Hollywood Tycoon [US Entertainment + Business War]

The influence of IMAX technology on movies is no less than that of sound movies and color movies. At least in the era before Jed's rebirth, IMAX movies were hailed as the third milestone in the development of movie technology.As early as 1967, the first-generation IMAX film technology invented by Canadian Graeme Ferguson and others could already be exhibited at the Montreal International Expo.

It's just that the first generation of IMAX film technology can only be realized by using multiple cameras and multiple projectors, and it was quickly eliminated due to lack of commercial value.However, Graham and the other three soon exhibited the IMAX film technology with real commercial value at the Osaka International Expo in 1970, and invested in the construction of the world's first real commercial IMAX theater in San Diego, California in 1973.However, the cost of IMAX theaters is very high. If there is no DLP (digital filter technology) and DMR (digital remake technology of the original film), IMAX may not survive at all.

Of course, it is IMAX digital technology that really brings IMAX movies to the world, which saves huge film costs and high camera costs... Of course, it also makes the fake IMAX movies that many IMAX movie lovers scold.

Because IMAX is a listed company on NASDAQ, judging from the feedback from the analysts employed by Jed, they should not have patents for DLP technology and DMR technology, so Jed quickly asked his company to register these two patents. patent. DLP technology has been developed, while DMR technology is still in the laboratory. As for IMAX digital technology, it is just a technical document...

Although Jed knew that it was not kind enough to block the future development of IMAX with a patent wall, but he really couldn't refuse the high profits of IMAX.Think about it, in the future, the IMAX company will not only monopolize the patents of all IMAX cinemas around the world, but you will have to pay the IMAX company whether you are shooting an IMAX movie or reproducing an IMAX movie, or even buying IMAX movie projection equipment.Such a company already owned 2012 IMAX chain theaters around the world in September 9, and the cost of each theater was at least 589 million US dollars.From this, we can know how much wealth the IMAX company has, and Jed will not underestimate a company so much.

IMAX Corporation is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, which is part of the Greater Toronto Area.Early in the morning, Jed took his personal lawyer John from Los Angeles to take an Air Canada flight to Toronto's Toronto Pearson International Airport, and then turned to Provincial Highway 409 and rushed to Mississauga.Mississauga is the sixth largest city in Canada, but judging from the overall situation of Canada's vast land and sparse population, Mississauga is about the same size as a second- and third-tier city in China in Jed's eyes.

Before coming to Canada, Jed had discussed with John the positioning of IMAX in the Sherman Group.According to John's suggestion, if IMAX can be fully acquired or controlled, it is recommended to merge IMAX and Pioneer Film Technology Laboratory into Pioneer Film Technology Company, and then place it under the Horizon Technology Group.The reason why it was not placed in the film-related Galaxy Film Entertainment Group was that John worried that such an arrangement would over-stimulate the Hollywood film company. After all, Hollywood was established to escape Edison's film company.Because Edison owned the patent of the film, and at the same time he opened his own film company, other film companies could not tolerate this situation and fled to Hollywood.

Similarly, the patent rights of sound film technology and color film technology were not directly related to any film company, so the film company was not overly stimulated.That's why John suggested that Jed follow this method to avoid resistance from Hollywood studios.

Jed's secretary has already booked an executive suite in Mississauga for Jed. The main reason for booking the executive suite is that it is convenient for Jed to find John at any time without opening the door to knock on other doors.Of course, the office area and reception area in the executive suite are also what Jed values.Although Mississauga is an important hub city in Canada, it is not an important commercial or tourist city, so the executive floors of most hotels are empty.

When Jed and John showed up at the front desk on the executive floor, there was hardly anyone in sight.Under the guidance of the waiter, the two came to their executive suite.Open the door and you will see the hall, and turn around and you will see the living room.The left side of the living room is the bathroom, while the right side is the office area.There are two doors in each office area, which belong to the bedrooms of Jed and John respectively, and the bedrooms have their own bathrooms.Because there were no people in the hotel, Jed booked a room with excellent lighting, and overlooking it, most of Mississauga came into view.

After a short rest, John found Jed with a bad expression, "The IMAX company's meeting with us tomorrow is one of their managers in charge of business cooperation."

After Jed finished listening, his own brows frowned.It's not that he relies on his status, but the lower the level of the negotiator sent by the other party, the lower the possibility of the negotiation being able to reach a result. "You try to get the people in my office to contact them again and identify me to them."

John said with a smile: "I don't think it has much effect. People in Canada don't know who the future star of American directors is."

About half an hour later, news came from Jade's office that IMAX would only send the manager in charge of business cooperation to meet with him.And said that the meeting time is only half an hour, the conversation must be concise and to the point.

After hearing this feedback, Jed's face became a little ugly.At this time, the IMAX company is not the technology company that will monopolize everything in the future. Even if it does come to that time, with the strength of Galaxy Films, IMAX can't afford to treat itself like this, right?Jed thought for a while and asked, "John, is there anyone from your family or allies in Toronto? Help me find out which companies IMAX has contacted recently? Otherwise, they don't need to keep people away, let alone we still bring Come with sincerity."

John naturally guessed the question that Jed thought of.He nodded and made a call immediately.Then he came in and asked, "I think we should seize the time to do something in the secondary market, and hostile takeovers if necessary."

Jed doesn't object to John's approach. Some things can't be obtained by talking.Jed is determined to win IMAX technology, and he will never allow others to sleep soundly on the side of the couch.After receiving Jed's instructions, the investment company under Jed's name began to absorb IMAX shares in NASDAQ through several accounts.

The main reason for the separation is to avoid being noticed by others. According to the requirements, if a company owns 5% of another company's shares, it must explain it to the China Securities Regulatory Commission.However, 10% of the shares are required to initiate the acquisition invitation, and there is a difference of 5% of the shares in the middle. If it is announced early, it will definitely affect the acquisition.The CSRC's regulation is to protect the company from hostile takeovers, so Jade does not divide into several companies to secretly absorb shares.

Of course, in addition to not stimulating the Securities Regulatory Commission, the most important thing is not to stimulate IMAX.After all, as a company, there are ways to deal with hostile acquirers like Jed, whether it is the "poison pill plan", "golden parachute", or "scorched earth policy" can make a hostile acquirer like Jed lose a lot of blood. Even fetching water from a bamboo basket was in vain.

Soon John's friend called John back, and John's face became more and more ugly.After he hung up the phone, he said to Jed: "Sony has found IMAX, and they have proposed a very favorable merger plan. IMAX will be split into IMAX Technology Company, which owns the IMAX patent, and this company will cooperate with Sony Computer Entertainment. The companies merge; and the remaining IMAX companies will form IMAX Theaters, and they will merge with Sony Pictures Entertainment. They put the patent company in the computer entertainment part to avoid the opposition of other Hollywood studios, just like us.”

"By the way, they also got the theater company of the future," Jed added, "I think Sony has seen Paramount's successful strategy, relying on the theater company, supplemented by the TV media company, this is Paramount The reason why it can quickly become Hollywood’s second film company from the quagmire of bankruptcy. Now you see, Warner has acquired ABC, Fox has Fox TV, and Universal has NBC... It’s surprising that Sony is not in a hurry.”

"Then what should we do?" John also rushed to helplessness, "If there is a hostile takeover, then the cost will inevitably increase."

"I won't waste my money." Jed thought for a while, then suddenly took out a pen and wrote the three words "Pacific Giant Screen" on a piece of paper.Then he said with a smile, "I decided to scare the IMAX company, and also made Sony break out in a cold sweat."

The so-called "Pacific Giant Screen" is actually the "Chinese Giant Screen" of later generations. Although many people criticize that this is China's imitation of IMAX technology, but in terms of patents, this is indeed a Chinese invention, although it is controversial.Compared with IMAX, the cost of China's giant screen is lower, and the use of dual projectors has effectively solved the problem of low brightness that IMAX has been accused of.

More importantly, now Jade still holds the two major patents of DLP and DMR, and it will only take half a year at most to commercialize the so-called Pacific Giant Screen.Although this is not an epoch-making progress, it is enough to make the IMAX company bow its proud head.Jed quickly jotted down some of the key parameters of Pacific Screen on this piece of paper, correlating these parameters with DLP and DMR technologies.

In short, a discerning person knows that this is a commercial technology that can be realized immediately, and Jed believes that once this technology is launched, IMAX's stock will become worthless.

"Call Shannity and ask her to contact the media in Los Angeles to release the news." Jed faxed the pieces of paper to Shannity, "By the way, let's contact Fox, Disney, and Paramount. I don't want to form a 'Pacific Giant Screen Club', then we will promote the 'Pacific Giant Screen' together, let the Canadian IMAX go to hell!"

A vengeful smile also appeared on John's face, "I wonder how people from Sony will feel after reading the report?"

"I think we should add more fire. We can also announce that "Apollo 13" will be the first giant-screen 3D movie realized by DMR. We will arrange it to be released by the end of next year at the latest. We will make the show Enough!" Jed said.

The author has something to say: The poison pill policy refers to the fact that the acquired company deliberately distributes a large number of shares to other shareholders, resulting in further dilution of equity, forcing the acquiring company to increase the acquisition cost or give up the acquisition.

The White Knight refers to the fact that when Company A is hostilely acquired by Company B, Company C intentionally proposes better acquisition conditions to acquire Company A in good faith, and Company B will either give up the acquisition or increase the acquisition cost.

The golden parachute is actually one of the company's so-called "three gold policies" (the other two golds are the golden handcuffs for core executives and the golden ladder for important employees), which means increasing the pensions and unemployment benefits of company executives. It is also to increase the acquisition cost of the acquiring company.

The scorched earth policy, also known as the crown jewel policy, involves only selling the most valuable parts of the company to make the acquiring company lose interest in the company.For example, IMAX can sell IMAX technology to make Jade give up the acquisition of IMAX.