The final day of reckoning in the four-year battle between TiVo and EchoStar has been pushed out a little further. Late Wednesday evening, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted EchoStar's request to stay a contempt order imposed by the U.S. District Court the day before, until its appeal can be heard. The two companies have been locked in a dispute over allegations that EchoStar, through its Dish Network, infringed on TiVo's pause, rewind and live record patents. In 2006, TiVo's assertion of that claim was upheld.

Companies that track consumer behavior online for advertising purposes are vowing to make their practices more transparent and to give people a way to decline being shadowed. It's unclear how much of an effect the new policies will have. One consumer group said the changes don't go far enough, and that extensive profiles of people still will be collected without their complete consent. The new guidelines, which were due to be unveiled Thursday, represent the industry's attempt at self-regulation.

There are dozens of webinars, seminars, research reports, whitepapers, and blog postings on the topic of sales and marketing alignment. Despite the endless flow of resources and suggestions, sales and marketing alignment continues to elude many organizations. Misalignment is often a byproduct of a lack of process and a natural result of traditional marketing and sales roles. Think about it -- sales is perhaps one of the most measured functions in an organization. In sales, performance is measured by tangible results.

In a dramatic repudiation of Bush administration policies, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice withdrew its recent report setting standards for the prosecution of monopolization offenses. Announcing the change of policy, Christine A. Varney, the new assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division, stated that "the Antitrust Division will be aggressively pursuing cases where monopolists try to use their dominance in the marketplace to stifle competition and harm consumers."

More companies are joining in the fight over Internet taxation begun by Amazon.com. Blue Nile and Overstock.com have joined the Web's largest retailer in dropping affiliate programs in North Carolina and Rhode Island, according to numerous press reports. Amazon also reportedly dropped its affiliate program in Hawaii. Affiliate programs allow Web site operators to earn money from product sales by setting up online stores and funneling customers to the parent site.

Just three years after launching in a fanfare of publicity, Joost, which provides professionally made TV on the Web, is shifting directions. It will now provide white label online video platforms to media companies and distributors. Joost is closing down its offices in the Netherlands, retaining offices in the U.S. and the UK. Joost on Tuesday said it will provide the market with a cost-effective, end-to-end solution for media companies to publish videos under their own brands. It also said it is winding down operations in its development center in Leiden, Netherlands.

It may not seem like most people's idea of summer reading. Then again, it is the chance to engage in some detective work with billions of dollars and terabytes of sensitive government data at stake. Better yet, you don't have to spend any money to read this latest techno-thriller. IT Dashboard is the new free online service launched Tuesday by the Obama administration to let Americans view how their tax money is spent on information technology. The Dashboard contains animated pie-chart graphics and links to information on 157 investments from 20-plus government agencies.

The free fall in the IT sector may be nearing an end, according to Forrester. While the decline is not yet over, spending should begin to improve as the year wears on, culminating in the beginning of a recovery in the fourth quarter, according to a report by Forrester Vice President and Principal Analyst Andrew Bartels. The U.S. technology market is "more than halfway" through its fall, says Bartels, chased by global markets suffering from worsening economic conditions abroad, as well the relatively strong position of the dollar versus many other currencies.

Kudos to all those who participated in, organized or even attended the Enterprise 2.0 conference in drizzly Boston last week. There is a lot to write about. The big ideas that I took away include disruption and evolution, ROI and a need to sharpen our focus. Here are a few thoughts on a very good show. The Tuesday keynotes generated needless confusion by asking a simple question: Is Enterprise 2.0 a revolution or an evolution? Such a question is often resolved in a cowardly compromise to split the difference.

After all the excitement about Steve Jobs' health, the market reaction to news that the Apple CEO had returned to work appeared muted. Apple shares closed at $142.43 at close of trading Tuesday, 46 cents up from the previous day's close. They were actually down from Monday's open of just under $144. Shares did climb a bit last month on news that Jobs had received a liver transplant. However, it may also be telling to look back to January, the time at which Jobs announced his planned absence.