Is Microsoft after Yahoo's paid-search patent?

Yahoo's board has called Microsoft's on-and-off pursuit of their company "erratic." Not that their behavior's been that straightforward, either. But could there be more to the imbroglio than Jerry Yang's founder ego and Steve Ballmer's desperate grasping at relevance on the Web? Blogger Usman Latif has a theory: It's all about "'361," a patent Yahoo obtained when it bought paid-search pioneer Overture in July 2003. The patent covers the basic business model of letting advertisers bid to place ads against keywords — the heart of Google's multibillion-dollar revenue engine. Latif's thesis: Microsoft doesn't want Yahoo's people, products, or market share; it just wants to get its hands on this patent, so it can use it to knife Google. More »

Why Demo's conference beat TechCrunch40

Techdirt, the ever-opinionated analysis blog, has weighed in and found Demo's lineup of startups and new products more compelling than last week's TechCrunch40. Why? Mike Masnick doesn't come out and say it, but his implication is clear: Unlike the parade of Web 2.0 one-note-Johnnies drummed up by TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis, most of experienced Demo organizer Chris Shipley's picks were focused on useful improvements to existing technology, not gimmicky new ideas. Arrington and Calacanis launched TechCrunch40 because they felt that it was somehow wrong for conferences to charge startups to present. Nonsense, of course. I think that the fact that Demo charges presenters — reportedly $18,500 apiece — was actually what makes it a stronger event. More »