The relationship is one step in Microsoft's broader effort to increase online ad revenue in areas that aren't dominated by Google Inc., which holds the biggest share of ads tied to Internet search results. Google, meanwhile, is in the early stages of trying to find ways of using its popular online video site YouTube as a source of advertising.

From: "Stacey Wexler"
Date: June 11, 2008 4:52:13 PM EDT
To: mlearmonth@alleyinsider.com
Subject: July 10, 2008 postings re YouTube

Dear Mr. Learmonth:

I am writing to let you know that an article dated June 10, 2008 posted under your name in Silicon Alley Insider contains confidential information of YouTube. Specifically, the Content Hosting Services Agreement (CHSA) that is posted at http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/6/revealed_youtube_s_self_serve_ad_deal_terms_got_670_000_views_and http://www.docstoc.com/docs/712344/youtubeagreement contains a confidentiality provision (see paragraph 5), and thus should not have been provided to you for publication. While we appreciate your interest in YouTube, we respectfully request that Silicon Alley Insider remove from its site the copies of the CHSA and the references to its specific terms contained in your article. We of course respect your right to report non-confidential information about YouTube's advertising plans, and thus we are only asking that you remove the contract itself and the references to its terms.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this matter further.

Regards,

Stacey Wexler
Litigation Counsel
Google Inc.

The contract:

YouTube Agreement - Free Document Templates

Kate Larkin emailed a colleague — on her BlackBerry, so we know there was some urgency to it — about a "pending Joost story on Valleywag." When I told her that I didn't know of one, she went back into positive-spin mode: "We've got lots of great stuff going on. Deals closing, browser version coming, etc." (Too bad about the browser version — that might have been timely four years ago.) My experience with PR people — sorry, Kate, "comms directors" — tells me that they only reach out like this when they're trying to defuse a ticking time bomb of bad news. Any idea what got Larkin in a lather this morning? We're ready to soap up.

Wrong, in practice if not in theory. Sandberg, who now oversees Facebook PR, was Zuckerberg's companion on stage. But she added nothing to the conversation; she wasn't even able to explain why she left Google for Facebook coherently. (Mentioning Google's stock price would have at least gotten some heads nodding.) We'll cut Facebook flack Elliot Schrage slack for not preparing his bosses adequately; he just got there himself. But at some point, Zuckerberg and Sandberg will have to find something to say. They kept saying Facebook is about letting users "share information and share themselves." It's beyond embarrassing that Zuckerberg and Sandberg can't manage to do so.

(Photo by Asa Mathat/AllThingsD.com)

From: Rob Haralson
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 8:30 AM
To:
Subject: Google-Yahoo!

Hope all is well. There is a lot of information floating around about a possible transaction between Google and Yahoo!, and - as a consultant to Google - I wanted to provide you with some interesting quotes from a couple of recent articles exploring competition issues related to a potential deal.

"Straightforward Supplier Arrangement" with Parallels to Other Industries

"The approach the DoJ will take in evaluating a search-outsourcing deal will be different than evaluating a full-blown merger, an industry attorney said. Unlike mergers or business combinations where the acquirer is getting full operational control of an entity, this arrangement is likely to be reviewed as an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) relationship or a commercial one, he explained." - "Google-Yahoo: Anti-trust regulators to focus on commercial arrangements versus outright take over, source says" - dealReporter, May 16, 2008

"People involved in shaping Google's approach say the deal under consideration would be a straightforward supplier arrangement, similar to ones in the markets for computer printers, appliances and cell phone service.

"The printer industry, they say, is a perfect example. Canon supplies printer engines to about 80 percent of the laser printer market, including its rival Hewlett-Packard. They point to many others, including Whirlpool making appliances for Sears, AT&T licensing its mobile network to Virgin and other small carriers, Toyota selling hybrid engines to General Motors and Microsoft tailoring its Office software for Apple computers." - "Google Says It Will Defend Competitive Rationale of a Yahoo Deal" - New York Times, May 22, 2008

DOJ and FTC Have Endorsed "Co-opetition" Arrangements

"In its antitrust guidelines for partnerships among competitors, issued in 2000, the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission said: 'In order to compete in modern markets, competitors sometimes need to collaborate. ... Such collaborations are not only benign but pro-competitive.'" - "Google Says It Will Defend Competitive Rationale of a Yahoo Deal" - New York Times, May 22, 2008

"...if one company has a more efficient technology than the other, with one wanting to outsource to the other, a deal can be structured that still leaves a lot of independent competition, the industry attorney explained." - "Google-Yahoo: Anti-trust regulators to focus on commercial arrangements versus outright take over, source says" - dealReporter, May 16, 2008

Deal Likely to be "Easily Approved" by U.S. Regulators

"'If there were a deal [with Yahoo], we would anticipate structuring the deal to address the antitrust concerns that have been widely discussed,' [Eric] Schmidt said." - "Google execs hope for long-term ad deal with Yahoo" - Associated Press, May 8, 2008

"These collaborative deals tend to be easily approved by American antitrust authorities, and Google presented the Yahoo plan as such a deal in response to initial inquiries by the Justice Department.

"'There is nothing in antitrust law that says a company can't use the best technology,' said one person involved in confidential discussions of the deal. 'It can't be bad for competition to help a company become more efficient.'" - "Google Says It Will Defend Competitive Rationale of a Yahoo Deal" - New York Times, May 22, 2008

Deal Likely to be Non-Exclusive, Reducing Antitrust Risk

"The arrangement currently under consideration would be a non-exclusive arrangement in which Google would allow Yahoo to use selected ad technologies but would not be structured as a 100% outsourcing deal, the source familiar said. This is an important aspect of the deal as Yahoo would continue to use its technology for some search queries and maintain a search capability. The company would also have the ability to use the information gained from the arrangement to perfect its algorithms and improve its systems, the source said." - "Google-Yahoo: Anti-trust regulators to focus on commercial arrangements versus outright take over, source says" - dealReporter, May 16, 2008

In summary, the reports indicate that:

- Any deal between Google and Yahoo! would be non-exclusive;
- The deal looks to be similar to those in which companies provide competitors with complementary services or technologies; and
- The Department of Justice has approved similar deals in the past.

The negotiations between the two companies are ongoing, so more details may be emerging over the course of the next several days and weeks. If you'd prefer not to receive more emails about this, please let me know. Alternatively, I am happy to provide you more information at your request.

Best,
Rob Haralson

—-—
Rob Haralson | Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter, and Associates

What if our reliance on machinery to carry out simple tasks crossed the boundaries of technological advancement and we distorted our flesh to the extent that so little remained of what made us human that we became but a twisted, robotic caricature of our former selves.

He told the gathered he agreed with the spirit of the proposals, just not their wording. Then, in the traditional way of voicing support for a cause without taking any real action, Brin abstained from voting them up or down. Lesser spin doctors would have stopped there, but Brin managed to get another couple good ones in before the meeting wrapped: "I'm pretty proud of what we've been able to accomplish in China," Brin said."Google has a far superior track record than other Internet or Internet search companies in China."

Hi Melissa,

We represent matchmaker Amy Andersen, founder of Palo Alto-based Linx Dating. Linx is an exclusive, by-invite-only, Bay area based dating service created for the 'marriage minded', targeting Silicon Valley men and San Francisco women. Founded in December 2003, Linx offers a unique dating service that combines old-world matchmaking with professional networking events and "concierge" services, including restaurant reservations, sedan bookings and flower delivery. Linx offers their clients complete 'image makeovers' from hair & make-up, to personal fitness training and strategic date coaching. Linx will take the Silicon Valley engineers from geek to chic, revamping wardrobes and grooming regimens to boost their confidence and their chances of impressing their dates.

The idea came to Amy in 2001, when she herself was dating a man who had friends who were single bachelors sporting Ivy League degrees and high-powered careers, but few romantic prospects. Some 30 miles away in San Francisco, Amy's girlfriends, who had similar Junior League pedigrees and Pilates-sculpted bodies, complained they couldn't meet any mates with marriage potential, thus came the idea to bridge the gap between the Silicon Valley man and the San Francisco woman, creating new possibilities that they might not have otherwise.

Andersen herself offers her best testimonial. She found happiness with a Silicon Valley geek of her own! They plan to marry in June!

On Thursday, May 1st, Linx will be hosting its first exclusive VIP event featuring two of their most eligible bachelors and inviting 25 women to meet them and have a mini-date.
I think an interview with Amy on her unique dating company, Linx, would make an interesting feature for Valleywag!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Simin

Simin Adam

A couple years ago, Oprah went to Montecito, saw a house and fell in love with it. It wasn't for sale, so she ended up paying above market value for it—several times over the price—because it was something she really, really wanted. That's an analogy for selling a company. You want to be the house that everybody wants that's not for sale. I saw the market consolidating. I couldn't put a "for sale" sign out there, so I had to do it unconventionally. The way I did it was to make sure people realized I wasn't for sale. It made them realize that they needed me. They heard from different sources in different ways what BlueLithium was. That attracted them to my company rather than me going [to them]

There you have it: Microsoft gets to produce an awesomely cheesy video to pump up the sales troops — but in a way that lets them pretend to be air-quotes cool, resistant to such straightforward come-ons. PR then strategically leaks it, lets the blogosphere react predictably, and finds a gullible square of a tech reporter to declare victory on Microsoft's behalf.

Gizmodo has it right: Why is Microsoft wasting money on staging fake concerts? To which I'd add: Why are they then thumping their chests about how they "fooled" bloggers? Unembarrassed, Microsoft is now challenging competitors to make an even more ironic-fake-bad-but-not-really video. To see the Microsoft spin machine at work on such a worthless cause should give Google new hope.

Valleywaggers,

As I've told you all personally, I've fired Jordan Golson. It's a sad decision; I will always be grateful to Jordan for contributions like the kicker "That seems easier" and the tag "We read Twitter so you don't have to"; but the parting was, perhaps, overdue.

In its wake, I wanted to reinforce some points I mentioned in our conversations:

1) Valleywag hasn't had any budget cuts. I'm sure the usual bloggers who blog about blogging will find a way to prove otherwise by counting the number of posts about Scoble or something, but they're wrong. Both Melissa and Paul will be posting more than previously.

2) If you read elsewhere that Denton only cares about pageviews now, they're wrong. If we've given you that impression, we're sorry. Here's a straightforward list of our priorities, starting with the most important:

* Covering the news of the day that's vital to the Valley — artfully, distinctively, and completely
* Giving our readers insight and insideriness they won't get anywhere else
* Telling the story of the Valley as a human one, not as a series of dry tech trends or stock tips

3) We have an opening for a Valley-based reporter. To be clear, this is not a replacement slot for Jordan Golson. It is a more senior role, for someone with deep Valley sources and a passion for Valleywag's mission.

Yours,

Owen

Could it possibly be because she's not happy with the numbers that ComScore is reporting for her client — or, worse, the numbers NextNewNetworks is asking her to pitch? I'd like to point out the Association for Downloadable Media is giving a presentation on video advertising standards tomorrow at Ad:tech. Maybe Hammerling should give them her support instead of taking passive-aggressive stabs at companies working in the space. That seems easier.

SearchEngineWatch cravenly complied:

UPDATE: Editors' Note: At the request of Google, we've removed the photo of Google engineer Jayant Madhavan, co-author (with Alon Halevy) of the Google Webmaster Central blog post, Crawling through HTML forms, posted by Maile Ohye, Senior Support Engineer at Google. The photo was deleted at Google's request to respect the privacy of Google's corporate data and the personal privacy of Jayant Madhavan.
— Kevin Heisler, Executive Editor, Search Engine Watch

Lucky for them, they're one of CollegeHumor's biggest advertising clients. Though I must admit a high drama court case over "the shocker" would be a funny thing to see.

So wherever you are, join the fun and support your freedom to access your information.

Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, Microsoft's PR firm, is surely earning their millions with that non-denial. If I were a betting man — and I am — I'd say the rumor of Knoxville's involvement is completely accurate.

What the project doesn't do is compare the environmental cost per person-mile to that of Google's private commuter bus fleet. Nor does it compare the total carbon footprint over time of a newly-manufactured plug-in electric hybrid to, say, converting an existing automobile or improving public transportation. But then, shiny new cars are the classic California status symbol, and alternative-fuel vehicles are just the latest form of conspicuous consumption — the paint job just screams, "Look at me and how environmentally conscious I am!" (Photo Google.org)

Tonight the Geek Squad is going to hold a moment of silence at 8:01 pm to remember the venerable Arthur C. Clarke (in army time, that's 20:01). Memo's regarding Mr. Clarke's passing have been posted at Geek Squad precincts around the nation...See below for the memo the Agents created...best...CK

ARTHUR C. CLARKE
1917 - 2008

Yesterday, the worlds of science and science fiction lost one of their true visionaries, the inestimable Arthur C. Clarke, author of seminal works like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Rendezvous with Rama. Through the writings of Mr. Clarke, all these worlds are yours.

It isn't easy to overstate Mr. Clarke's contribution to increasing the public's fascination with science and technology. In fact, Mr. Clarke's imaginative fiction, profoundly insightful futurist thinking and boundless optimism played no small part in shaping the formation of our company, Geek Squad.

Out of the deepest respect for Mr. Clarke, Geek Squad personnel will be observing a moment of silence this evening at 20:01 military time. Many thanks for your understanding. The sky is filled with one more star tonight.

Chris Kooluris
Ketchum
1285 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10019

Gardner is no longer disputing the past improprieties raised by former Wikipedia administrator Danny Wool; now she's just arguing it's a distraction from Wikipedia's mission. And then she attempts to change the subject to this humble gossip blog: "I used to say Valleywag was read by 11-year-old boys, but now I think that would be a disservice to 11-year-old boys." Gardner said that in the course of denying claims by former employees that she made out with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales in Amsterdam. We were starting to wonder why Gardner kept bringing up 11-year-old boys, until we realized they make up Wikipedia's core demographic.

If Zuckerberg is really going to model himself on Steve Jobs, he can't be accessible. His post-interview appearance at a Facebook developers' event was doubly foolish. It contradicted the message he was trying to put out: That he's letting go of managing Facebook as a product so he can run it as a company. Zuckerberg was trying to make amends for letting Lacy conduct a Wall Street-style CEO interview about money, power, and personality by address developers directly. But he made several flubs, and his underlings had to step in and correct him about which features Facebook was making available to outside programmers.

In other words, Zuckerberg's not yet a CEO, even as he's losing sight of the details of his website. He hasn't learned how to win over people with manufactured charm. And his just-a-programmer schtick is threadbare. One very fair criticism of both Zuckerberg and Lacy: Neither had anything to talk about at the interview. Jobs, Zuckerberg's role model, knows that he can only go on stage when he has something to announce — and he drives his engineers to tears making sure they deliver it for him. Zuck, admit that it's going to be a while until you master that part. And until then, do yourself a favor. Shut up.

From: "Zane Groshelle" Date: March 13, 2008 12:21:40 PM PDT To: zane@amiestreet.com Subject: Ashley Alexander Dupre's Music only on Amie Street

Hello,

I'm sure you are hearing a lot about Ashley Alexandra Dupre and the Spitzer scandal. Ashley is also an R&B singer and her music is exclusively available on AmieStreet.com The songs can only be listened to and downloaded on amie street. As of now, her myspace has been taken down.

Ashley has been an artist on the site since last November, and her music, like all music on amie street, is initially free and priced based on public demand. She has clearly been receiving a lot of attention in the past day, and the songs have risen very quickly to 98 cents on the site. She just added a brand new track this morning.

check out her music:

amiestreet.com/ashleyalexandradupre

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/nyregion/12cnd-kristen.html