Eileen McDermott, New York
Microsoft bid $44.6 billion to acquire internet company, Yahoo, last month, highlighting the increasing importance of the online services market and the value of effective branding – two crucial subjects for IP owners.
In a statement, Microsoft indicated that one of the key factors driving the decision to make the unsolicited bid for Yahoo was the growing revenue generated by online advertising. "The online advertising market is growing at a very fast pace, from over $40 billion in 2007 to nearly $80 billion by 2010," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO.
"The resulting benefits of scale along with...