Daily Roundup for 2007-12-14

• Technology Review: Microsoft buys Multimap for undisclosed amount
  Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it has acquired a United Kingdom online mapping company to enhance its existing Windows Live Web-based services.The software maker did not say what it paid for Multimap, which provides street-level maps, travel directions and local information. Multimap also offers hotel and restaurant-booking services and builds private-label mapping tools for companies, including Hilton Hotels and Ford.
• EBay Is Ordered To Pay $30 Million In Patent Rift - WSJ.com
  A federal judge ruled that Web auctioneer eBay Inc. must pay about $30 million in damages to MercExchange LLC as part of a long-running dispute over a patent related to the ecommerce company's "Buy It Now" fixed-price feature. The ruling marks a setback for eBay in a series of recent legal challenges.