Consumers are willing to spend millions of dollars on the Web when it comes to music services like iTunes and gaming sites like Xbox Live. But when it comes to online news, they are happy to read it but loath to pay for it. Newspaper Web sites have been so popular that at some newspapers, including The New York Times, the number of people who read the paper online now surpasses the number who buy the print edition.

"Spamalot" fans who signed up for a newsletter on the Broadway musical's official Web site may end up getting, well, spammed a lot. "Movin' Out" devotees may have the same problem. A security glitch - now fixed - exposed the names and postal and e-mail addresses of more than 31,000 people to savvy computer users.

Internet bloggers should enjoy traditional press freedoms and not face regulation as political groups, lawmakers and online journalists said on Friday.

Six years after becoming an Internet domain-name registrar, GoDaddy is the second-largest domain registry in the world. And GoDaddy has achieved something that most of the doomed-to-go-bust dot-coms of the '90s never did: revenue.

Apple Computer Inc. has a winner despite increasing attacks by iPod wannabes. As Sony Corp., which introduced a new music player this week, and software maker Napster, with a new portable subscription service, crowd into the market, many analysts are nervous an 'iPod killer' will ravage Apple's ability to grow.

This year marks the coming of age for search, and as it passes, a plethora of new search opportunities will come about. In this three-part special report, the E-Commerce Times explores how the search industry is evolving, who the winners and losers will be, and what new developments are in store for users.

Canadian software developer and part-time humorist Eric Giguère made fun of the avalanche of Internet arthritis drug offers on his Web site last year. For his efforts, he received a $350 check from Internet search giant Google. Giguère has one of those ubiquitous "Ads by Google" links on his site, offering ads the search giant considers of interest to readers. You might think that people rarely click on them, but they do - and often.

U.S. consumers spent more on online content last year, with the biggest boost coming from entertainment and lifestyle news, a trade group said Thursday. Consumers handed over $1.8 billion in 2004 to content providers, a 14 percent increase over 2003, the Online Publishers Association said.

Despite early criticism of contextual ads, more marketers are turning to them to extend the reach of their search campaigns. But experts warn there are pitfalls if the campaign is not managed properly.

A key committee in the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved anti-spyware legislation Wednesday that includes revisions designed to make the bill more palatable to business interests. HR29, the Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act, or Spy Act, is sponsored by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California). It aims to prevent spyware purveyors from hijacking a homepage or tracking users' keystrokes, requires that spyware programs be easily identifiable and removable, and allows for the collection of personal information only after express consent is given by users.