Baidu Sued for Music CopyrightInfringement - As reported by the Associated Press, Baidu.com, has been sued by the Music Copyright Society of China a  music industry group (the Group”), over alleged copyright violations. According to the Group, Baidu.com provided “music listening, broadcasting and downloading services in various forms on its Web site without approval, and through unfettered piracy, earning huge advertising revenue on its huge number of hits.” Baidu is China’s most popular search engine, with 60.1 percent of the sector’s ... read more ...

Google VP Sell Shares - According to reports, The vice president, secretary and general counsel of Google Inc., David C. Drummond,  reported he sold 19,672 shares on this past Tuesday for between $455.51 to $457.41 a share. Google+Michael Berkens ... read more ...

Skenzo Switches to Yahoo - In a e-mail sent to it customers, Skenzo said today, that they were switching their parked page PPC advertising program to Yahoo effective tommorow. Here is a copy of the e-mail:   Dear Skenzo Customer We are excited to inform you that we have recently negotiated a direct deal with Yahoo for facilitating PPC ads on our parked pages. Over the last 4 months we have been working behind the scenes on a deal that will allow us to continue maximizing the monetization opportunity for our Customers. We ... read more ...

Yahoo Reduced Some Bid Prices - Yahoo announced on some changes to it bidding system for keywords. “”We are changing the way we set the minimum bids required to participate in a Sponsored Search keyword market. In the next several weeks, we will start calculating a variable minimum bid for some of the keywords you’re bidding on. That means that sometimes the minimum bid may be lower than 10¢. Sometimes it may be higher. Content Match minimum bids currently will remain at 10¢.”” They further explain “Previously, the ... read more ...

Google Report: User’s Clicking Less - Yesterday a report was released that said fewer Google users clicked on the site’s advertising in January sent the stock reeling. Google shares went down more than 6% to $456.16, a 52-week low. Google’s shares have lost 38% since November 2007. ComScore reported that Google; paid clicks fell 7% in January from the previous month and were relatively flat with the same period last year. That was in sharp contrast to December, when paid clicks grew 13% compared with a year ago. For Google, comScore ... read more ...

Microsoft Lays Out it Plans for Yahoo - According to a report published by thestreet.com, Microsoft sent out an e-mail to its employees Friday, which they also made public,  in which Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft’s platform and services business, laid out some of his thoughts on what Yahoo would look like after the merger. Once the deal is completed, Microsoft would keep Yahoo in Silicon Valley, but the current companies headquaters may not remain its base of operations. Johnson said “I know there is a desire for more competition ... read more ...

Yahoo Sued over Rejected Microsoft Offer - Yahoo and its board of directors have been sued by two Detroit pension funds saying they breached their duties to shareholders in not accepting Microsoft offer of $31 a share.  The attorney’s are also seeking class action status. Earlier this month, another shareholder, the Wayne County Employees’ Retirement Systems, sued the Yahoo board. Google+Michael Berkens ... read more ...

Microsoft Will Not Increase It’s Offer/ Proxy Battle Coming/ Yahoo Passes Severance Plan - According to reports published today, Microsoft will not increase its bid for Yahoo above the $31 a share offered two weeks ago. The same reports states that Microsoft will instead authorize a proxy battle for Yahoo. According to the report Microsoft would nominate a slate of directors by March 13, if Yahoo’s board does not enter merger talks with Microsoft. It was estimated that a proxy fight would cost Microsoft between $20 to $30-million. In a separate report, Yahoo said to be adopting a defensive ... read more ...

This Weeks Yahoo-Microsoft Merger Update - This was the week that Yahoo said no to $31 a share offer by Microsoft. It was also the week that Yahoo raised the possibility of seeking a marketing deal with News Corp, or a deal with AOL. It is expected that Microsoft will increase its offer to $35 a share in the next week or two or launch a hostile takeover bid which would involve unseating most or all of the Yahoo Board of directors Other issues that arose this week concerning the merger, is over the amount of control the combined company would ... read more ...

Marchex Beat’s Street Estimate - Marchex Inc., one of the companies in our Domain Parking Stock Index, reported 4th adjusted earnings of $3.39 million, or 8 cents a share, above the 6-cent mean stret estimates. Adjusted earnings the prior-year quarter were $5.07 million, or 13 cents a share. In the quarter ended Dec. 31 the company swung to a net loss of $774,165, or 2 cents a share, versus $4.97 million, or a loss of a penny a share, a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter rose to $37 million from $32.6 million, versus the mean ... read more ...

News Corp. and Yahoo in Talks - According to reports, News Corp. and Yahoo are in discussions about combining MySpace and other News Corp.owned online properties with Yahoo. Reportly News Corp. would get a stake in Yahoo, and a private equity firm to contribute cash to the deal. The deal would allow Yahoo to remain independent while giving News Corp. substantial control over a huge array of Internet properties and advertising opportunities. We here at thedomains.com woudl prefer this deal to the acquisiton of Yahoo by Microsoft.     The ... read more ...

Microsoft Answers Yahoo - In a statement released today Microsoft answers the rejection of it’s offer by Yahoo! ” It is unfortunate that Yahoo! has not embraced our full and fair proposal to combine our companies. Based on conversations with stakeholders of both companies, we are confident that moving forward promptly to consummate a transaction is in the best interests of all parties. We are offering shareholders superior value and the opportunity to participate in the upside of the combined ... read more ...

YAHOO TO REJECT MICROSOFT’S OFFER - According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal Online today, the Board of Directors of Yahoo!!!! plan to reject the bid of $31 a share offered by Microsoft a week ago Friday, saying it “massively undervalues” Yahoo.com It had been reported this week by several source that Yahoo was looking for Microsoft to offer at least $35 a share. According to this report, Yahoo will not consider any offers below $40 a share, twice what the company was trading for just 10 days ago. At $40 a share ... read more ...

DAVID CALLAWAY: To See Yahoo’s Future With Microsoft, Look At AOL - Very interesting article on the propsed acquistion of Yahoo by Microsoft. Recommended reading. Here is the link: Google+Michael Berkens ... read more ...

Google to offer giveaway song downloads in China - Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is preparing to enter into a joint venture with an unnamed online music company based in China in order to compete with Baidu.com Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) , the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. According to reports Google is planning on offering free licensed music downloads in China. Baidu.com also offers free music downloads, though the downloads aren’t licensed. Baidu.com is China’s largest search engine. Its stock was down $20 late today. Google+Michael Berkens ... read more ...

YAHOO!: No Decision Yet - Yahoo Inc.’s board has not made a decision yet on Microsoft Corp.’s$44.6 billion bid, but according to reports, the directors of Yahoo are looking at all alternatives including “a wide range of potential strategic alternatives in what is a complex and evolving landscape” It seems like Yahoo is exploring any and all options before accepting Microsoft’s offer. Yahoo seems to want to keep its independence as least as a separatley traded public company. Google+Michael Berkens ... read more ...

Communicate.com Gets a Strong Buy Recommendation - In an article published on Feburary 1, 2008, Andrew Feinberg on behalf of Kiplingers, gave a big buy recommendation on Communicate.com one of the stocks in our Domain Parking Stock Index. In the article M. Feinberg states that the company is worth 50 more than it was at the time of publication ($1.97 at the time of publication and now already over 50% more at $3.15).  Mr Feinberg cited the company value in that it has over  seven million dollars in cash, the value of it’s domains name, and the ... read more ...

What’s Up with Communicate.com?? - While Yahoo and Google have suffered double digit percentage losses this week, one of the companies in our Domain Parking Stock Index has rocked up over 30% in three days. On Monday Communicate.com sat at Just under $2 a share. On Thursday it closed at $2.70. On Tuesday the company announced that they hired Alliance Advisors, LLC to develop, implement, and maintain an ongoing stock market support system for Communicate.com,  with the general objective of expanding awareness in  the company among ... read more ...

Google Misses: Stock Sinks - Google released its earnings for the 4th quarter of 2007, that missed Wall Street estimates, sending the stock tumbling after hours. Google which went up $16 a share today, sank $46 points after earnings were released and now sits at $518. Google is now well below its all-time high of $747 last November. Google reported that its fourth quarter revenue came in at $4.83 billion, up 51% from a year ago. Excluding advertising traffic acquisition costs, the company reported revenue of $3.39 billion, ... read more ...

Will Microsoft Finally Buy Yahoo.com??? - Back In January 2006, the big rumor spreading around was that Microsoft was on the verge of buying Yahoo. The rumor was the Microsoft bid 80 billion dollars for Yahoo, and that Yahoo turned it down. In May of 2007, when Yahoo was trading around 28, the rumor resurfaced driving Yahoo up to $32 a shares based on the rumor that Microsoft was going to offer $36-38 a share. Now 8 months later Yahoo is trading at $19 a share approximately, one-half of its rumored offer of last year. So why shouldn’t ... read more ...

Yahoo 4Q Earnings Fall Over 23 Percent - Online search engine operator Yahoo Inc. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit declined a bit more than 23 percent as higher operating expenses overshadowed an increase in revenue. 4th fourth net earnings were $205.7 million, or 15 cents a share, down from $268.7 million, or 19 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding items, the company posted an adjusted profit of $280 million, or 20 cents a share, versus $297 million, or 21 cents a share, last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, ... read more ...

Baidu.com downgraded, Google.com Upgraded - Baidu.com Inc. shares are down around 20 points today, after an Canaccord Adams analyst Colin Gillis, initiated his coverage of the stock, setting a $265 price target and a “Sell” rating, saying investments the Chinese search engine operator is making in 2008 are expected to increase expenses without leading to substantial near-term revenue.In the past year, the stock has moved between $92.80 and $429.19. The analyst said he feels positive about the company’s position as a the leader in a growing ... read more ...

Stock Market Update - As predicted last night, the down tumbled 450 points at the opening, but after the fed cut the fed fun rate by 3/4 of a point. The fed also cut the discount rate, the rate it charges banks to borrow from the central registry by the same 3/4 point. This was the largest rate cut by the fed since October 1984. Stocks recovered at 11am and the Dow was only down around 55 points. At noon, the Dow, was heading back down at 180. Google which hit as low as $561 in the morning recovered back to $595, by noon ... read more ...

Bad Day for WallStreet Coming - By all estimates today should be a brutal day on wall street, following 4-7% losses in stock indexes all around the world. The US markets were closed Monday for MLK day, but everywhere else, the market reacted to the Bush plan to return up to $800 to each taxpayer by spring 2008, to fix the US economy,  with a  overwhelming thumbs down. As we discussed several days ago, the US economy is in, or quickly heading to a recession that will be felt worldwide. If the Dow Jones follows suit, look for an ... read more ...

Domain Parking Stock Index Historical Data - 5 days | 3 months | 6 months | 1 year         We have now added a historical chart for the Domain Parking Stock Index which tracks the closing price of the index each day starting with January 2, 2008, which was the first trading day of this year. To see the chart just click on the DPSI link on the index.     The index is updated in real time all day long. Google+Michael Berkens ... read more ...