Washington - Ending months of speculation, Google on Friday announced that it will take part in the Federal Communications Commission's upcoming wireless spectrum auction -- a move that could eventually put the company in position to begin offering wireless phone and Internet services. [more..]

New York - A federal appeals court has overturned an agreement between freelance writers and publishers over compensation for works reproduced electronically, saying that the court has no jurisdiction in the matter, The New York Times reported. [more..]

London - Terra Firm, the private equity firm that acquired major record label EMI for $4.7 billion, is close to selling a 15% equity stake in the company for about $513 million, the Times Online reports. [more..]

New York - Online social network Facebook has received a $60 million investment from Li Ka-shing, the Hong Kong billionaire and chairman of network operator Hutchison Whampoa and Chinese portal Tom Online, AllThingsD reports. [more..]

New York - Viacom's MTV Networks has announced plans to make every episode of its Comedy Central network's "South Park" animated series available online for free streaming, Reuters reports. [more..]

Palo Alto, Calif. - Responding to user feedback and criticism from public policy groups including MoveOn.org, the Facebook online social network late on Thursday announced changes to its Beacon service, which will now require users to click "OK" before news of their recent purchases from partner retailers are announced to their friends on the service. [more..]

Tokyo - Sony's PlayStation 3 outsold rival Nintnedo's Wii console in Japan for the first time this month, Reuters reported, citing sales data compiled by Japan's Enterbrain. [more..]

San Francisco - AdBrite, a provider of online advertising services, announced on Friday that it has raised $23 million in its third round of venture capital financing, from Sequoia Capital, DAG Ventures and Mitsui Ventures. [more..]

Called the “New Economic Partnership,” Hollywood producers made an offer to the Writers Guild of America yesterday that includes “millions of dollars extra” for content created for the internet [more..]

MTV will launch the “Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You” contest on Monday, asking fans to create a new video for her single “Piece of Me” [more..]

London - CBS has given notorious Sweden-based file-sharing hub The Pirate Bay authorization to use the Last.fm API on its site, which will provide information on artists and songs to users searching the site for free downloads, The Register reports. [more..]

New York - The Metropolitan Opera this announced a deal with cable VOD provider In Demand Networks, to offer all 8 performances from the series of high-definition broadcasts it is offering in movie theaters. [more..]

London - Digital music retailer 7digital said on Friday that its IndieStore.com service has partnered with Sub.tv to give artists who use the store the opportunity to record a live studio session that will be broadcast on Sub.tv and over the company's network of screens placed in 100 U.K. universities. [more..]

New York - The Orchard, a digital distributor of independent music and video, said this week that it has signed a deal to distribute the catalog of Vee-Jay, a label that made early recordings of artists including Little Richard, Jimmy Reed, The Staple Singers and John Lee Hooker. [more..]