World's Preeminent Film Archive of the Middle East To Be Sold at the Ocean Tomo Live Intellectual Property Auction

World's Preeminent Film Archive of the Middle East To Be Sold at the Ocean Tomo Live Intellectual Property Auction

Never Been Available to the Public; 120 hours of Footage of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates

CHICAGO, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Ocean Tomo Auctions, LLC announced today the inclusion of a unique historical film asset in The Ocean Tomo Fall 2006 Intellectual Property Auction to be held on October 26th. The Franklin Film Archive of the Middle East, the preeminent assemblage of Middle East film footage in the world, and all associated copyrights will be made available to the public for the first time at the live event in New York City.

The Archive was created as Jo Franklin filmed throughout the Middle East from 1980 to 1994 where she was given unprecedented access in the relatively open era of the post-1970s oil embargo. The 120-hour film archive has been hailed as the premier collection of footage on the Middle East because it grants a rare and broad viewing of places and insight into peoples that is unparalleled.

Only 9 of the 120 hours has ever been telecast as a collection of acclaimed documentaries which aired on PBS: "Saudi Arabia" (1981), "The Oil Kingdoms" (1983), "Days of Rage: The Young Palestinians" (1989) and "Islam: A Civilization and its Art" (1994). Ms. Franklin produced and directed the unique history-making series that aired to rave critical reviews, unprecedented audience numbers and repeated worldwide broadcasts. Throughout Operation Desert Storm, the first three documentaries, known as The Middle East Trilogy, was used by the U.S. Department of State, and U.S. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. and the U.S. Department of Defense to train their personnel for deployment to the Persian Gulf. Ms. Franklin's documentaries have won numerous awards including an Emmy nomination.

In addition to the broadcast documentaries, The Franklin Film Archive contains 111 hours of unaired footage shot on 16mm film. This footage was compiled as the filmmaker took cameras to never before filmed cities, villages and deserts throughout Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Ms. Franklin documented the landscapes and interviewed kings, presidents, women, children, businessmen, Bedouins, historians and religious leaders about their lifestyle, politics, history, art, religion, defense and economics.

"It is almost impossible to exaggerate the long-term value of The Franklin Film Archive," stated Dr. Carney Gavin, former Director of the Harvard University Semitic Museum, now Curator of the Archives of Historical Documentation. "Ms. Franklin traveled to places a camera had never been before and opened up the Middle East with an unerring journalist's eye. The footage offers an extraordinary window into the world of the Middle East to understand the people, how they think, how they live, how they feel at a time when it's never been more important."

Jo Franklin served as Senior Producer of the "MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour," covering the White House, Congress, the Middle East and the Defense Department and was named "One of the Top 50 Film Producers in the U.S," by Millimeter Magazine.

"We are extremely pleased Ms. Franklin has chosen Ocean Tomo Auctions to monetize this exceptional piece of intellectual property," said Dean Becker, Vice Chairman of Ocean Tomo. "This exciting and prestigious addition to the already outstanding inventory in the Fall Auction demonstrates Ocean Tomo's growing recognition across all industries including the entertainment industry."

For more information on The Franklin Film Archive, The Ocean Tomo Fall 2006 Live Intellectual Property Auction or to submit intellectual property for inclusion in future Ocean Tomo Auctions, please call 312.377.4851 or visit http://www.oceantomoauctions.com/ .

About Ocean Tomo, LLC:

Ocean Tomo, LLC ( http://www.oceantomo.com/ ), the Intellectual Capital Merchant Banc(R) firm, was established in 2003. The firm specializes in understanding and leveraging intellectual property assets and provides advice in IP-related mergers and acquisitions, valuations, expert services, analytics and IP auctions. Ocean Tomo has offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Palm Beach, Orange County and Washington, DC. In April of 2006, Ocean Tomo conducted the first-ever, live patent auction at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, and in May of 2006, Ocean Tomo was appointed as Back-Up IP Manager for an approximately $1.8 Billion trademark royalty rights securitization -- the largest IP securitization ever. Subsidiaries of Ocean Tomo include: Ocean Tomo Capital Fund, LP -- a $200 million private equity investment fund; and Ocean Tomo Asset Management, LLC -- an SEC Registered Investment Advisor offering hedge funds utilizing IP-based investment strategies.

Source: Ocean Tomo Auctions, LLC

CONTACT: Wendy Chou, Ocean Tomo Auctions, LLC, +1-718-812-6707, or
wchou@oceantomo.com

Web site: http://www.oceantomo.com/
http://www.oceantomoauctions.com/

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