Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft has announced that its "Halo 3" video game for the Xbox 360 console racked up $170 million in U.S. sales on Tuesday, more than any movie or album has generated on its first day on sale, making the game's release "the biggest day in entertainment history," the company said. [more..]

Geneva - The World Trade Organization (WTO) has opened a formal investigation into whether China is doing enough to protect intellectual property, which could eventually authorize U.S. trade sanctions against China worth billions, the Associated Press reported. [more..]

Atlantic City, N.J. - Filters already exist to screen minors and compulsive gamblers from online casinos, so the U.S. ban on Internet gambling stifles business and is unconstitutional, a gaming industry trade group that it suing to have the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act overturned argued in federal court on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. [more..]

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reportedly is considering fines against XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio for a series of rules violations regarding the companies' receivers, online industry magazine Radio Ink reported on Thursday. [more..]

Dulles, Va. - AOL parent Time Warner may be preparing to spin off its newly formed advertising unit through an initial public offering (IPO), TechCrunch reported on Thursday. [more..]

North Hollywood, Calif. - The Walt Disney Internet Group announced on Thursday that it will shutter its Disney Mobile phone service, opting instead to offer its Family Center service through a partnership with another U.S. carrier. [more..]

Paris - Apple and France Telecom are at odds over the percentage of service revenues the Orange mobile network would pay to Apple for the right to distribute the iPhone in France, possibly jeopardizing the device's launch there in time for the holidays, Reuters reported, citing an article on the website of French business magazine Challenges. [more..]

Seattle - Digital entertainment services firm RealNetworks announced on Thursday that it will acquire Game Trust, a developer of casual online game infrastructure technology. [more..]

Santa Monica, Calif. - Demand Media, a domain name registrar and operator of a network of niche entertainment websites, has raised $100 million in its fourth round of venture capital financing, led by Goldman Sachs, PEhub.com reported. [more..]

Irvine, Calif. - New Motion, a provider of mobile and gaming entertainment properties, announced on Thursday that it has agreed to merge with interactive marketing firm Traffix in an all-stock deal valued at $138.9 million. [more..]

Santa Monica, Calif. - DECA, a digital entertainment studio that aims to identify, develop, finance and market potential online entertainment properties, announced on Thursday that it has raised $5 million in first round funding, from Mayfield Fund, General Catalyst Partners and Atomico Investments. [more..]

Spears’ new single Gimme More, which she sang with such heartfelt enthusiasm at the VMAs, has reached the third spot on the iTunes charts. [more..]

With Martin Scorsese’s well-documented interest in music history, it should come as little surprise the director will make a film about the Beatles, specifically George Harrison, who died of lung cancer in 2001. [more..]

NBC bested ABC in one key category last night with its new show Bionic Woman: the show beat Private Practice, the Grey’s Anatomy spin off, in the important 18-49 demographic, garnering 13.6 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen. [more..]

Jay Baage blogs about buzz and the latest marketing and advertising techniques from DMW's sold-out Millennials Conference in NYC.
[more..]

A fraternity brother of Will Ferrell’s at USC running a foundation called Cancer for College auctioned off a role in the actor’s new movie, Step Brother. [more..]

New York - Major label Sony BMG has agreed to license its catalog to music-focused social network Imeem, Forbes.com reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. [more..]

Mountain View, Calif. - LinkedIn, a social network targeted at business professionals, said on Thursday that it has changed its policy and will now allow users to post a photo of themselves to their profiles. [more..]

Cupertino, Calif. - Apple has added individual sets from many of the performers from this year's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago to the offering at its iTunes Store. [more..]

Cypress, Calif. - JVC Mobile Entertainment on Thursday introduced what it says is the industry's first plug-and-play HD Radio receiver. [more..]