Barclays CEO resigns as banking scandal spreads.

Best Buy stock rises on speculation of founder takeover.

Chrysler June sales beat estimates for five-year record.

Amazon buys 3D mapping startup.

Apple, Google and Facebook are engaged in a "message" war.

Boeing boosts long-term forecast for jet market, while jumbo jet demand wanes.

Cargill helps food companies reduce sodium.Continue reading...

On May 26, The L.A. Times quoted a Disney spokesman reasoning that "Out of deference to the Navy's application for these trademarks, we have withdrawn ours." It was the end of the weeks-long outrage over Disney's move to trademark "Seal Team 6" just two days after that unit was reported to have killed Osama Bin Laden. In those weeks, the Navy itself had moved to trademark "Navy Seals."

One positive outcome of Disney's bold move was that it appears to have lit a flame under the butt of the Department of the Navy. On May 25th, the day before Disney's withdrawal, the Navy made its latest application to trademark both "Marine Ops: The Crucible" and "Marine Ops."Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts of the past week range from Justin Bieber's Perfume to Lady Gaga's marketing blitz for Born This Way, her new album:

#1 Justin Bieber's New Perfume Gives Back While Taking From Marc Jacobs

#2 U.S. Navy Finally Applies To Trademark "Seals"

#3 Yes, Nike Knows It Just Released The 'Air Croc'

#4 Zombies Ate My Marketing Plan: CDC Stunt Runs Amok

#5 Pepsi's Green Cups Square Off With Coca-Cola's PlantBottles

#6 Ashton Kutcher Gets an A+ for Personal Branding

#7 Brands do the Time Warp (Again)

#8 Thanks to "The King's Speech" Director, Captain Morgan is Now a Gritty Badass

#9 USAA Gets Top Marks for Customer Experience

#10 It's Lady Gaga's World (We Just Live In It)

Disney withdraws SEALS trademark application in deference to the US Navy's trademark application.

Google will announce mobile commerce details tomorrow in New York.

Maria Sharapova is launching a lifestyle brand called Sugarpova.

Oprah's sign-off today, ending her 25 year-run as the queen of daytime TV: "To God be the glory." Peter Liguori, the interim CEO of Winfrey's OWN Network, also got a sweetened contract from co-OWNer Discovery Communications.

Univision releases a Groupon clone, Ufertas.com, aimed at US Hispanic consumers and brands.

The Navy Seals' next mission? Trademark themselves before Disney does.

Last week we reported that NovaLogic, Inc. had attempted to trademark "Seal Team 6" in both 2002 and 2004, years before Disney applied for the same trademark just days after the announcement identifying that specific team as the one that killed Osama bin Laden. Both of NovaLogic's applications were dormant at the time of Disney's application.

They weren't the only ones sensing a branding opportunity. On May 13, ten days after Disney's post-bin Laden application, the U.S. Department of the Navy filed two trademark applications.Continue reading...

In the race of brands looking to capitalize on the death of Osama bin Laden, we have a winner.

As details of the terrorist leader's death, and the SEAL team that shot him in the face, continue to come to light, Beretta Defense Technologies issued a statement. The weaponsmaker said it "wishes to thank the brave men of Navy SEAL Team Six who, together with our warfighters, selflessly risk their lives each day to make this world a safer place."

The statement comes complete with a banner ad that celebrates the "job well done" by SEAL team six. Of course, several commenters have pointed out one irony.Continue reading...

Flights resumed today in Europe but travel chaos isn't over, as Nissan and BMW suspend car production and duty-free retailers lose $34 million a day. [AP | Guardian | Bloomberg]

Toyota added the Land Cruiser Prado to its global SUV recall list. [NY Times]

Coca-Cola profits rose 20% in the first quarter thanks to Latin America growth. [Bloomberg]

Apple reports blow-out quarter, confirms iPad Wi-Fi and 3G for April 30. [VentureBeat | Apple]

Facebook will unveil new features tomorrow at its first developer conference. [VentureBeat]

China balks at IBM's "smarter planet" tagline. [NY Times]Continue reading...