Mercury News reports that Steve Jobs has been found to be in the clear when it comes to criminal charges related to the backdated options he received as CEO. Backdating isn’t always illegal, but steps must be followed, including disclosure rules.

In Apple’s case, the company has admitted the grant to Jobs, approved in December 2001, was backdated by two months and that the grant documents were falsified, an act that has been condemned by everyone involved in the matter.

But it was a star-studded board of directors that actually approved the favorable grant date, not Jobs, to end a tough negotiation to compensate him for his company leadership. Among the board notables who approved the grant were Arthur Levinson, Genentech’s president and CEO; Larry Ellison, Oracle’s powerful leader; William Campbell, Intuit’s former CEO; and Millard Drexler, former president and CEO of The Gap. Jobs is also on the board, but did not vote on his own grant.

Legal experts and lawyers familiar with the grant say it would be difficult for prosecutors to base a securities fraud case against Jobs on the backdating of his own grant when it was approved by the board, particularly because most securities fraud indictments allege corporate boards were deceived.

"Jobs can take the defense, `What do I know about the proper accounting for this transaction? I didn’t keep a secret from anybody and assumed the accounting would be proper,"’ said Joseph Grundfest, a Stanford law professor and former SEC commissioner. "That would seem to distinguish the Apple situation."

The article goes on in much greater depth, if you can stomach it. But suffice it to say that everyone in Burbank and Emeryville is breathing a sigh of relief. If Jobs had been convicted it would likely have precluded him from remaining on the Disney Board of Directors, not to mention running his main company, Apple.

(Read more at Mercury News, use BugMeNot.com to find a login key if needed)

Hong Kong Disneyland officially opens September 12th. But via the magic of the internet here’s a quick pointer to some great merchandise from the park. LaughingPlace.com has managed to secure availability of some souveniers and pins that are exclusive to the new theme park. I’m thinking of getting this Stitch Mug myself.

Update: I forgot to mention that this merchandise is only available for a limited time through The Laughing Place Store.

[ttags: disney, disneyana, shopping, laugingplace, hongkongdisneyland, hong+kong+disneyland, disneyland, hkdl ]

Disney has high hopes that its new park, its second in Asia after
Tokyo, will be able to exploit the potentially vast market in China and
the rest of the continent. It has even engaged in a sponsorship deal
with China’s Communist Youth League and designed the park’s layout with
the help of feng shui masters.

The Telegraph has a good article that lists the woes facing the Disney themepark as it prepares to open. Still, I wish I was there.

Hong Kong Disneyland’s Public Relations Department must feel like they’re under attack. Now it’s college students alledging that the Hong Kong government is secretly cutting Disney some slack when it comes to laws and regulations.

At the same time back in the states Disney is fighting off accusations that the independant auditor they hired to check out accusations of labor law violations at the factories that produce themepark toys is not really independant and has a bad track record of erring on the side of the corporations that hire them.

[ttags: disney, disneyland, hongkong, hong+kong, hkdl, themepark, themeparks, theme+park ]

Remembrances and and tributes to the late Joe Ranft, head of story at Pixar, keep rolling in. In light of the 10th Anniversary of Toy Story, the film that drew Joe to Pixar, I wanted to shed light on a few of those posts.

Susan posts a few insights from the family’s memorial for Joe, "Director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life) talked about how
Joe always signed the drawings he gave to him with the inscription ‘Your pal Joe.’ He said that Joe stood up for you. Found what was
worthy about you. Saw the better artist in us. The better person you
could be. You aspired to his vision of you. ‘Joe was the bridge that
made us all pals.’"

Ronnie Del Carmen continues to track tributes to Joe and gives a few of her own as well including a wonderful sketch in his memory.

Lea posts a personal thanks to Joe, thanking him for his part in helping her autistic child.

Lost in a Sea, who went to school with Joe, thinks, "oe was an example cited frequently, not merely because of the odd sense
of pride and envy inherent in ‘I knew him before he was . . . ,’ but
also because he personnified the notion of following and living a
dream, and parlaying talent into that holiest of secular grails, making
a career out of something you truly enjoy. I want to believe that since
last week, all the Angels have been a little less productive. Joe has
got them cackling out loud with stories, voices, characters and
everything else in his ample talent reservoir."

Mercurie writes, "He was loved by his fellow animators at Pixar, not simply for being a
great talent, but also for being one of the kindest, gentlest men
around. I don’t think it is truly possible to measure the enormity of
his loss not only to Pixar, but to the animation community as a whole.
He will most certainly be missed."

[ttags: pixar, disney, joeranft, joe+ranft, obituary, memorial, death, emeryville, animation ]

Looks like Florida is about to get hit by its second hurricane force storm this year. That’s two with the whole months of September and October to go. Hurricane Katrina, if the storm reaches 75 MPH sustained winds, is currently forecast to stay well south of the central Florida attraction area including the Walt Disney World properties. Tampa Bay and its attractions and people, however, may not be so lucky. It looks like they’ll be on the leeward, more powerful, side of the storm as it goes up the west coast.

If you’re already here or planning to arrive in Florida in the next few days you’ll want to keep an eye on the forcast charts at the National Hurricane Center. I will, of course, try and keep you up to date here.

The shockwaves from Pixar Animator and Story man Joe Ranft’s death continue to spread across the internet and the world. Searches on his name now rank number 3 on technorati and reflections on how Ranft’s work and life continue to be posted.

Ranft’s death is immensely sad news for the creators and fans of animation everywhere. If there is one small comfort, it is obvious by the outpouring of sadness that his life, though too short by far, touched so many people in a positive way. While his talent can never be replaced his spirit and influence will live on in the lives of all he taught, touched, and worked with.

I will continue to post links to other tributes as I find them.

"I used to call him the Secret Weapon, because while everybody in the world knew John Lasseter of Pixar had a ton of talent and a fabulous gift for spinning animated yarns, Joe was the one who gave those Pixar stories their heart. He and John were a team, as close as two creative kindred can get. Joe and John entertaining each other — that’s how Pixar stories began their journeys into becoming films. Joe would riff on an idea, John would add to it or react to it with his trademark childlike glee, Joe would go off and put it into the storyboards, and come back and perform the boards for John and the animators, invariably to a ton of laughter and all-around appreciation." – Mike at Network LIVE.

"If you’ve ever watched an extra feature on a Pixar DVD or listened to a commentary, you heard Joe Ranft and you felt his goofy charm, his wittiness and that spirit that shaped the stories of so many films that you now love. As a fan of the art of animation, I feel terribly grieved by the loss." – Gary at ScienceFictionTwin.

"A few days ago the world lost Joe Ranft, head of story at Pixar Animation Studios. It is a terrible, terrible tragedy and by the outpouring of sympathy and reminisces across the internet, he will be very well missed. He contributed to nearly every film of the second golden age of animation; nearly every film of my childhood." – Nick at The Firehouse Stomp.

"Over the last few days, I have been reading pages and pages of rememberances and condolences from people all over the world regarding Joe. Some from family, friends and co-workers. Most, from those, like myself, who know only his work. They all have in common a complete admiration and reverance for a man who stood atop the highest plateau in our field helping to conduct the finest symphony on the planet" – James at The Iron Scythe.

"All the way from his early work on The Brave Little Toaster, Joe Ranft brought me closer to becoming the animation fan I am today. I thanked him for that and he was so greatful and is really such a nice guy. We didn’t lose a great artist. We lost a great human being and the animation world will never be the same without him." – Powerful Dog.

[ttags: pixar, disney, joeranft, joe+ranft, death, obituary, tribute, memorial, animation, emeryville ]

Hong Kong Disneyland (new website!) is nearing completion. Training for employees is well underway (500 have already worked at Walt Disney World and will pass that experience along), most of the tiny details that make Disney theme parks so special have been installed, and I must say the park looks great. LaughingPlace.com’s "Tales from the Laughing Place" magazine editors, Lee and Lindsay, have been granted phenomenal access to the park for the 4th issue of the magazine:

Issue 4 is dedicated to the creation of Hong Kong Disneyland. Launching in September the issue will comprise extensive interviews with the creative imagineers behind the latest Magic Kingdom including supervising imagineer Tom Morris and John Verity who has been responsible for the construction of this newest resort. A land-by-land series will take readers through the inspiration behind Hong Kong Disneyland and provide insights to the challenges encountered in Penny’s Bay and the process of building a theme park Disney-style. In addition Tales subscribers will be able to read about the development of merchandise and food & beverage offerings for this new resort.

If you’re any kind of Disney fan you should be subscribing to this magazine and ordering all the back issues too (issue 3 was just released, so there aren’t that many). I promise you it will make you forget about the now defunct Disney Magazine.

As part of their access, Lee and Lindsay have been sending back photo essays of the park to the website. The first was of the train station and esplanade that leads up to the park, the second now reveals what Main Street looks like. Lot’s of great details, an incredible restaurant interior, and our first look at a completed Sleeping Beauty Castle (the first one built as a clone of Disneyland U.S.A.’s castle).

Certainly makes me want to book a trip.

[ttags:disney, disneyland, hongkong, hongkongdisneyland, hkdl, laughingplace, mainstreet]