Google wants "open" to be the word associated with its brand. The company is creating an "AirPlay-like open platform" and it's a key member of the Open Internet Coalition, a lobby group backing the FCC's net neutrality rules in the US. It's also trying to raise awareness about Open Internet issues globally, today releasing a video (below) and Twitter hashtag campaign ahead of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) global meeting in Dubai. The call to action:Continue reading...

Google's July 4th message includes this user-generated American flag, which echoes the Declaration of Internet Freedom: "Just as we celebrate freedom, we need to celebrate the tools that support freedom. Add your voice here: http://goo.gl/qOAnS." (Watch the related video below.) Google, meanwhile, announced today that it's the end of the road for a number of products, including iGoogle, Google Video (which has lost out to YouTube) and Google Mini.Continue reading...

Texas Rep. Lamar Smith's now-pulled SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) bill ruled the week when it comes to Hollywood. Tinsel Town lobbyists pushed for a heavy-handed approach toward online copyright piracy, and the Internet heavyweights in Silicon Valley and beyond pushed back. Hard.

One detail lost in the debate was the SOPA product placement paradox: How Hollywood's revenue stream of product placements benefit from piracy.Continue reading...

Opponents of SOPA and PIPA cheered yesterday’s web blackouts as a critical juncture in the escalating debate over copyright protection.

“The Web blackout Wednesday may be remembered as one of the first successful online uprisings in the U.S., but leaders in the U.S. Senate still planned to begin voting on PIPA next Tuesday.”

California Representative Anna Eshoo, Dem., tweeted "I do not support #SOPA! It is overly broad, threatens the Internet, will hinder new jobs & hurt economic opportunities" with a link to her statement: “History is being made by the more than 10,000 websites that have chosen to boycott SOPA by participating in today’s blackout,” and she followed suit by blacking out her own website.

A key factor in the turn was the education made quickly available to the public about the complex issues and alliances involved as shown in the following two videos:Continue reading...

ABC deals with sensitive issue of airing Marianne Gingrich interview before South Carolina GOP primary.

Aetna refreshes its "brand promise."

Apple is expected to unveil digital-textbook service today.

BP agrees to a $20-billion to $25-billion oil-spill deal with Department of Justice, report says.

Christian Louboutin celebrates 20 years of his red-soled shoes.

Citroen ad banned in the UK as seizure-inducing.

Mark Cuban, Ryan Seacrest, AEG and CAA partner on AXS cable network launch.Continue reading...

In addition to protests in cities including San Francisco (where MC Hammer spoke) and New York, an estimated 10,000 websites went dark today in a widespread Internet protest to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) now before the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) before the Senate.

The bills target foreign websites that pilfer content and sell pirated and counterfeit goods, forcing U.S. companies to stop selling ads to suspected online pirates, processing payments for illegal sales and refusing to list suspected sites in search results.

Although a number of influential politicians backed down, SOPA's author and lead backer, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), told The Wall Street Journal today that the bill addresses concerns and isn't censorship, commenting: “It’s easy to engage in fear-mongering and it’s easy to raise straw men and red herrings, but if they read the bill they will be reassured.”

Smith, however, lost serious support among his colleagues.Continue reading...

Airbus raises prices of A320neo plane amid strong demand, as Boeing threatens to compete better in 2012 .

AirTran must reinstate whistleblower pilot.

American Express invests $125 million in China mobile payments startup.

Apple eases into corporate market with Macs, while textbook push draws interest.

BankUnited draws bids from TD Bank and others.

Beyonce and Jay-Z challenged by Blue Ivy trademark applicant.

Burberry sales surge on international demand.Continue reading...

Wikipedia is going offline on Jan. 18th as part of the mass online protest against SOPA: The Stop Online Piracy Act.  As the site explains:

The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States – the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate – that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including Wikipedia. This will be the first time the English Wikipedia has ever staged a public protest of this nature, and it’s a decision that wasn’t lightly made.Continue reading...