In 2007, before the economic apocalypse stopped everything in its tracks, the ad tech industry witnessed a bevy of acquisitions in the broader display ecosystem: RightMedia, BlueLithium, Doubleclick, aQuantive all got acquired. After we realized the world would not implode and corporate development activity resumed, there was an expectation that we would see a return of M&A among display ad networks -- but let's face it, that's simply not happened.

We all know consumers will -- well, usually -- sit through ads to watch videos and TV shows. But how far-reaching is their appetite for paying for content?

here is a growing trend of brands becoming publishers, investing in creating engaging content - a trend also recently supported by Google. Videos created by a brand will be different from a 30-second spot, or even a 60-second advertorial that can run before a video. Brands will create the actual content: stories the brands wish to tell. These videos will usually be part of an overall content strategy where the videos will speak to some targeted audience, sparking awareness, educating interest, and even discovering potential buyers out there in the measurable and quantifiable (wonderful) Internet.

If you're working in the online video world, you may have to deal with copyright challenges, so it's helpful to know something about the law in this area. The biggest misconception surrounding copyright law is that commercial use nullifies, or invalidates, fair use. That's incorrect.

Is amassing a large YouTube subscriber list the beginning or the end of your video content strategy? If you answered the latter, it may be time to reevaluate your approach. The goal of any branded YouTube channel should not be to simply generate a large subscriber count. Those are vanity metrics that look good on paper but carry less meaning to your bottom line.

Gaming videos are immensely popular on YouTube, and their number is growing by leaps and bounds. For marketers going after this segment, YouTube recently analyzed specific video viewing patterns in a study that reveals interesting details about viewers' consumption habits.

The fastest growing channel in online advertising, online video is exploding. How many times have you heard that before? It's all true. But what's also true is that it could do a lot better.

With half of 2013 completed, we look back at the main stories of the year this far in online video.