Disney CEO and chairman Robert Iger has spent 15 years trying to make Shanghai Disney a reality and now he’s only two years away from walking through its gates. He shared an image yesterday with 450 of the company’s stockholders of what the central 11 acres of the park will look like, including the park’s signature castle. This one, just to put a little exclamation point on things, will be taller than any of the castles in Disney’s five other parks, the Phoenix Business Journal reports.

What Iger didn’t get into is that the new park is close enough to serve as some competition to the one on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, that opened in 2005 and only just turned a profit last year, the L.A. Times reports. Close to half of the visitors to the park—which is 52 percent owned by the Hong Kong government and 48 percent owned by Disney—come from mainland China. Continue reading...

On Feb. 7, 2007, Stephanie Lenz did something completely unmiraculous. She posted a 29-second video of her 14-month-old son dancing around the house with a push toy while enjoying Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy. Cute, right?

Universal Music's lawyers were less than charmed — and a six-year legal battle ensued between the music giant and Google, the parent company of YouTube. While more than 1.2 million people have heard Prince do his thing on the video since its posting, Universal has been trying to get Lenz to take it down, citing copyright infringement.

But Lenz and lawyers with the Electronic Frontier Foundation have been fighting to keep it up — and will now have have their case heard before a jury. At issue is whether Universal considered the definition of “fair use” before sending the takedown message, The Hollywood Reporter notes.Continue reading...

Hostess is in talks to sell off bread brands, as makers of Thomas' English muffins and Tastykake snacks emerge as two of the bidders for Wonder Bread according to the Wall Street Journal.

Hulu CEO resigns as web TV startup faces impasse.

NHL resolves labor dispute, faces shortened season.

Apple envy one of Fast Company's suggested New Year's Resolutions for brands.

Bank of America settles with Fannie Mae for $10 billion.

BMW is paring back car discounts in Germany.

CES lures brands and marketers to Las Vegas.Continue reading...

Nearly two years after getting a green light to acquire 51% OF NBC Universal from GE, Comcast is updating its logo to reflect its new identity.

No longer 'just' America's largest cable operator and provider of video, voice and data services, it has long been in the cable and broadband programming game with brands such as E! and G4 (soon to be Esquire Channel) and its regional sports networks.

But it truly became a player in the entertainment space as the majority owner of NBC's national broadcast services, the Universal studio and related brands and assets, and now it's strutting the tail feathers it inherited as part of the NBCU deal.Continue reading...

AT&T sees end of copper-wire era, and agrees to pay fee to settle overcharging dispute.

McDonald's monthly sales drop for first time in nearly a decade.

Coca-Cola plans to boost corporate social responsibilty as growth key.

Burberry rethinks small-cities push.

CNN edges Fox News in overall election-night cable ratings.

Carlsberg says SAB Miller faces organizational "challenges" in Russia.

Dunkin' Donuts partners with Universal to tap into Latin music.Continue reading...

Apple flirts with first trillion-dollar valuation for a company as iPhone 5 first weekend sales top five million and Apple tops YouTube and Aston Martin as "coolest UK brand." Apple also halted production at Foxconn factory after mass brawl, and seen hogging new iPhone for its own stores. Its legal team has also asked CA judge to boost award from Samsung.

Alfa Romeo plots return to USA, with Chrysler helping Fiat.

American Airlines racks up flight delays and cancellations.

Applebee's reboots its marketing with inflatable dolls.

Boeing struggles with makeover of 777.

Conde Nast launches French Vanity Fair into economic headwinds and skepticism.Continue reading...

Apple is poised to sell 10 million iPhones in smash debut but sparks backlash by unseating Google maps from its platform.

Adidas cuts Reebok revenue forecast.

Walmart drops Kindle in slap at Amazon, as Amazon Fresh makes grocers nervous.

BASF buys U.S. seed-technology company Becker Underwood.

BlackBerry hit by service outage across much of world in another setback for RIM smartphone brand.

BSkyB deemed fit to hold license by U.K.

CKE delays IPO of parent of Hardee's and Carl's Jr. brands.Continue reading...

Google homepage logo pays tribute to the opening of the XXX Olympic Games in London.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos pledges $2.5 million in support of gay marriage as Chick-Fil-A deals with firestorm created by CEO’s gay-marriage stance.

Barclays reveals new interest-rate probe and more U.S. lawsuits.

Airbus delays A350 over production problems.

Apple acquires fingerprint security firm.Continue reading...