Software trade group spent $490

WASHINGTON — The Business Software Alliance spent $490,000 in the third quarter to lobby the federal government on cloud computing, trade. labor and tax issues, among other matters, according to a quarterly disclosure form.

Other issues that the group lobbied on in the third quarter included efforts to enforce copyright protections on the Internet and combat online piracy. The group as well lobbied on cybersecurity legislation and a bill to crack down on identity theft, according to a disclosure form filed with the House clerk's office on Oct. 20.

The Business Software Alliance represents software

The Business Software Alliance represents software and hardware companies, including Microsoft Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., International Business Machines Corp. and McAfee Inc.

Amazon.com  said sales of its Kindle e-reader were strong over the holiday season amid competition from devices just as Apple's iPad, a computer tablet that as well has e-reader capabilities.