Category: Outlets – Reuters

Viacom Sues YouTube/Google for $1 Billion

Posted on March 13, 2007

Logo_youtubeREUTERS — Mar 13 — Viacom sued Google/YouTube for $1 billion on Tuesday for ‘massive intentional copyright infringement.’ NBC Universal and News Corp. have also criticized YouTube’s copyright protection policies but stopped short of legal action. Viacom is seeking an injunction against further violations as well as damages. Google said it was confident that YouTube respects the copyrights at issue in the Viacom case.  The decision to sue Google followed "a great deal of unproductive negotiation," Viacom said. Viacom and peers like NBC Universal are also investing heavily in their own Internet video sites.

Mark Brooks: Can someone peel the blinkers off Google‘s eyes. How is YouTube that different from Napster?  YouTube’s best bet for survival is to be proactive in preventing copyrighted material from being uploaded.

Friendster Makes Google Ad and Search Supplier

Posted on March 7, 2007

Friendster_logo_1REUTERS — Mar 7 — The plan calls for text and display advertising to run on Friendster members’ (~37 million registered users in ~75 countries) personal profile sites, worldwide, and the company will introduce Google Web search across the site in the second quarter of 2007. The deal replaces a prior search deal with Yahoo. Four out of five of Friendster’s top markets are in Southeast Asia: Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia rank No. 1, 2 and 3. The United States is fourth, while Singapore is fifth. 45% of Friendster’s audience is in Asia now.

Friendster Makes Google Ad and Search Supplier

Posted on March 7, 2007

Friendster_logo_1REUTERS — Mar 7 — The plan calls for text and display advertising to run on Friendster members’ (~37 million registered users in ~75 countries) personal profile sites, worldwide, and the company will introduce Google Web search across the site in the second quarter of 2007. The deal replaces a prior search deal with Yahoo. Four out of five of Friendster’s top markets are in Southeast Asia: Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia rank No. 1, 2 and 3. The United States is fourth, while Singapore is fifth. 45% of Friendster’s audience is in Asia now.

USA Love Brokers Eye China

Posted on February 16, 2007
Asian_dating_3REUTERS — Feb 13 — Match.com has secured Love21CN.com , one of China's biggest online dating service providers, as its main target for a potential stake purchase or business partnership. eHarmony is also looking at potential partners in China. In November, China.com said it would team up with Meetic for business promotion. Meetic in July also launched a localized Chinese site called "Mi Tang," or "Sweetie" in English. A Meetic-led venture capital consortium is also expected to invest $20 million in Yeeyoo.  iResearch expects the Chinese online personals market revenue to grow by ~60% annually to 653 million yuan ($84.21 million) by 2008.  MySpace will launch in China within months. GSR Ventures and U.S. fund Mayfield jointly invested $2 million in "Baihe" — "Lily" in English — in late 2005.  In December, Baihe began charging 1,980 yuan per person for its high-end "Golden" service.  Most Chinese dating sites are free.
Mark Brooks: I have an interview with the CEO of Baihe.com lined up for OPW in March. Online dating has a casual connotation in China and is often referred to as 'friends-making.' The Asian internet dating conference is scheduled for May in Shanghai. See idate2007.com. 

USA Love Brokers Eye China

Posted on February 16, 2007
Asian_dating_3REUTERS — Feb 13 — Match.com has secured Love21CN.com , one of China's biggest online dating service providers, as its main target for a potential stake purchase or business partnership. eHarmony is also looking at potential partners in China. In November, China.com said it would team up with Meetic for business promotion. Meetic in July also launched a localized Chinese site called "Mi Tang," or "Sweetie" in English. A Meetic-led venture capital consortium is also expected to invest $20 million in Yeeyoo.  iResearch expects the Chinese online personals market revenue to grow by ~60% annually to 653 million yuan ($84.21 million) by 2008.  MySpace will launch in China within months. GSR Ventures and U.S. fund Mayfield jointly invested $2 million in "Baihe" — "Lily" in English — in late 2005.  In December, Baihe began charging 1,980 yuan per person for its high-end "Golden" service.  Most Chinese dating sites are free.
Mark Brooks: I have an interview with the CEO of Baihe.com lined up for OPW in March. Online dating has a casual connotation in China and is often referred to as 'friends-making.' The Asian internet dating conference is scheduled for May in Shanghai. See idate2007.com. 

Won’t be my Valentine? Fish and Wreath in the Mail

Posted on January 29, 2007

Poison_penREUTERS — Jan 29 — Poisonpen.com, will, for a small fee, send an anonymous poison pen card or letter to a former lover. Their motto is: "When you care enough to send the very worst." Yahoo! Personals dubbed the period between the December holidays and Valentine's Day on February 14 as national break-Up season. They found that couples were more than twice as likely to think about separating during this period than at any other time of the year. At the subversive motivational Web site Despair.com, offerings include a photograph of a red rose with the phrase: "You were meant for me. Perhaps as a punishment." Deadroses.com, sends dead roses.

Won’t be my Valentine? Fish and Wreath in the Mail

Posted on January 29, 2007

Poison_penREUTERS — Jan 29 — Poisonpen.com, will, for a small fee, send an anonymous poison pen card or letter to a former lover. Their motto is: "When you care enough to send the very worst." Yahoo! Personals dubbed the period between the December holidays and Valentine's Day on February 14 as national break-Up season. They found that couples were more than twice as likely to think about separating during this period than at any other time of the year. At the subversive motivational Web site Despair.com, offerings include a photograph of a red rose with the phrase: "You were meant for me. Perhaps as a punishment." Deadroses.com, sends dead roses.

MySpace Launches French Site

Posted on January 11, 2007

Myspace_11REUTERS — Jan 10 — MySpace launches its French site this week as part of it’s move into Europe. A beta site has been running in France for several months and officially goes live on Thursday. MySpace competes against Skyblog — part of a larger company called Orbus. Skyblog grew out of a French rap radio station and has been working on English, Spanish and German blogging services. According to latest data from comScore Media Metrix, Skyblog had 7 million uniques in France in November, compared with 1.3 million for MySpace. MySpace UK had 6.9 million uniques.  In Germany, MySpace’s beta site has more than 2.4 million monthly uniques and is expected to launch in a few weeks. An Italian site should be live within a couple of months.

This post also appears on Social Networking Watch.