Slow spend

Consumer spending was little changed in April after climbing 0.6 percent in March, as in comes rose 0.4 percent.

‘Hurt’ lawsuit

Voltage Pictures, pro ducer of “The Hurt Locker,” filed a copy right infringement suit against 5,000 people it alleges illegally down loaded its Oscar-win ning film, saying it in tends to subpoena Internet service provid ers to identify them.

Morgan cuts

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney cut about 200 jobs as it moves closer to full integration, mostly from product support areas; it plans to hire about 150 private bankers and 35 employees for its capital markets opera tions.

Viacom raise

Viacom Inc. raised newly named Chief Op erating Officer Thomas E. Dooley’s target annual cash bonus to $9.5 million from $8 million.

WaMu

The US Trustee, an arm of the Justice Depart ment, objected to the liq uidation plan of Wash ington Mutual Inc., the holding company for the biggest US bank to fail in 2008, later purchased by JPMorgan.