Press release by Intertainment AG


SightSound Technologies reaches favorable decision in US patent dispute
Intertainment holding owns patent for internet download


Ismaning/Munich, February 15, 2002 -SightSound Technologies Inc., a holding of Intertainment AG, has managed to reach a positive and forward-looking ruling before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, USA in the patent dispute with Bertelsmann subsidiaries CDNow Inc., Lebanon, Pennsylvania and N2K. Inc., Delaware.

In the socalled "Markman Hearing", the court ruled that the patent for digital audio and video downloads via telecommunications cables in the USA, applied for in 1988 by Arthur Hair, co-founder of SightSound, and granted in 1993, also applies to the internet. The legal proceedings, started in 1998, in which the focus is to assert the patent rights against the defendants, will likely go to trial during the next year.

The court decision "is an important step forward for the aggressive enforcement of our patent rights", Scott Sander, President and CEO of SightSound Technologies explained. "We hope the decision will now help convince media companies to release their movies and music in this better, faster and cheaper format."

SightSound, based Mt. Lebanon in Pennsylvania, has developed into an innovative company in the digital audio and video download sector since it was founded in 1995. SightSound was the first company to sale music via internet download in 1995. This was followed in 1999 with the first commercial feature film distribution. Since then, SightSound has digitally distributed over 400 copyrighted films into more than 70 countries worldwide. SightSound's technology prevents the unauthorised transmission of downloaded films and music. The American company owns a total of four important patents for downloading music and films from the web via all kinds of telecommunications cables.

The media company Intertainment AG, based in Ismaning/Munich, has a 24.8 % stake in SightSound Technologies. "The future of feature film distribution lies in the internet", Rüdiger Baeres declared at the time of acquiring the share in SightSound in 1999. "With the court's forward-looking decision, SightSound will be able to establish itself as a leading player on the digital distribution market."



Contact:
Intertainment AG, Marietta Birner, Investor Relations, Osterfeldstraße 84, 85737 Ismaning
Tel: 0 89 / 216 99 - 0, Fax: 0 89 / 216 99 - 11,
Internet: www.intertainment.de , Email: investor@intertainment.de

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