Google didn't acquire any spectrum in the latest FCC auction--Verizon and AT&T went home the big winners--but analysts say the "loss" could turn into a victory because it still stands to get access to mobile networks without having to spend tens of billions of dollars building one. Indeed, the Wall Street analysts claim that Google has succeeded in its strategy of "bidding to lose." Verizon Communications won the C-block spectrum that Google bid on, but under the auction rules, the telecom giant will be forced to allow devices and applications from other companies run on the new network. …

New York Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky has drafted a bill that would make it a crime for Web companies to use personal information about consumers without their consent. Brodsky conceived of the bill after reading an article about companies like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo using such information to more accurately target their advertising. Because it would be nearly impossible for such companies to abide by such rules in just one state, the bill--if it were to become law--would effectively outlaw the practice across the U.S. The bill is reportedly gaining support in Albany. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have …

In what could be "the online marketing shot heard 'round the automotive world." GM is saying it will dedicate half of its $3 billion marketing budget to digital and one-to-one marketing over the next three years. Because of the marketer's size--GM is the country's third-largest advertiser--some think its stated commitment to digital advertising could have a significant ripple affect across all U.S. brands. GM is looking to focus on search, gaming, mobile and a broad array of other interactive application. The move represents yet another step in the migration of auto advertising to the Web, as manufacturers …

Americans spent less time searching the Web in February, but they spent more of that time with Google, according to the latest numbers from comScore. Google increased its share of the search audience over Microsoft and Yahoo last month, scoring 59.2 percent of all core searches. That number is up from 58.5 percent in January. Meanwhile, Yahoo's share fell from 22.2 percent to 21.6 percent, and Microsoft's share dropped from 9.8 percent to 9.6 percent. Overall, Americans conducted 9.9 billion searches in February, a 6 percent decline from January, according to the Chicago-based research firm.

Apple is being given credit for a plunge in Microsoft's brand ranking in an annual survey among consumers. According to the 2008 CoreBrand survey, released on Wednesday, Microsoft now clocks in at No. 49 among global brands, a precipitous drop from its 2004 ranking of No. 11. The author of the study points to Apple's popular "Mac Vs. PC" ads as a possible culprit. Other tech brands shifted as well: Motorola dropped to No. 94 from No. 83 in 2006, while Toshiba rose 10 notches over the prior year, to No. 71. A similar study released Wednesday …

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein stated publicly this week that any proposal for Net neutrality before the commission should include an exemptions for illegal activities. The commission will be "very careful about the use of the Internet for illegal purposes, and that includes the illegal downloading of copyrighted works, which is a very serious problem," Adelstein said. The statement came as a welcome reassurance to heads of movie studios and record labels, who fear that Net neutrality could embolden those who illegally download copyrighted material. Still, Adelstein was quick to point out the inherent flaws in such exemptions: "The problem …