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Summary of Proceedings
EMA Board of Directors Meeting
April 23, 2009 - Los Angeles, California
The EMA Board of Directors discussed the following agenda topics and took the indicated actions at its April 23, 2009 meeting, held in Los Angeles, California.
1.Board Members
The Board welcomed new Board members Susan Chronister (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.), John Furton (Family Video), and Scott Goldberg (Redbox Automated Rental, LLC).
2.Membership
The Board voted unanimously to accept the 11 membership applications received between October 2, 2008 and April 1, 2009.
3.Conferences and Events
The Board reviewed plans for 2009 conferences to serve the video game, digital media, and independent studio sectors. Formal announcements of these events will be made in the near future.
The Board was updated on the redesign of Home Media Expo for 2010.
4.iDEA
In light of the declining number of independent video retailers, the Board approved a restructuring of the Independent Dealers of Entertainment Association (iDEA) division of the Association. The iDEA Board of Trustees was converted to the iDEA Advisory Council, operational authority for developing and implementing programs and services for IVRs was transferred back to the EMA Board of Directors, and iDEA funding will be reintegrated in the overall budget of EMA.
The Advisory Council will: advise the EMA Board of Directors on issues and concerns related to IVRs; (2) recommend methods to maintain the IVR base within EMA and recruit new members; (3) recommend services that may be provided for the IVR community; and (4) provide assistance and guidance to member chapters.
Chapter funds will remain available to chapters, and IVRs will continue to be represented on the EMA Board of Directors. The staff of iDEA will be retained with expanded duties within EMA.
5.Benefit Denial Technology
The Board discussed the status of the project to support the development of benefit denial technology for entertainment media, which would deny a shoplifter or internal thief the usage benefit of stolen goods. It was informed that a document identifying "Threshold Standards and Points of Evaluation" for benefit denial technology has been published and circulated and that the retailers and content providers working on the project were currently undertaking an analysis of the potential benefits across the supply chain to be realized by deploying a benefit denial solution. A cost analysis will be developed separately.
6.Government Affairs
The Board reviewed the Association's government affairs activities. It provided guidance on strategies for responding to state legislation that would classify a retailer's failure to enforce a DVD or video game rating to be a "deceptive trade practice."
The Board also discussed the public policy considerations of digital rights management and how retailers are complying with the recently enacted Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act.
7.Presentation
Tom Adams of Adams Media Research made a presentation on forecasts for packaged goods sales and electronic sell-through.
8.Ratification of Minutes
The Board unanimously ratified the minutes of its October 21, 2008 meeting.
9.Other Issues
The Board received a report on the Association's public relations efforts and the activities of the Association's Digital Council, Benefit/Denial Technology Working Group, Loss Prevention Committee, Operations Committees, and Retail Advisory Councils.
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