Verizon's 'Business Link Rewards' Program Launches Online Mall

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Can Earn Unlimited Bonus Credits With the Verizon Business Links Rewards Online Mall; Shopping Destination Has More Than 350 Retailers Offering Discounts

Verizon's small- and medium-sized business customers participating in the Business Link Rewards program are now eligible for discounts and special promotions every time they shop at the Verizon Business Links Online Mall. Customers will also earn additional Business Link Rewards Bonus Credits for every dollar they spend at the Mall, and they can redeem the credits for a variety of rewards in the program.

The new Business Link Rewards Online Mall is powered by Mall Networks, a leading provider of merchant-funded loyalty shopping programs. Small- and medium-sized business customers who use the Online Mall can get discounts from more than 350 retailers, including Best Buy, Dell Computers, Office Depot, Expedia, eBay and Target.

"We continually look at new ways to add value for our business customers," said Michael McLaughlin, director of mass business marketing for Verizon. "The Business Link Rewards program has been highly appealing to our customers during the past 12 years, and we are constantly creating enhancements to keep it fresh and valued by our members. Adding the Business Links Rewards Online Mall gives our customers a significant way to accelerate their reward-earning opportunities through everyday shopping for their home or business. Plus, they receive savings and other offers from these major merchants."

eBay Rethinks Skype Purchase

The Internet auction giant eBay has acknowledged that it paid too much for the Internet phone service Skype, which it acquired in 2005 for $2.6 billion.

Now Skype is to take a charge of $1.43 billion, as projected earnings have not matched up to reality. Though the popular calling service is expanding its membership, it is not doing nearly as good a job of actually making money.

Niklas Zennstrom, the co-founder and chief executive of Skype, has now resigned, though he will remain as a non-executive chairman of the board. He told InternetNews.com: "My plan was to leave the company when I thought it was ready for the change and when the earn-out had been paid.

"The company now has a solid plan and I'm pleased with the earn-out settlement." Mr Zennstrom and the co-founder of Skype, Janus Friis, are also the duo behind the new internet TV service Joost.

Personal information on eBay users posted

Personal information about eBay users has been posted on an internet forum, it has been reported. The technology site AuctionBytes.com as the first to notice the incident.

Included in the information is what appears to be users' credit card numbers and contact information. The data, which involves 1,200 eBay users, was actually posted on eBay's Trust & Safety discussion forum, a forum where security is the main focus.

Nichola Sharpe, a spokeswoman for the auction site, said: "This information could have been obtained as part of an account takeover. Since this time, our Trust and Safety team has been proactively addressing this situation." "We are in the process of proactively contacting members by phone." She added that the "credit card numbers" posted by the users' names do not match the card numbers eBay has on file.

Founded in 1995, eBay is based in San Jose and owns both Skype and PayPal.

Prince Sues Internet Sites

The flamboyant artist Prince is reportedly suing several internet companies, including YouTube, for breach of copyright.

Prince claims that he is trying to "reclaim his art on the internet" and that he is not simply doing so for himself but for "all artists". Both eBay and PirateBay are also among the companies that Prince has accused of failing to edit out content that has not been authorized.

A spokesman for Prince said: "Prince believes strongly that as an artist the music rights must remain with the artist and thus copyrights should be protected across the board. Very few artists have ever taken this kind of action over their rights. "Yet, Prince has showed time and time again he is ready to challenge the system in new ways to put artists and music first." The artist has enlisted the aid of Web Sheriff, a company that specializes in fighting internet piracy.

Prince gave away his last album free in a newspaper in the UK, in order to promote several concerts.