Nielsen: Viewers still prefer the tube over internet TV Watching TV shows online is becoming more common, but most still prefer to watch their shows on their TV sets. That only makes sense and hardly comes as a surprise. But now there are some numbers backing up those assumptions, and they come from a Nielsen Entertainment Television study commissioned by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing. Researchers found that 94 percent of cable and satellite TV subscribers say they prefer watching television on traditional TV sets, but it also found that 35 percent of broadband internet subscribers have watched at least one program online that originally aired on traditional TV. Among those who did, 87 percent watched it on the TV network’s web site. While many viewers are going online to catch up with their favorite programs, a good amount are also using the web to find additional information about their favorite shows. The study found 40 percent of online TV viewers also use the internet to learn about actors on shows and about upcoming episodes.   French court socks eBay $60 million over counterfeits Ebay is a powerful institution that's leveled the retail playing field in some intriguing ways, opening the gate to hundreds of thousands of mom-and-pops while deflating a lot of the image-hefty brands by selling their products at auction. One that's decided not to take it is France's LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The super high-end fashion house sued eBay, and now it's won. A French court has ordered the online auction to pay LVMH $61 million for selling counterfeit goods carrying its labels, which include Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Fendi. But the case is not over. EBay has vowed to appeal, saying the issue is not counterfeits, which it says it bans from sale, but the company's discomfort over its loss of exclusive control over the sales of its goods. In a statement, it said: "Today’s ruling is about an attempt by LVMH to protect uncompetitive commercial practices at the expense of consumer choice." This is the second such defeat by eBay at the hands of the French courts, which tend to be protective of top French brands. A month ago it lost a case brought by Hermes, which won a $30 million judgment. A ruling on a similar suit by Tiffany & Co. is still pending.   More rosy words on global web ad spending growth In the latest promising report for internet advertising, worldwide online spending is forecast to grow by 15 percent to 20 percent a year through 2011, and in so doing increase its share of total spending on global media to 13.6 percent from just under 10 percent this year. In dollars, that's up from $65.2 billion this year to $106.6 billion in 2011. And by then the internet will be the fourth-largest medium in spending, trailing direct mail, print and television, according to IDG, the publishing and technology research outfit. The U.S. will remain the largest single ad marketplace, with online spending reaching $45 billion by 2011, but Western Europe will lead in terms of the internet's share of total spending, which will rise to 18.2 percent, as compared to 14.6 percent for the U.S. Porn--adult content--will remain the top ad category, ahead of gambling, information, electronics, and computing.   New, a web site that lets drivers lock in the price of gas Anguished over the high price of gas at the pump? Intrigued by those new-car ads that promise to cap the price of gas at $2.99 per gallon? Then do visit MyGallons.com, a new site that will allow you to lock in the current price per gallon even in the event prices go up. The site went live a week ago today after several months of testing. It works like this: Drivers purchase gas based on their zip code and the current price determined by established providers. Those gallons are then loaded onto a debit card of sorts the driver can use at most major filling stations, according to the web site. The card, which is received in the mail, carries an annual fee beginning at $29.95. No matter how the high price at the pump rises, the cost of the pre-purchased gallons remains the same, the Miami-based company promises. But there's a catch. If the price of gas drops below the original purchase price, MyGallons.com cardholders are stuck with the difference.