The <A HREF="http://www.mpaa.org">Motion Picture Association of America</A> (MPAA) is pushing for a crackdown on offshore industrial piracy, a phenomenon that is a way of life in many countries. The trade group estimates that the American video industry loses as much as $3.5 billion annually to illegal copying worldwide.

Last week, the 26th mission of the Space Shuttle <I>Columbia</I> touched down with a payload of high-definition footage, taken with an HD camcorder. The mission, which lasted five days and concluded last week, was the 95th so far. <A HREF="http://www.nasa.gov">NASA</A> and <A HREF="http://www.sony.com/professional">Sony</A> will research these high-resolution images of Shuttle mission STS-93, including footage of the deployment of the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

College basketball fans will get right in the midst of the high definition action when the NCAA men's 2003 basketball championship series begins next month.

In a deal said to be the first of its kind, online DVD rental service <A HREF="http://www.netflix.com/">NetFlix</A> has entered revenue-sharing agreements with Columbia Tristar and Warner Home Video. The agreement, announced December 7, will allow NetFlix to buy movies in larger quantities and at deeper discounts than previously. NetFlix is the first DVD Internet dealer to have a revenue sharing agreement with major motion picture distributors.