Apple loses iPad Mini trademark, and finds a fan in Kim Jong-un as North Korea rattles saber and tensions rise with U.S., while increased China headaches include hacking threat and iPad regulation.

Discovery Communications expands global channel reach and launches scripted programming.

Novartis loses cancer drug patent battle in India.

Amazon buys Goodreads community-driven user reviews website.

AMC reveals new tagline and logo.

Armani hires Cate Blanchett for $10M campaign.

AT&T scores with March Madness Twitter campaign.Continue reading...

Because the Tri-State market is so demographically broad, automakers load up their car haulers for the New York International Show and bring every conceivable type of new vehicle—from inexpensive fresh production models to concept cars that would demand seven-figure prices if they were available—in an effort to leave no segment of the local market unturned and to impress the hordes of journalists who've assembled in the world media capital.

Given that the U.S. auto-sales recovery continues to gain some steam, it's no surprise that this year's show at the Javits Center has attracted one of the most impressive hauls of automotive hardware to the New York show that's been seen in several years.

Here's a brand-by-brand account of some of what news media have been seeing as the show prepares to open to the public:

Honda got tongues wagging this week with, of all things, a vacuum cleaner. HondaVAC debutes in the Touring Elite version of the 2014 Honda Odyssey as the brand ups the ante in the rolling-living-room segment. The device was developed with Shop-Vac and is comprised of a powerful vacuum, replaceable filter and canister bag with nozzle accessories neatly integrated into a dedicated space on the driver's side bulkhead of the rear cargo area, Honda explained.Continue reading...

BlackBerry reports surprise profit after cutting expenses.

Twitter ad revenue projected to approach $1 billion next year as report says it agreed to allow censorship in Russia.

Chevron cuts executive compensation after string of accidents.

Belgium looks to EU for copyright protection of Belgian chocolate brand.

Best Western opens luxury hotel in Haiti, the first U.S. brand to break ground there. 

CBS could make TV Guide Network an "ESPN of celebrity gossip."

Comcast scores court victory in Philadelphia.

New Dentyne Ice campaign gets its message across with icy alphabet.

EADS gets backing of makeover plan by shareholders.Continue reading...

Because nothing can be easy in New York, Nissan is still battling political headwinds as it plans to demonstrate the latest version of its upcoming taxi for Gotham at the city’s New York International Auto Show, whose press previews this week precede the public show at the Javits Center.

Complaints from advocates of the disabled already prompted Nissan to strike a partnership with wheelchair-van maker Braun Corp. to customize a wheelchair-accessible version of the new taxi, which will be based on Nissan’s new NV200 van. Nissan beat out Ford and a Turkish vehicle maker to win the $1 billion, 10-year contract.

But now the deal is the subject of a lawsuit by a taxi-management company and an association of New York cab companies alleging that the NV200-based taxi is untested in city cab duty and is too expensive, at $29,000—and Mayor Michael Bloomberg overstepped his authority in giving Nissan a monopoly.Continue reading...

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg unveils $12 million ad campaign (above) for Mayors Against Illegal Guns that lobbies for background checks to reduce gun violence, while NYC's municipal data geek squad makes headlines.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz defends same-sex marriage support to shareholders as brand expands loyalty rewards to other retailers.

PepsiCo shares jump on Mondelez merger speculation sparked by Telegraph story which Pepsi "downplays."

Apple acquires indoor GPS startup WiFiSLAM for mapping, patents iPhone drop protection technology and faces EU scrutiny following iPhone and iPad distribution complaints — and may report first quarterly dip since 2003.

FTC "pay for delay" generic drug case, set to go before US Supreme Court on Monday, will be closely watched by pharmaceutical industry and economists.

Below: BlackBerry, Blockbuster, Dell, Diageo and other brands in the news —Continue reading...

Kia has forged a reality-show sponsorship with Univision as a way of tapping into its fast-growing appeal to Hispanic consumers and as the latest initiative in its efforts to become a brand known more for fun than for fuel economy.

The partnership is around the beauty pageant show Nuestra Belleza Latina, of which Kia will become the official automotive partner. Among many tie-ins on the air, online and everywhere else will be the season's winner receiving a 2014 Forte compact sedan.

It's the biggest product integration and promotion that Kia has done with Univision, Michael Sprague, Kia's executive vice president of marketing, told Marketing Daily. Hispanics now account for more than 9 percent of all Kia buyers in the U.S., and that number is growing. Kia's efforts to reach out to this market also include activations around high-profile soccer matches.Continue reading...

From the Detroit auto show in a working person's town in January to the high-end distractions of this week's Geneva auto show, the focus of the auto industry next moves to an annual exhibition whose personality lands somewhere in between those two: the New York International Auto Show.

Scheduled for the Jacob Javits Center in New York from March 29 through April 27, with a press preview beforehand, the New York show mixes the glitz and accessibility of the world's most important media market with the fact that the event is a big and relied-upon marketing boost for Tri-State auto dealers just before the heavy annual selling season begins.Continue reading...

At top, Brad Pitt phones in his new role as Cadillac China spokesman.

China is the second largest economy in the world and every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse)—but who's got the time?! Here's 10 reads that will make you look like a keen China observer in case you find yourself immersed in a cultural conversation.

This week, the cat cafe... bodyguards... WeChat... Ikea's horse meatballs... Victoria's Secret... HTC... best selling sedans... Hollywood... Yum!... Bradillac and more. Continue reading...