Los Angeles - Facebook has pulled an interactive ad campaign for Universal's "Untraceable" due to its gruesome torture depictions, Variety reports. The campaign, created by marketer Picture Production Co., gradually unveiled more graphic elements of a torture sequence from the film as more users visited the film's Facebook page. "I am surprised and disappointed that Facebook has taken this action," PPC head of interactive Dan Light told Variety. "These sorts of social media campaigns are the only way to be competitive at the moment.

New York - Mobile games developer Gameloft said this week that it has signed a worldwide licensing deal with Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group, to create a mobile game based on the upcoming film, "American Gangster."

Hanover, Germany - A group of companies including Studio Canal, Universal, Toshiba and Microsoft on Thursday announced the formation of the European HD DVD Promotional Group, which will work to promote Toshiba's next-generation DVD standard in the region. Microsoft has already begun selling an HD DVD drive add-on for its Xbox 360 video game console. The group and its member companies will launch a campaign with promotions, trade and consumer marketing through the 2007 holiday shopping season and into 2008.

Santa Monica, Calif. - ArtistDirect, an independent music destination and provider of anti-piracy technologies, said on Wednesday that Universal's Suretone Records has signed on to use its MediaDefender platform that encourages users on illicit peer-to-peer networks to download legitimate files. The technology directs users seeking files from Suretone artists like Weezer and The Cure to Suretone-branded exclusive files. The deal will also establish a Suretone video channel on ArtistDirect.com, which claims 15 million monthly U.S. visitors and 40 million worldwide.

The timely music license deals that YouTube announced with music labels Universal, Sony BMG just days before selling off to Google — was actually a calculated part of the deal, reports The New York Times Thursday. Universal and Sony BMG was paid in equity that, when the Google acqusition went through, became worth $50 million.