• Google's Video Beta: Plenty Of Searching, But Where's The Video? by Gavin O'Malley

    Google dipped its big toe into the deep end of video search Tuesday, with the launch of Google Video. The video search prototype combs the closed captioning text of television shows, and then displays the results with a still image of the video, along with snippets of text and future show listings. The service allows users to explore content from broadcast and cable programs offered by the likes of PBS, NBA, Fox News, and C-SPAN. ...Read the whole story

  • Digitas Prepares To Swallow Pill, Sets Takeover Plan by Joe Mandese

    In a move presaging a potential run of M&A activity for interactive advertising services, Digitas Wednesday adopted a shareholder rights plan in an effort to dissuade a hostile takeover. It was unclear at presstime whether the move was precipitated by any specific overtures, but there were no public filings of an offer to acquire a large amount of Digitas shares, and there was no chatter on any of the Digitas shareholder message boards. ...Read the whole story

  • Online Ad Growth Moderates At Year-End by Gavin O'Malley

    Online ad spending, which began 2004 on a high note--racking up $826 million in the month of January alone--ended the year with a whimper, taking in just $648 million in December, according to estimates released Tuesday by AdZone Research. ...Read the whole story

  • SMS Poised To Spur Mobile Marketing Market by Shankar Gupta

    Frost & Sullivan, a software industry market research firm, Tuesday released the results of a study touting the potential and effectiveness of mobile marketing as a method of reaching and engaging consumers. ...Read the whole story

  • With A Little Help From Their 'Friends,' Studios, Labels, Hope To Sway Court by Ross Fadner

    A series of friend-of-the-court briefs were submitted Monday to the Supreme Court, urging it to overturn a lower court ruling that found Grokster and StreamCast Networks not responsible for the actions of users of their respective file-sharing networks. The plaintiffs in the case are the major motion picture studios and recording companies represented by the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America. ...Read the whole story

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