(22 September 2005 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US communications services provider Verizon and media conglomerate Disney have signed a long-term, wide-ranging programming agreement for multiple Disney and ESPN networks and services.

Under the agreement, Verizon will carry 12 television services on Verizon FiOS TV's expanded basic, including ABC Family, Disney Channel and ESPN. Verizon will also be granted retransmission consent of ABC's owned and operated television stations as part of the agreement.

Verizon will carry a Disney and ESPN broadband product portfolio including ABC News Now, Disney Connection, ESPN360, Movies.com and a newly launched broadband soap opera product ESPN Deportes, ESPN's 24-hour Spanish-language sports network, and Toon Disney en Espanol on Verizon's Hispanic expanded basic and Hispanic tier packages.

Verizon and Disney have also agreed to cooperate, consistent with the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, to help curb infringement of Disney's copyrighted works over the Internet while at the same time appropriately safeguarding the privacy of Verizon Internet service subscribers.

Under the agreement, Verizon would forward and track notices to its subscribers allegedly engaged in the unauthorized distribution of Disney's copyrighted works, without identifying the subscribers to Disney, and either provide subscriber identifying information pursuant to lawfully served subpoenas or terminate Verizon Internet service provided to subscribers who have infringed Disney copyrights and received multiple notices.