Microsoft will pay Viacom $500 million over five years to serve ads and distribute content for the media conglomerate, according to reports. What does that mean? Besides Microsoft-sold ads on MTV.com, expect to see Nickelodeon clips on MSN, Laguna Hills downloads on your Xbox 360 console, and so on. Viacom's old advertising service was DoubleClick. We're guessing that relationship turned sour when Google — which faces a $1 billion copyright infringement suit from Viacom — announced its intent to purchase DoubleClick for $3.1 billion. (Photo by AP/Mark Lennihan)

Contact information for this author is not available.