BRIEFCASE.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

Google hires Cerf, Internet pioneer

SAN JOSE - Adding to its all-star roster of engineering talent, Google has hired Vinton Cerf, often referred to as the ``father of the Internet.''

Cerf, who was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Bill Clinton in 1997, joins Google from MCI, where he is senior vice president of technology strategy.

Cerf's role at Google is unclear. But Google executives said they expect ``great things'' from the Internet pioneer.

``It's true Vint has broad interests, and exactly what he'll do, we'll see,'' said Bill Coughran, a vice president of engineering at Google.

Cerf, 62, will join Google in early October, along with his chief of staff from MCI. He'll work from his McLean, Va., home. However, Coughran said, he expected Cerf to make frequent visits to Google's Mountain View headquarters.

Disney decision being appealed

DOVER, Del. - Attorneys representing stockholders of the Walt Disney Co. are appealing a Delaware judge's ruling that Disney board members did not violate their duties or waste company resources in the hiring and firing of former Hollywood superagent Michael Ovitz.

Chancellor William Chandler III ruled last month that the Disney board did not breach its fiscal responsibilities by agreeing to hire Ovitz as president in 1995, then granting him a $140 million severance just 14 months later.

Attorneys with the New York-based law firm of Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman filed a notice of appeal this week with the Delaware Supreme Court, following through with statements they made when Chandler released his 175-page Chancery Court decision.

Intel Corp. revises revenue forecast

SAN JOSE - Citing continued demand for the chips that power notebook computers, Intel Corp. tightened the range of its third-quarter revenue forecast Thursday but kept the midpoint unchanged at $9.9 billion.

The world's largest maker of PC microprocessors said it now expects revenue to be between $9.8 billion and $10 billion, compared with its previous estimate of $9.6 billion to $10.2 billion.

EBay shares dip after Skype report

SAN FRANCISCO - Shares of eBay Inc. fell 3.8 percent Thursday after published reports said the Web auction leader was in talks to buy Net telephony phenomenon Skype Technologies SA, a prospect some analysts found illogical.

San Jose-based eBay's stock price fell $1.53 to close at $38.93 Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market after the Wall Street Journal reported that a price of $2 billion to $3 billion was being discussed in acquisition talks.

Expert blocked in new Vioxx case

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - A New Jersey judge agreed Thursday to bar an expert on business ethics from testifying on behalf of a man who blames his heart attack on the painkiller Vioxx.

Superior Court Judge Carol Higbee, who will preside over the man's product liability case against Merck & Co. beginning next week, granted Merck's request to keep W. Michael Hoffman from taking the stand after lawyers for the drug maker said his testimony would be subjective, potentially confusing for jurors and violate court rules that limit expert testimony to scientific and technical topics.

But she rejected Merck's motions to limit the testimony of three other experts who will testify, saying they can help jurors understand the case brought by Frederick Humeston, 60, of Boise, Idaho.

Biogen Idec to cut 650 employees

BOSTON - Drug maker Biogen Idec Inc. on Thursday said it will lay off 650 workers as part of a plan to reduce annual expenses by $200 million to $300 million and invest the savings to boost development of experimental drugs.

The Cambridge-based biotechnology firm, seeking to regain its footing after withdrawing a multiple sclerosis drug in February over safety concerns, said it also plans to sell a San Diego manufacturing plant. It also will sell the rights to Amevive, a psoriasis drug approved in 2003 that generated $43 million in sales last year.

Ford announces executive switch

DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Co., which is dealing with a profit slump, announced a series of executive changes on Thursday aimed at restoring profitability to its North American automotive operations.

Mark Fields, who previously oversaw Ford of Europe and the Premier Automotive Group, was appointed president of The Americas, leading the No. 2 U.S.-based automaker's largest business operation, which includes the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands.