View source for Constellation 3D

{{short description|Defunct technology company}}
'''Constellation 3D''' (C3D) was a company developing a medium for [[3D optical data storage]], using the product names fluorescent multilayer disc (FMD) and fluorescent multilayer card (FMC).<ref name="demo"/><ref name=zdnetuk>{{Cite web |date= January 20, 2001 |author= Graeme Wearden |work= ZDNet UK |url= http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,2083842,00.htm |title= Constellation 3D moves toward mega-storage |url-status= dead |archive-date= December 11, 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061211173759/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,2083842,00.htm |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref>

== History ==
Constellation 3D Technology Limited was a development company, development that started in 1996.  The company was formed in the [[British Virgin Islands]], controlled by Irish company Constellation 3D Holdings Limited.  Constellation 3D Technology Limited concentrated the R&D taking place in the United States, Israel, Russia, Ukraine and additional subcontractors in other countries. It held the intellectual property rights, later transferred to a subsidiary of its own in the United States.  Constellation 3D Holdings was the holding entity for shareholders in the above-mentioned countries and others.

In 1999 as part of its efforts for raising funds for its development, since the company had millions of dollars in losses with no revenues,  there was a reverse merge into C3D Inc., in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]] acquired its assets.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 12, 1999 |title=Form 10-12G: Registration of securities |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/000095011699002057/0000950116-99-002057.txt |access-date=October 11, 2021 |publisher=US Securities and Exchange Commission}}</ref>
The new C3D was formed with the name Latin Venture Partners on December 27, 1995.<ref name="annual1999">{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2000 |title=Form 10K/A: Annual Report for Year Ending December 31, 1999 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/000095011600000723/0000950116-00-000723.txt |access-date=October 11, 2021 |publisher=US Securities and Exchange Commission}}</ref> and  changed to C3D Inc. on March 24, 1999, in anticipation of a proposed transaction with Constellation Holdings. From its inception until October 1, 1999, C3D had no business operations.<ref name="annual1999">{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2000 |title=Form 10K/A: Annual Report for Year Ending December 31, 1999 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/000095011600000723/0000950116-00-000723.txt |access-date=October 11, 2021 |publisher=US Securities and Exchange Commission}}</ref>

In November 1999 the company started reporting in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

In parallel to  the [[dot-com bubble]] near the end of 1999, the share price rose 31 fold in less than a year after a few private demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |work= Press release |publisher= Bloomberg |date= December 7, 2000 |url= http://www.c-3d.net/articles/dec8.htm |title= C3D Shares Soar After High-Capacity Storage Discs Demonstration |url-status= dead |archive-date= February 11, 2001 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010211215500fw_/http://www.c-3d.net/articles/dec8.htm |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= C3D seeks help to bring optical system to market |author= Craig Matsumoto |date= December 1, 1999 |url= https://www.eetimes.com/c3d-seeks-help-to-bring-optical-system-to-market/ |work= EE Times |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref>
The dramatic rise in the price invited questions at the time,<ref name="questions">{{Cite news |title= C3D's Dramatic Run Invites Questions |work= HPC Wire |url= https://www.hpcwire.com/1999/12/17/c3ds-dramatic-run-invites-questions/ |author= Sean Davis |date= December 17, 1999 |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref> both outside the company and also inside it. As stated by a former director: "At the reverse merge Constellation 3D Technology received restricted shares.  There were very few tradable shares in the hands of the shareholders of C3D Inc previous to the merge.  The striking jumps in the price of the shares up and down made impossible the discussions with investors.  These oscillations, and the following influence on the markets of the melting of the dot.com bubble kept the company always running after the dollar for financing the development"

In January 2000, the symbol for shares was changed to CDDDE after the company failed to comply with listing requirements.  Following corrections reported on January 14, 2000, the symbol was changed to CFMD.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Form 10K/A: Registration of securities Amendments |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= January 14, 2000 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/000095011600000048/0000950116-00-000048.txt |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref>

Its chairman was former chief of defense research for Israel, Brigadier General Itzhak Yaakov, president and CEO [[Eugene Levich]], interim chief operating officer Michael Goldberg, and general manager of products Ingolf Sander.<ref name="annual1999" />  The company was headquartered in New York.

By early 2000, Yaakov was no longer chairman, and in 2001 (when he was 75 years old) it was reported that he had been arrested in Israel being accused for espionage.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Alleged spy chaired C3D: He was fired over a vision thing, firm shrugs |date= April 24, 2001 |url= https://www.thestreet.com/technology/alleged-spy-chaired-c3d-1401853 |work= The Street |access-date= October 12, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Israel Arrests Ex-General as Spy for Spilling Old Secrets |date= May 2, 2001 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/02/world/israel-arrests-ex-general-as-spy-for-spilling-old-secrets.html |author= Deborah Sontag |work= New York Times |access-date= October 12, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100115203458/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/02/world/israel-arrests-ex-general-as-spy-for-spilling-old-secrets.html?pagewanted=2 |archive-date= January 15, 2010 }}</ref>  He was charged, and tried on two national security offenses: the first, and more severe charge, being “high espionage,” passing secret information with intent to harm national security, while the second, lighter one, was disclosing secret information to unauthorized people.  Ya’tza was eventually acquitted by the district court of the more serious offense, but found guilty of the lesser charge.  He was given a two-year suspended sentence and was immediately released. His arrest and trial became known in Israel as the “Ya’tza Affair.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=YITZHAK "YA'TZA" YA'AKOV |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/yitzhak-yatza-yaakov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brig. General Yitzhak Yaakov, Who Developed Arms for Israel During Six Day War, Dies at 87 |url=https://www.haaretz.com/brig-general-yitzhak-yaakov-dies-at-87-1.5235706}}</ref>

The company announced a demonstration at the [[COMDEX]] trade show in November 2000.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Recordable Fluorescent Multilayer Discs Promise Huge Storage |author= Barry Willis  |date= October 29, 2000 |work= Sound and Vision |url= https://www.soundandvision.com/content/recordable-fluorescent-multilayer-discs-promise-huge-storage |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref>
Various numbers of layers were predicted. Besides a disk intended to store feature-length films at high definition, the company planned a ClearCard the size of a credit card that would store 5 to 10 gigabytes for use on a computer or other device.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Constellation 3D could be disc storage star |url= https://www.zdnet.com/article/holographic-dvd-adds-new-dimension-to-storage/ |date= August 16, 2000 |work= ZDNet |author=  Graeme Wearden |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref>

By the end of 2000, the company was losing over $20 million a year, and still had no revenue.<ref name="annual2000">{{Cite web |title= Form 10K/A: Annual Report for Year Ending December 31, 2000 |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= December 13, 2001 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/000102140801511356/d10ka.txt |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref>
By early 2001, the company had offices in [[New York City]] and [[Massachusetts]], with labs in California, Israel and Russia, and had an agreement with [[Lite-On]] for manufacturing.<ref>{{Cite news |title= C3D Announces Participation In Institutional Investor Conf |work= HPC Wire |url= https://www.hpcwire.com/2001/03/23/c3d-announces-participation-in-institutional-investor-conf/ |date= March 23, 2001 |access-date= October 11, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Fluorescent multilayer disks move closer to reality |url= https://www.electronicproducts.com/fluorescent-multilayer-disks-move-closer-to-reality/ |date= March 1, 2001 |work= Electronic Products |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref>  In August 2001 the company debuts First HDTV Compatible Fluorescent Multilayer Disc.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Company's website |url=http://www.c-3d.net/text/invest_rel_frameset.html}}</ref>  Nonetheless, according to Sander, "C3D found a unique way for storing data in up to 20 layers using fluorescent materials - however stability problems in the material could not be overcome".<ref name="ingolf">{{Cite web |title=Ingolf Sander's Professional Career webpage |url=http://www.ingrit.com/ingolf/career/index.htm |access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref>

On November 17, 2001, Target Invest Consulting LLC, based in Switzerland, registered in [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], had agreed to a debt financing of $15 million, with a bridge load of $2 million, through  Constellation 3D Technology Limited which provided collaterals for the bridge loan.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Form 8K: The C3D Financing Arrangement |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= November 17, 2001  |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/000095013001505779/d8k.txt |access-date= October 12, 2021 }}</ref>
By January, 2002, the financing was still not complete.
In March, 2002, a manufacturing joint venture was announced with Russia-based [[Sistema]] called OAO Kontsern Nauchny Tsentr.<ref name="demo">{{Cite news |title= C3D demonstrates multilayer high definition TV ROM FMD system |date= March 24, 2002 |work= Press release |publisher= CDR Info |url= https://www.cdrinfo.com/d7/content/c3d-demonstrates-multilayer-high-definition-tv-rom-fmd-system |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref>
However, about the same time the company started to cut staff after the funding was delayed.<ref>{{Cite news |work= Globes |title= Constellation 3D fires 15 while waiting for private investment |author= Avishai Ovadya |date= March 25, 2002 |url= https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-573579 |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |work= Press release |title= TIC Target Invest Consulting LLC Delayed in Providing Funding but Remains Committed to C3D |date= February 19, 2002 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/000102140802002585/0001021408-02-002585.txt |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref>

Target Invest Consulting LLC reassured several times that the investment though delayed would take place, including such a confirmation sent to the SEC by the attorney of Target Invest Consulting LLC.  Despite the reassurances,  Target Invest Consulting LLC failed to fulfil its commitments.  In April 2002 the internal legal advisor, Craig Weiner, and the chief financial officer Leonardo Berezowsky, reported to the Board that in the absence of the financing if the operations continue the company will be undertaking obligations that it won't be able to fulfil, with the consequent penalties.  Under the said circumstances the Board decided to shut down the company.   The company stopped all activities and on December 13, 2002, filed for bankruptcy, which was not completed until 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Commission order revoking Exchange Act registration Section 12(j) |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= June 6, 2011 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1080290/999999999713011503/filename1.pdf |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref>

A company called D Data Inc. acquired the entire [[patent portfolio]] of Constellation 3D in 2003, and promoted the technology under the new name of [[Digital Multilayer Disk]] (DMD). 
The digital multilayer disk promised six layers and some compatibility with red laser DVD players around 2005.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Blue-ray Versus HD-DVD: Other Storage Technologies |date= August 2005 |work= HWM |issn=  0219-5607 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=p-oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA101 |access-date= October 12, 2021|page= 101 }}</ref>
D Data published a web site until about the time of the [[great recession]] of 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title= D Data Inc. web site |url= http://www.ddatainc.com/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= June 19, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080619083909/http://www.ddatainc.com:80/ |access-date= October 12, 2021 }}</ref>

Competitors included [[InPhase Technologies]], which started demonstrating its own storage using holographic techniques around 2002.<ref>{{Cite news |title= InPhase Moves To Holographic Storage |work= HPC Wire |url= https://www.hpcwire.com/2002/04/05/inphase-moves-to-holographic-storage/  |date= April 5, 2002 |access-date= October 11, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Holographic DVD adds new dimension to storage |url= https://www.zdnet.com/article/holographic-dvd-adds-new-dimension-to-storage/ |date= April 5, 2002 |work= ZDNet |author= Rupert Goodwins |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref>
The [[high-definition optical disc format war]] resulted in a focus on the [[Blu-ray]] disk. Although some research on 3D disk formats continued, and the [[Versatile Multilayer Disc]] briefly promised ten layers, video streaming services eventually made the products no longer relevant by the 2010s.<ref>{{Cite news |work= Laser Focus World |title= Photonics Applied: Optical Data Storage: Can new techniques continue to densify optical data storage capacity? |date= October 1, 2012 |author= Gail Overton |url= https://www.laserfocusworld.com/lasers-sources/article/16549547/photonics-applied-optical-data-storage-can-new-techniques-continue-to-densify-optical-data-storage-capacity |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |work= Laser Focus World |title= A fight for vanishing spoils |date= January 22, 2007 |author= Dylan McGrath |url= https://www.eetimes.com/a-fight-for-vanishing-spoils/ |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref>
Some even mentioned this technology as one of the examples of [[vaporware]],<ref>{{Cite web |title= Vapourware: The tech that never was |work= CNet |author= Nate Lanxon |date= March 13, 2008 |url= https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/vapourware-the-tech-that-never-was/  |access-date= October 13, 2021 }}</ref> technologies developed but that were set aside as markets followed new different directions.

==References==
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[[Category:Rotating disc computer storage media]]
[[Category:Optical discs]]
[[Category:Defunct technology companies]]
[[Category:Companies of the British Virgin Islands]]