Icahn and Microsoft Team Up Against Yahoo: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer, July 8, 2008

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Watch Shelly’s commentary on Carl Icahn and MICROSOFT (NASD: MSFT) teaming up against YAHOO (NASD: YHOO) and Yahoo’s desperate need for leadership.

ALCATEL-LUCENT (NYSE: ALU) is back in Federal Court with MICROSOFT (NASD: MSFT) over a billion dollar patent infringement verdict. Alcatel-Lucent is seeking to get a $1.53 billion verdict reinstated after a district-court judge ruled Microsoft wasn’t in violation of Alcatel-Lucent’s patent. Alcatel-Lucent is keen on defending its intellectual property rights to mp3’s, which were originally filed by its former parent company Bell Labs in the mid-nineties.

NBC’s (NYSE: GE) coverage of WIMBLEDON received its highest ratings in eight years. NBC scored a 4.5 rating/12 share during the Nadal-Federer final, which John McEnroe called the greatest match he had ever seen. The Wimbledon ratings peaked after the second rain delay, hitting upwards of a 6.5 rating/15 share.

According to the National Venture Capital Association, for the first time in 30 years there were no IPOs during the second quarter. While only 5 venture capital funded companies went public in Q1, 43 went public during the first half of 2007. The lack of IPOs highlights a “markets crisis” for start-ups.

ACTIVISION (NASD: ATVI) is expected to merge with VIVENDI GAMES (PSE: VIV) today. The merger of the two gaming giants, whose properties include both World of Warcraft and Guitar Hero, would create a new top dog in the gaming industry. The deal also hurts ELECTRONIC ARTS (NASD: EA), who has been reporting losses and has had a hard time acquiring Grand Theft Auto manufacturer TAKE-TWO INTERACTIVE (NASD: TTWO).