RealNetworks to Spin Off Casual Games Unit

RealNetworks plans to spin its casual gaming division off as an independent entity. The division will better position the casual games unit more competitively against the market, said RealNetworks. The entity would also be able to make its own acquisitions and focus on its "core business," which is not necessarily served if RealNetworks' other interests […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Facebook Soups Up Security, Partners with 49 Attorneys General

To buttress users against inappropriate conduct and content, Facebook has joined ranks with 49 Attorneys General. "Building a safe and trusted online experience has been part of Facebook from its outset," said Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly. "We are proud to join 49 states and the District of Columbia in affirming our commitment to these principles." Per its […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 5/8/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: DoubleClick introduced a widget calculating tool that tells advertisers how much weight their widgets are pulling among users. Agencies and Execs: DG FastChannel and Enliven Marketing Technologies Corp. plan to merge in a deal valued at $98 million. Havas Media acquired interactive firm archibald ingall stretton and will integrate it into the agency. Larry Gerbrandt left […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Americans Befuddled by Financial Jargon Make Investing Mistakes

Most Americans find the language of Wall Street technical and confusing and may be making investing mistakes and missing opportunities as a result, according to a nationwide survey by AARP Financial Inc, MarketingCharts writes. More than half (52%) of 1,203 adults surveyed said they've made an investment that had an unfavorable outcome - such as unexpected […]

Posted: Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Google Attempts to Patent Ad Consumption Behavior

Techdirt reports that Google is trying to patent targeted video advertising behaviors that compel audiences to watch a set number of TV commercials in exchange for programming. The patent for "Targeted Video Advertising" includes the following clauses: [1] 'Users may be allowed to skip particular commercials, but required to watch or accept a set number of commercials […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

eBay Airs Dirty Legal Nappies: craigslist Suit Goes Public

eBay has released full details of its lawsuit against craigslist, an online classifieds site in which it owns a 28.4 percent stake. The suit was filed in April. According to the document, eBay "seeks equitable and legal relief against [craigslist executives] Newmark and Buckmaster, for breaching their fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and good faith by implementing […]

Posted: Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Music Streaming Sites Owe King-Sized Royalties to ASCAP

US District judge William Conner has ruled that artists be paid royalties for songs streamed across online music services, reports The Associate Press. Payment scales were arranged for the The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). In particular, Yahoo, AOL and RealNetworks owe millions of dollars in back payments to ASCAP. Legacy royalties are […]

Posted: Thursday, May 1st, 2008

NJ Court Determines Web Users Have the Right to Privacy

A New Jersey court has ruled internet users have the right to expect their online activity will be private, reports MediaPost. During the case, which dealt with a criminal matter, the court ruled a user's IP address cannot be disclosed to police by an ISP without a grand jury subpoena. It likened IP information to […]

Posted: Friday, April 25th, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 4/24/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: Adap.tv launched OneSource, the first "universal" video ad platform for multi-site video publishers. Broadband Enterprises has signed on as the exclusive provider of video overlay ads to ScanScout. Behavioral targeting firm Phorm could run afoul of online security firms if they decide Phorm's cookies are adware. So far, no one has made that claim. Gorilla […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Justice Department Takes Closer Look at Yahoo/Google Liaison

Yahoo's two-week test partnership, whereby Google sold search ads on its search page, has attracted the interest of the US Justice Department, reports The Los Angeles Times. It has not been revealed what the Justice Dept. is looking for, but the two companies say they have provided the requested documents. The inquiry likely involves anti-trust […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Global Mobile Ad Guidelines Published by Mobile Marketing Association

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), which presides over 600 companies in the mobile marketing space, has published a set of industry ad guidelines (pdf). Designed to protect customers while encouraging global advertisers to explore the space, the guidelines include the following: Recommended aspect ratios are 6:1 (default) and 4:1 (extended) Recommended banner widths are 120, 168, 216 and […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Google Sued, Again by Kabateck, Over Lack of Clarity in AdWords Bidding

InformationWeek reports Google is again being sued — this time, because of a box in the AdWords buying process. The box enables advertisers to enter a maximum CPC bid. Its purpose is to help companies keep a tight rein on ad spend, but advertisers that leave the box blank are apparently enrolled in the CPC […]

Posted: Thursday, April 24th, 2008

BayTSP, NTT to Launch DIY Copyright Protection Technology for Online Video

BayTSP has formed a partnership with NTT that enables publishers to use video and audio fingerprinting technologies to learn whether their content is misused online, particularly on sites like Google Video, YouTube or Daily Motion. BayTSP provides content authentication technology; NTT's content recognition platform has not, up until this point, debuted in the US. NTT has provided […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 4/22/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: Increased targeting, and reasonable prices (compared with direct buying), play roles in the growth of ad networks amidst a crippled US economy. The Travel Ad Network, which has several high-profile publisher partners, raised $15 million in its first big round of financing. IdentifiedHits is a new ad network on Facebook that does for […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Yahoo Sued Over Faulty Overture Affiliate Program

Online collectibles retailer BigReds.com has filed suit against Yahoo for click fraud-related issues, reports ComputerWorld. BigReds.com says between 2002 and 2006 it was charged more than $936,000 in pay-per-click charges. The company began using Overture as a PPC vendor in 2002. Overture was acquired by Yahoo in 2003. According to BigRed, Overture developed an online affiliate program […]

Posted: Monday, April 21st, 2008

Blockbuster Takes Flak for Participation on Beacon

A Dallas woman has sued Blockbuster for its participation in Facebook's Beacon advertising program, reports MediaPost. The suit alleges Blockbuster violated the Videotape Privacy Protection Act by exposing her movie rental activity to her Facebook friends. The law's purpose is to keep movie rental history private. The suit appears to be the first involving Beacon, which suffered […]

Posted: Monday, April 21st, 2008

British Lawmakers Levy for 'iPod Tax'

The UK music industry is pushing for a tax on music uploaded to portable devices like iPods, reports The Globe and Mail. The so-called "iPod Tax" would tax users that port music from a personal computer to a portable music player, even if they purchased that music in CD form or on iTunes. It is the […]

Posted: Friday, April 18th, 2008

CA Considers State Tax on Digital Downloads

California is making moves that could lead to taxation of digital download purchases such as music and movies, reports CNET. State Democratic Assemblyman Charles Calderon recently introduced a bill that would bring "digital property" under the umbrella of taxable items. The rules were previously only applicable to physical items. While the bill was defeated this time, Calderon […]

Posted: Thursday, April 17th, 2008

IAB Debuts UGC, Social Media Overview

The IAB has released the "User-Generated Content and Social Media Advertising Overview." Its purpose is to outline how UGC and social media has altered the digital consumer experience. UGC and social media are formally defined and buttressed by case studies of successful implementations. Download the document on the IAB website.

Posted: Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Industry Buzz & Snippets: 4/15/08

Ad Networks and Analytics: comScore said AOL's Platform-A was the top-ranked ad network in March, reaching nine out of 10 online users by combining myriad niche verticals. Ad targeting shop Visible World raised $25 million to expand operations. WidgeBucks is now the first widget network operator big enough to be counted by comScore. Agencies and Executives: Former Interpublic and MTV […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 15th, 2008