A former Microsoft Corp. employee was sentenced to four years in prison for illegally selling the company's software, a scam that netted him US$2.3 million. Finn W. Contini, who worked for Microsoft from September 1999 to February 2002, pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of money laundering. Contini was also ordered to pay $7.1 million in restitution to Microsoft.

Google Plans Coding Contest in China

In an effort to attract Chinese programmers to work at its planned research and development center in Beijing, Google Inc. is sponsoring a programming competition for up to 500 engineers in that country. The competition, called the Google China Code Jam, is modeled on the Mountain View, Calif.-based company's annual worldwide programming contest.

Livedoor Buys Net Marketing Firm

Livedoor Co., a Web portal operator in Tokyo, has acquired Innovation Interactive LLC, a New York-based online marketing services firm, for an undisclosed sum. The deal follows earlier forays by Livedoor into the Internet marketing business, including last year's $24 million purchase of ValueClick Japan Inc.