The week ahead: MP3.com in court

MP3.com is scheduled for trial at U.S. District court in New York tomorrow in a copyright-infringement case.

In addition, today begins the weeklong Seybold publishing conference in San Francisco, with speakers including Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs, Adobe Systems CEO John Warnock and Eastman Kodak CEO Daniel Carp.

A series of August economic indicators will be released this week, such as the unemployment rate and hourly earnings. At its Tuesday meeting last week, the Federal Open Market Committee did not raise interest rates, stating that the economy has started to cool. Economic indicators should reflect this downturn.

The information was gathered from First Call/Thomson Financial, CCBN's StreetEvents and CNET Investor.

Monday, Aug. 28

Economic reports:

Personal income for the month of July is expected to rise 0.3 percent.

Earnings:

Certicom develops digital information security products for use in handheld computers, mobile phones, two-way pagers and other wireless devices. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 18 cents.

T/R Systems develops and markets digital document processing and printing systems. Per-share consensus estimate: 8 cents.

Other events:

MP3.com is scheduled for trial at U.S. District court in New York in a copyright-infringement case. The case may not go to trial if MP3.com and Universal Music Group are able to reach a settlement.

Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs will speak alongside Adobe Systems CEO John Warnock, Eastman Kodak CEO Daniel Carp and executives from Microsoft, Macromedia, Sun Microsystems and Xerox at the Seybold publishing trade show in San Francisco. The event runs from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1.

MGC Communications will split its stock 3-for-2. The company offers Internet, voice-over-digital subscriber line, local telephone service, custom calling features, and long-distance services to small and medium-sized businesses.

Sapient will split its stock 2-for-1. The company designs and develops Internet commerce solutions.

Tuesday, Aug. 29

New home sales figures will be released for the month of July. Analysts predict 840,000 new homes will have been sold, compared with 829,000 in July.

Consumer confidence for the month of August is expected to dip to 141.5.

Earnings:

Phoenix provides enterprise-wide client/server application software and related services to the financial services industry. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

Unify develops, markets and supports Internet application server solutions that enable organizations to deliver e-commerce applications by integrating legacy, custom-built and packaged applications with the Internet. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

LTX products are used to test system-on-a-chip, digital, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits. Per-share consensus estimate: 28 cents.

Trintech Group develops, markets and sells a suite of software products and electronic point-of-sale systems to customers located worldwide. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 8 cents.

Comverse Technology designs, manufactures, markets and supports computer and telecommunications systems and software for multimedia communications and information processing applications. Per-share consensus estimate: 34 cents.

3dfx Interactive develops products with 2D and 3D functionality that optimize both entertainment and general personal computer graphics applications. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 32 cents.

VTEL provides video networking software, services and systems to corporations, health care facilities, educational institutions and government operations. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 25 cents.

Other events:

Wit SoundView Semiconductor Bus Tour, Aug. 29 to Aug. 31. Santa Clara, Calif.

Wednesday, Aug. 30

Economic reports:

Leading Indicators are expected to increase 1 percent for the month of July.

Earnings:

Telstra provides telephone exchange lines to homes and businesses; it also provides data, Internet, online services and directory services. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

Alloy Online, an Internet destination, provides community, content and commerce aimed at boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 24. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 34 cents.

FuelCell Energy, a developer of electrochemical technologies for electric power generation. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

Netia Holdings provides fixed-line telecommunications services in Poland. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

Esterline Technologies creates products for several industries, including electronic equipment, metal fabrication, commercial aerospace and defense. Per-share consensus estimate: 42 cents.

ADE markets and services metrology and inspection systems for the silicon wafer and computer-disk manufacturing industries. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 11 cents.

Jetform offers its customers a range of form design, fill, work flow and output management products that support multiple hardware platforms, software operating systems, databases and applications. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

GetThere provides complete travel reservation capabilities to corporate and leisure travelers via the Internet. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 30 cents.

Thursday, Aug. 31

Economic reports:

Initial jobless claims are expected to rise to 315,000, according to Briefing.com.

Other reports to be released include Factory Orders, Chicago PMI, the Help-Wanted Index, Auto Sales and Truck Sales.

Earnings:

Asia Satellite Telecom, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates satellites for commercial services primarily to the broadcasting and telecommunications industries. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

Other events:

Credit Suisse First Boston Asian Technology Conference, Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. Hong Kong.

Plexus will split its stock 2-for-1.

Bell Microproducts will split its stock 3-for-2.

Merrill Lynch will split its stock 3-for-2.

Polycom will split its stock 2-for-1.

Incyte Pharmaceuticals will split its stock 2-for-1.

ViaSat will split its stock 2-for-1.

Friday, Sept. 1

Economic reports:

The unemployment rate for the month of August is expected to stay at 4 percent.

Hourly earnings for the month of August are expected to fall 0.1 percent to 0.3 percent.

The average workweek is expected to stay the same at 34.4 hours.

Construction spending for the month of July is expected to be released. Consensus estimates predict personal income will rise 0.3 percent.

Other reports to be released include Nonfarm Payrolls, NAPM Index and Michigan Sentiment.

Other events:

Netegrity will split its stock 3-for-2.

Rational Software will split its stock 2-for-1.

Also scheduled to announce earnings this week:

Eon Communications develops and markets next-generation Linux communications servers and software that integrate and manage voice, email and Internet communications for customer contact centers and other applications. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 10 cents.

Netgateway offers Internet storefronts and business-to-business strategies that involve large numbers of transactions, extensive work flow automation and back-end integration. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 15 cents.

Voyager.net provides dial-up Internet access to residential subscribers and businesses. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 26 cents.

Smartserv Online provides comprehensive online informational and transactional services over the Internet, wireless and traditional telephone networks. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

Methode Electronics manufactures component devices worldwide. Per-share consensus estimate: 24 cents.

Medical Manager provides software for doctors' offices to manager patients and drugs. Per-share consensus estimate: N/A.

Prophet 21 develops, markets and supports a suite of Year 2000-compliant, distribution-centric enterprise applications for Windows NT, Unix and AS/4000. Per-share consensus estimate: 17 cents.

Careinsite markets a set of transaction, messaging and content services to physicians, payers, suppliers and patients. Per-share consensus estimate: loss of 26 cents.