it doesn't make any difference that you agreed to be bound by Costa Rica law."

Jordan said gamblers "could have a beef" with the way state laws were drafted, but "that doesn't mean this statute is vague." Attorney Eric M. Bernstein of Warren, N.J., took up the second half of the argument, urging the judges to hold the statute violates the First Amendment and privacy rights of gamblers.

Bernstein was soon fielding a fusillade of questions as the judges demanded to know how the trade association had standing to assert the rights of its members' customers as well as the nature of the First Amendment right.

"Are you asserting that you have a privacy right that trumps the police powers of the state?" Ambro asked.

Sloviter asked if gambling is "constitutionally protected intimate contact."

Bernstein argued that gambling is entitled to privacy protections and that a trade association should be recognized to have standing to assert those claims on behalf of its members' customers who face a daunting impediment to going to court on their own where they would be forced to confess to a crime as a prerequisite to waging any challenge.

But Justice Department attorney Nicholas J. Bagley argued that the plaintiff's void-for-vagueness arguments were fatally flawed because they cannot show that the statute would be vague in all its applications. In Utah, he said, where all gambling is illegal, there could be no doubt how the law should apply.

Bagley also argued that while courts have recognized "associational" standing for trade groups and third-party standing for asserting the rights of customers, no court has ever lumped the two together and allowed a trade organization to assert both.

Perhaps the strongest indicator of the likely winner came when Bagley stopped his own 20-minute argument about halfway through and said he would be happy to take a seat if the judges had no further questions.

"I'm OK with that," Sloviter said for the panel. source>>>

Michael Jackson fans searching online for memorabilia in the wake of the pop icon's death have no doubt turned to eBay, where hundreds of thousands of Jackson-related items are up for auction. Buttons, posters, autographs, LPs, ticket stubs, magazines, tapestries, and more are up for grabs, but the highest-priced King of Pop items on eBay aren't keepsakes -- they're domain names, sold in bundles of 12, 20, 50, and even 72, or, if you're like "nini4me2003"" and you're hawking a name as strong as OfficialMichaelJacksonMemorial.com, as single sites.

A seller with the handle "corvette2006," who has a perfect feedback rating and was called by one customer a "first-rate eBayer," is trying to unload KingofPopsDeath.com, along with MichaelJacksonDied.com, MichaelJacksonArtist.com, RestInPeaceKingofPop.com, and a host of morbidly-titled domains. Meanwhile, "bobinrobinbur" is selling seven domains, including MoonwalkingMichael's .com, .info, .net, .org, and .us. The seller bought the domain, initially, "as a tribute to him because he is now really walking on the moon." For $21 million, "you can now own a piece of history in his honor."

The strange thing about these listings is how similar they all sound. All pretty much bear the same unusual starting bid: $21 million. Of course, most sellers admit they'll entertain all serious offers in their actual listings, some won't. A few sellers are offering a "Buy Now" option. That price tag? A cool $100 million. All of them, too, are either "One-Of-A-Kind" or "Great investments" with "MASSIVE $$ POTENTIAL!" And most, but not all, offer free shipping.

If you're in the market for Jackson domains, you can own 12, being sold by one eBayer who claims in his listing that if he doesn't sell them, he'd like to launch MJsMemorial.com as a social-networking site, with the help of the Jackson family and Sony Records, of course. Again, he'll part with it for $21 million. Also on the market are NeverlandRanchAndMuseum.com, TheCompleteMichaelJackson.com, MichaelJacksonTop10.com, TheMichaelJacksonThriller.com, and MichaelJosephJacksonTributeTour.com. More disturbing titles like MichaelJacksonsAddiction.com and MichaelJacksonDrugProblem.com are also available. source>>>

California's state tax revenues continue to sink with rising unemployment and falling retail sales. Meanwhile, credit unions have stopped accepting the state's IOUs, but a market for the registered warrants with a 3.75% annualized interest rate the state is paying on them until October 2, has sprung up on Web marketplaces including Craigslist and EBay.

From Reuters:

As California continues to issue "IOUs", more controversy is brewing over their use.

On one side, IOU recipients are beginning to trade them like currency, forcing the California state treasurer's office to issue guidelines if they are sold through eBay (EBAY), Craigslist or other means.
...
California's treasurer is telling recipients of the IOUs that if they sell them to third parties, they will be redeemed by the state treasurer's office only if accompanied by a notarized bill of sale signed by their listed payee.

"We are in the process of contacting officials of eBay and Craigslist to post a notice of the policy on their sites," the statement said.

Speculation is rising over whether California's tax-exempt IOUs... can be bought, sold and traded.

The [SEC] must first determine if the IOUs are securities to regulate them, said Ernesto Lanza, general counsel to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, adding that the board was not working directly with the commission on that decision.

"It looks like it has all the hallmarks of a security," Lanza told Reuters. "If they are securities, I think they're pretty clearly municipal securities."

At least one website aims to offer a platform for selling the registered warrants. Obed Dorceus, owner of ioumarket.com, said he sees a potential secondary market for the IOUs -- and potentially other government promises to pay.

Since when IOUs are condisered securities? California has to put its act together. State bonds moved a step closer to junk status yesterday because of the budget mess, and a group of the biggest U.S. banks ; BofA (BAC), Citigroup Inc. (C), Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) and J.P. Morgan (JPM), said they would stop accepting states''s IOUs on Friday. What next. source>>>

Paso Robles police discovered that items swiped from neighborhood cars were being sold online after a victim of the burglaries found her stolen goods for sale on eBay while looking to replace them, the Paso Robles Police Department told The Tribune this afternoon.

"She noticed about five of her kid's same video games were bundled together and the seller was in Paso Robles," Detective Dan Hackett said.

Video games, iPods and cameras were among the approximately 12 sales of the stolen goods posted on the online auction Web site­ - with others also bundled together in one sale ­- from a string of April burglaries from unlocked cars, police said.

Two Paso Robles residents -­ 20-year-old Ernie Ruiz and 30-year-old Anthony Fusco - are facing felony charges for the crimes, officials said.

Ruiz was arrested for an outstanding warrant on May 21 and faces four felony counts of grand theft and four counts of possession of stolen property.

The arrest information was released Monday because investigators needed time to contact the eBay buyers who purchased the approximately $1,000 worth of stolen goods, Lt. Tim Murphy said, to attempt to get them back to the original owners. Some items have not been recovered, Hackett said.

Fusco, the eBay seller, has not yet been arrested but police are currently seeking to file a criminal complaint against him with the District Attorney's office for four felony counts of possession of stolen property, Murphy said.

Fusco was discovered after investigators arranged to purchase one of the eBay items, Murphy said. - Tonya Strickland
source>>>

The great battle between online radio and copyright owners seems to have reached an armistice.

SoundExchange, a non-profit group designated by the U.S. Copyright Office to collect royalties from digital playback of music, today announced a new agreement with Internet radio companies on royalty terms. The decision could enhance the revenue models of venture-backed music-streaming companies like Goom Radio LLC, Pandora Media Inc. and Slacker Inc.
applepandora_E_20090707191522.jpg

Webcasters were ordered in March 2007 to comply with a federal Copyright Royalty Board ruling that required a fee for each time a song was streamed. Online radio stations simply couldn't support the enormous royalty fees with advertising revenue. Many online music start-ups struggled to find the right model and several have shut down altogether.

With this new deal, Internet radio broadcasters will have the option of choosing to pay on a revenue-sharing basis, in return for more robust reporting requirements.

"More than two years in the making, this is an agreement we're proud of because it shows that both sides can address the business concerns of the Webcasters while giving artists and copyright holders the potential to share in the revenue growth of Webcasters," John Simson, Executive Director of SoundExchange, said in a statement. "It's a creative, groundbreaking approach that we wanted to try, and we hope it will work well for everyone involved - the artists, labels and eligible Webcasters."

Under the new agreement, which applies to songs streamed between 2006 to 2015, larger services - like Pandora - will pay the greater of either a per performance rate per song or 25% of total revenue, and will agree to provide more comprehensive reporting about the sound recordings used than regulations currently require. The per-song rate for large Webcasters continually increases from $0.00093 this year to $0.0014 in 2015.

Through 2014, small Webcasters with revenue below $1.25 million will pay 12% to 14% of revenue or an increasing per-song fee of $0.0015 this year to $0.0025 in 2015.

All stations will be required to pay an annual minimum fee of $25,000, which they can apply to their royalty payments.

Rob Williams, chief executive for Goom Radio and an industry veteran who most recently was president and market manager for Clear Channel in New York, said the agreement is a "step in a fair direction."

"It's exactly on par with what we expected," Williams said. "We've been hearing about it for a while, so it's nice to see it come together."

The new royalty rates are still far from what Williams experienced working in terrestrial radio, where broadcasters paid about 3.5% of revenues to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, a royalty agency with more than 11,500 local commercial radio stations and 2000 non-commercial radio broadcasters being licensees.

However, Williams expects the current royalty rates for online stations will continue to decrease as more listeners tune into the Web.

"It shows people are looking at the online radio business," Williams said. "It's just a matter of time before people stop saying terrestrial radio and online radio. It will be considered professionally delivered content. It's the birth of a whole new industry." source>>>

Nas and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley entered the studio early this year with a plan to do "an EP based on Africa," according to Marley. As previously reported, it's turned into a full length album, "Distant Relatives," which the duo has been previewing during their headlining run on this year's Rock The Bells tour though no release date or label has been determined yet.

"Once we started working on the music," Marley tells Billboard.com, "it was Nas who said to me, 'Yo, we should just make this a full album.' He really liked the energy, I guess."

Nas adds that "I just think it was me and Damian finding our way. When you have two different artists working on a record when they're used to doing their own thing their own way, it's not as easy as people may think. We just flowed, and the next thing we looked up and there were so many songs done or so many songs started and worked on...we just decided to keep it going. It's not reggae. It's not rap. It's different shit for each of us."

Nas and Marley -- who previously worked together on "Road to Zion" from the latter's gold-certified 2005 album "Welcome to Jamrock" -- are still putting the finishing touches on the album; Nas estimates it's about 90 percent done, Marley guesses a more conservative 75 percent, with songwriting contributions by Marley's brother Stephen and a guest feature by rapper K'Naan. They've already leaked part of one track, "As We Enter," and posted a trailer for the album online at myspace.com/distantrelatives. They plan to complete the set after their Rock The Bells commitment wraps in early August, but meanwhile they're treating audiences to "As We Enter" and other album tracks such as "Strong Will Continue" and "Africa Must Wake Up."

"I like to come out and tell the people live in person, 'Yo, the album is coming' and give them a little bit of music to start to get excited about it," says Marley, who was in the early stages of his own next album when "Distant Relatives" started. "I think it also will help with the finishing of the album because we're seeing how things work."

Nas, meanwhile, thinks the tour is helping to put the project in perspective for the duo and for the audience. "I know people are kind of like, 'What's happening? What's Nas doing? What's Damian doing? Is this really happening?' " Nas notes. "So just being out here on the road we get a good feel from people about this whole thing."

Nas and Marley say they're planning to tour more once the album is released.

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