While we discuss how earned media is an output of the combination of paid media and owned media, I think the simplification of the three terms has made a mess out of the expectations of clients everywhere.

Carl's Jr. snuck onto the Viral Video Chart this week in the No. 10 spot with its video of "The Hills" star Audrina Patridge eating a Teriyaki burger in a gold bikini.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Google, AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft, along with agency and marketer associations, took another step today in pressing their case that that the government doesn't need to regulate the collecting of data for ad-targeting purposes by search engines, websites, advertisers and ad networks. They've crafted their own set of rules in the hope of heading off potential regulation in Congress.

Yes, even hardcore rivals can be social-media friends (or followers, at least).

The self-service check-in kiosk at the airport marries direct marketing and digital out of home — but not in a very user-friendly way.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Monday to let stand a ruling that Cablevision can go forward with its virtual DVR product. What it means for marketers is greater DVR penetration and, potentially, more on-demand viewing.

The march of technology has disrupted the implicit contract that has driven the media business for a hundred years or more. We need a new contract.

Did you miss the boat by failing to register a trademark URL with Facebook? Are you now scrambling to recover your brand identity from an anonymous Facebook hijacker? Don't panic. You still have options, both through Facebook and the legal system at large.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — One of the earliest start-ups to promise an interactive TV experience on the web gave it up today, as Joost announced it will shift from a consumer strategy to licensing its technology to cable, satellite, broadcasters and other video sites.

YORK, Pa. (AdAge.com) — Living wirelessly has contributed to a branding mess. Notebooks, netbooks, smartphones and (coming soon) smartbooks are on a collision course as each adopts some of the others' design elements and features, becoming more homogenous and harder to differentiate.