Hutchison approves $11.1 billion sale of India unit
The sale of the 67 percent stake in Hutchison Essar to Vodafone Group will help the telecommunications company expand in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Indonesia.

Palm hires Apple designer in response to iPhone
Apple's iPhone is still months away from being available, but its flexible interface is already shaking up the cellphone industry, including Palm.

Creating a database to organize the Internet
The idea of a centralized database storing all of the world's digital information is a fundamental shift away from today's World Wide Web.

Vonage found to have violated Verizon patents
The Internet phone provider was ordered to pay $58 million for violating copyrights on technology that allows low-cost voice calls to be made over the Internet.

Microsoft agrees to first data license 3 years after EU order
The agreement between the software maker and a longtime partner was criticized as doing nothing to increase competition.
- Microsoft shows off new tools in search contest
- Search-engine chief is leaving Microsoft

Maker of 'Grand Theft Auto' faces investor revolt
In an unusally aggressive maneuver, investors who hold a collective 46 percent of the outstanding shares of Take Two plan to take over the board of directors.

C-SPAN expands video available on Internet
The change would allow citizen journalists, like bloggers, and collaborative Web sites to link to the material without worrying about copyright infringement.

Hard drives find their outer beauty
Hard drives do pretty much the same thing, but now the makers have to persuade you otherwise. How? By adding a little style.

Vonage ordered to pay $58 million to Verizon

Vonage Holdings must pay $58 million to Verizon Communications for infringing three patents on Internet-telephone service, a U.S. jury ruled Thursday. Vonage must also pay Verizon a royalty rate of 5.5 percent to continue using Verizon technology.

Verizon asked for a court order banning Vonage's use of the disputed technology after the verdict in Alexandria, Virginia. The order would cripple Vonage by allowing it to handle only calls between the company's customers, said Peter McCabe, a Verizon lawyer.

Verizon sued Vonage in June, claiming that it had copied voicemail and other services. $@

Gateway directors manipulated earnings

SAN FRANCISCO:Gateway's former finance chief and its controller manipulated earnings to meet analyst estimates in 2000, a federal jury ruled Thursday in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

A U.S. District Court jury in San Diego found Wednesday that the ex- finance chief, John Todd, and the former controller, Robert Manza, were liable for fraud, making false statements to accountants, and record- keeping violations, the SEC said. $@(Bloomberg)

Tribune doesn't plan to sell off more papers

NEW YORK:Tribune Co. said Thursday that it had no intention of selling its remaining newspapers, after disposing of $500 million worth of noncore assets.

"While the special committee of our board of directors continues to oversee Tribune's exploration of strategic alternatives, we have no current plans to sell additional newspapers," said the Tribune's publishing chief, Scott Smith.

The publisher and broadcaster, based in Chicago, is reviewing bids to buy out the company or spin off individual divisions as it tries to satisfy restive investors.$@(Reuters)

WPP Group, one of the biggest advertising companies, said its GroupM media investment unit had acquired a 75 percent stake in Quisma, a German marketing company that specializes in Internet services. Quisma, whose clients include Expedia and Vodafone Group, specializes in keyword ads, affiliate marketing and search engine optimization, WPP said. $@ (Bloomberg)

CBS News fired the executive producer of Katie Couric's struggling "CBS Evening News" broadcast and appointed a former CNN and MSNBC president, Rick Kaplan, to the job. The newscast has been a distant third in the ratings, behind ABC and NBC. $@ (AP)

Vodafone Group is under investigation by the Greek telecommunications regulator over whether its Greek unit infringed on the terms of its license after the company was fined in connection with a phone- tapping investigation. $@(Bloomberg)

Telefónica, the largest Spanish telephone company, said it had received regulatory approval to offer satellite television services in Brazil. $@(Bloomberg)