Google offering free Apps for Work to some customers

By Deborah Todd SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google Inc announced on Monday that it will offer its Apps for Work suite free to businesses currently locked into agreements with other office software vendors. Normally, businesses pay $5 per user per month for a basic version of Apps for Work or $10 per user per month for one with more advanced features, such as increased storage and an email archive. Google will give businesses access to the suite, which includes Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs and other programs, at no cost through the remainder of their current agreements

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U.S. judge says Internet streaming service should be treated like cable

By Andrew Chung NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. judge ruled on Thursday that online television service FilmOn X LLC should be treated like a traditional cable system in order to transmit the programs of the nation's broadcasters over the Internet. The ruling, coming as consumer TV-watching habits are increasingly migrating to the Internet, is the first to first to view a streaming service like a cable provider and could have major implications for broadcasters if it is upheld by higher courts.

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Bullish options bets on Google set to pay off big

Some bullish bets on Google Inc’s shares, placed ahead of its second-quarter results on Thursday, look set to reap big profits with the shares up 9.5 percent in trading after the bell. Headed into the earnings report, trading in Google’s call options, usually used for bullish bets on the shares, were unusually active. Calls on Google shares rising above $600, $620 and $630 by Friday were among the most heavily traded Google options contracts over the last two days.

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Media embracing digital TV with strings attached

By Jennifer Saba and Lisa Richwine NEW YORK/LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Media companies that are starting to allow their programs onto Internet-delivered TV and mobile devices are putting limits on digital rights as a safety hatch if problems arise with the new distribution systems, executives say. The debate over digital rights that determine how and when content is consumed is adding a new layer of complexity to negotiations between media companies and distributors, leading to drawn-out wrangling and programming blackouts in some cases. …

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Media embracing digital TV with strings attached

By Jennifer Saba and Lisa Richwine NEW YORK/LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Media companies that are starting to allow their programs onto Internet-delivered TV and mobile devices are putting limits on digital rights as a safety hatch if problems arise with the new distribution systems, executives say.

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