Business Highlights

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) ⿿ ___

Yelp shares surge 63 percent in stock market debut

Yelp's stock opened to five-star reviews from investors on Friday, soaring 63 percent even though the company has yet to prove it can make money from its online recommendations.

After Yelp's initial public offering priced at $15, the shares gained $9.52 to close at $24.52 in their trading debut. In an indication of the strong investor interest in the eight-year-old reviews site, the IPO sold above its targeted range of $12 to $14 per share.

It's the biggest first-day gain for an Internet IPO since online real estate service Zillow Inc. surged 79 percent in its stock market debut last July. Yelp's gain wasn't the biggest for an IPO so far this year, though. Those bragging rights still belong to Proto Labs Inc., a Maple Plain, Minn.-based provider of customized parts. Proto Labs' shares soared 81 percent in their first day of trading a week ago.

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Feel cheated? Small claims court brings big wins

If you feel cheated by a big company and complaining gets you nowhere, what can you do? A handful of recent cases suggest that consumers can, if they're motivated enough, win against big companies in small claims courts.

These "David versus Goliath" battles were won against the likes of AT&T, Honda and others, without resorting to lawyers. The plaintiffs paid minor filing fees, gathered their own research and presented arguments in quick hearings that resemble the average "Judge Judy" episode.

And now, thanks to the Internet, these victors are connecting with other consumers in hopes of helping them replicate their successes. If the practice catches on, it could amount to a big bucks difference in payouts by these giant corporations.

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German court dismisses Apple, Samsung lawsuits

BERLIN (AP) ⿿ A German court has dismissed patent lawsuits by technology giants Apple and Samsung against each other in the two companies' battle over the market for smartphones and tablet devices.

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