Music industry loses web piracy action

The music industry was dealt a double blow yesterday in its attempt to staunch the flow of illegal song downloading that has devastated sales, writes David Teather.

Lastminute fights broker’s value destruction claim

Britain's highest profile dotcom company yesterday found itself in a fight to defend its accounting as stockbroker Collins Stewart circulated a critical analysis that claimed its shares are 'ridiculously overvalued', writes Nils Pratley and Neil Hume.

BT hits jackpot with NHS deals

BT sealed two of its most important deals yesterday as it signed contracts with the NHS design and run two patient record databases, worth £1.6bn over the next decade, writes Richard Wray.

Dotcom star steps down at Lastminute

Martha Lane Fox, one of the few surviving entrepreneurial stars of the dotcom boom, has quit as managing director of Lastminute.com, as the online retailer posted its first ever full-year profit, writes Jason Deans.

BT to cast high-speed net nationwide by 2005

BT yesterday pledged to bring fast, always-on internet access to the whole of the UK by 2005 and called on the government and industry to work together to make Broadband Britain a reality, writes Richard Wray.

Microsoft courted Google over merger

4.30pm: Computer giant Microsoft approached search engine Google within the last two months about a merger of the companies, it has emerged. By Chris Tryhorn.

Phone rivals’ fighting talk

Swedish telecoms firm Tele2 is considering legal action against BT over comments made about Tele2's ad campaign for its residential phone service. By Richard Wray.

Google goes for gold in £9bn float

Internet search giant Google is planning a £9bn float next March in a move that will spark a scramble for shares among the public not seen since the dotcom crash in 2000. By Owen Gibson.

Google swaps anoraks for suits

After years of ignoring the bottom line, Google's founders are pressing ahead with a stock market float - but critics of the move are worried it will destroy the company's unique identity, writes Owen Gibson.

Final reel for Winchester chief

The board of film group Winchester Entertainment yesterday called time on their chief executive Gary Smith, report Richard Wray and Neil Hume.

AOL woes sour solid Time Warner results

Time Warner was still dogged yesterday by the weakening performance of its internet service provider AOL, despite attempting to begin anew by dropping the brand from its logo a week ago. By David Teather.