"Cynically waiting for the death of antitrust..."
COMPETITION
==========
Samsung
to Pay $300M Fine for Price Fixing
Samsung, the world's largest maker of memory chips for computers and other
electronic gadgets, has agreed to plead guilty to price fixing and pay a $300
million fine, U.S. officials said Thursday.
Intel fires back at AMD
Chip giant rebuts antitrust charges, saying AMD won't get far on "colorful
language and fanciful claims."
Is It Live Or
Is It Memorex? Models of Vertical Mergers and Antitrust Enforcement
Michael A. Salinger, Director, Bureau of Economics, Association of Competition
Economics (ACE) Seminar on Non-Horizontal Mergers, Competition Commission,
London, UK, September 7, 2005, and Fondation Universitaire, Brussels, Belgium
September 8, 2005
Recognizing the
Procompetitive Potential of Royalty Discussions in Standard Setting. Deborah
Platt Majoras, Stanford University, Stanford, California, September 23, 2005
Department of Justice Amends Antitrust Lawsuit Against National Association of
Realtors - NAR's Modified Policy Continues to Obstruct Internet-Based
Competition
26/09/05 The JCRA publishes its Consultation on Future Options for Broadband in
Jersey together with a Media Release. Responses are invited by 21 October 2005.
Security:
Microsoft's Next Antitrust Battle?
Software giant argues antivirus, spyware-fighting are logical extension to
operating system. Microsoft's moves into the security software market could be
an agitator for more antitrust concerns over how it uses its market strength for
other software offerings. Last week, the company announced a new product for
businesses called Microsoft Client Protection, with a beta version due before
the end of the year. Also in the pipeline is Windows OneCare Live, an antivirus
and spyware product for consumers due for a public beta release later this year.
MARKETS
==========
An Autumn of Unholy Alliances
Internet companies that used to hate each other appear to be making up -- or
trying to buy each other. Is it business as usual, or an indication of shifting
tech tectonics?
Ballmer: Trusting Vista, battling Google
Microsoft's product pipeline is ready to pump out "12 months of the greatest
innovation," CEO says. And no, he doesn't throw chairs.
Comcast, Google eye AOL
Comcast Corp., the country's largest cable TV company, is teaming up with
Internet search leader Google Inc. in talks about taking a stake in Time Warner
Inc.'s AOL Web portal, a person familiar with the discussions said. Comcast,
Google and Time Warner are discussing a possible deal under which the three
companies would form a new entity through which they would jointly own the Web
portal, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because release
of the information was not authorized.
Apple cuts the TV out of TV programming
iTunes TV foray likely to change media distribution. But it could be a harder
business than music.
Netscape gains as Firefox wanes?
A feature that allowed users of the Netscape 8.0 Web browser to switch how pages
are displayed may have artificially inflated the market share of rivals Firefox
and Internet Explorer, according to Web tracking firm NetApplications.com.
Yahoo, Microsoft Forge IM Compatibility Pact
Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN have agreed to work to make their instant messaging
platforms more compatible, a bid to set aside competitive differences to tackle
the continued dominance of America Online's own chat platform. The companies
said their agreement represented the first time two major IM providers had
agreed to make their products more compatible.
Experts: Microsoft-Yahoo alliance is food for IM worms
update Connecting Microsoft and Yahoo's IM services creates an environment where
a worm could spread farther than ever before, experts say.
Google thinks I care about the Orioles
Google Desktop 2 is trying to get to know me, but it still brings me chocolate
when I really want roses.
District Software Firm Will Buy Biggest Rival
Blackboard Inc., a District company that sells online education software, has
agreed to buy its biggest rival, WebCT Inc., in a $180 million deal that
strengthens eight-year-old Blackboard's position in a growing market.
Qwest Urges Limits on Telecom Mergers
Qwest Communications officials pressed their case Wednesday for the government
to impose restrictions on two telecommunications mergers, reiterating their
contention the pending deals could hurt competition and raise prices. As
proposed, the unions of SBC Communications Inc. and AT&T and Verizon
Communications Inc. and MCI Inc. would dwarf competitors and control much of the
domestic market, Qwest Senior Vice President Steve Davis told reporters at a
Washington briefing.
Microsoft Reports Strong Sales of Media Center
Microsoft last week reported a big increase in sales of its Windows version for
home-entertainment computers -- indicating progress in an area of the market
where Apple Computer soon will pose a new competitive threat. he company
announced Friday that it has sold a cumulative total of more than 4 million
copies of Windows XP Media Center Edition.
AOL confirms
Weblogs buyout
AOL has confirmed it is to acquire blog network outfit Weblogs, Inc as part of a
plan to keep subscribers and advertisers locked into its content. Financial
details were not disclosed although earlier reports claim the US internet giant
was prepared to shell out $25m for the company.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
==========
FTC Clamps down on File-sharing
Service Site
100 Percent Legal Claim Alleged to Be 100 Percent False. A U.S. District Court
judge has halted the deceptive ads of a Web operation that claimed that
membership in MP3DownloadCity.com would allow users of peer-to-peer (P2P)
file-sharing programs to transfer copyrighted materials without violating the
law.
THE PEQUOD
==========
U.S. Control of Internet Questioned
Next month, world diplomats will travel to Tunisia to tackle a topic so dense
that it normally clears a room in seconds: how the Internet is governed.
Sleuths Crack Color Printer Tracking Code
It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it isn't. The pages coming out of your
color printer may contain hidden information that could be used to track you
down if you ever cross the U.S. government.
Google faces suit by book industry
Google Inc. faces a second lawsuit filed by the book publishing industry over
plans to digitally copy and distribute copyrighted works without permission, a
book organization group said on Wednesday. The Association of American
Publishers said the suit was filed after lengthy discussions broke down over
alleged copyright infringement implications of Google's Print Library Project.
It did not specify where the suit was filed.
EU
says internet could fall apart
A battle has erupted over who governs the internet, with America demanding to
maintain a key role in the network it helped create and other countries
demanding more control. The European commission is warning that if a deal cannot
be reached at a meeting in Tunisia next month the internet will split apart.
Police blotter: Patriot Act wins a round
In this week's episode, library group loses emergency appeal to U.S. Supreme
Court related to FBI's demand for Internet records.
Forum:
Technology and the Internet
"The respondents authorized users to infringe the applicants' copyright in their
sound recording," Murray R. Wilcox, a federal judge in Sydney, wrote in a
summary of his judgment. "The respondents have long known that the Kazaa system
is widely used for the sharing of copyright files."
Delaware Supreme Court declines to unmask a blogger
Court rules that if an elected official claims he has been defamed by an
anonymous blogger, he cannot use a lawsuit to unmask the writer.
Australian court: PS2 chip mod OK
It's legal for retailers and users to install chips modified to make imported
games work on Sony PlayStation, court rules.
COYOTES
==========
Coyotes eating cats, evading traps
Coyotes have continued to prowl the North Shore, mauling pet dogs and cats and
evading attempts by local police to capture them.
FANTASMAGORICAL !
==========
Recruits Sought for Porn Squad
The FBI is joining the Bush administration's War on Porn. And it's looking for a
few good agents. Early last month, the bureau's Washington Field Office began
recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a
July 29 Electronic Communication from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices,
describing the initiative as "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General
Alberto R. Gonzales and, by extension, of "the Director." That would be FBI
Director Robert S. Mueller III.
Homeland Security Chief Defends Federal Response
...Mr. Brown has come under fire from critics of the federal government's
hurricane response, who describe him as a political appointee who had no
disaster experience before joining FEMA. Though he once worked as a municipal
official in Edmond, Okla., Mr. Brown's major previous job was as commissioner of
the International Arabian Horse Association, from which he resigned under
pressure in 2001 after a controversial 10 years.
TASMANIA
==========
David fosters a new generation
Champion woodchopper David Foster will make only a brief appearance at the Royal
Hobart Show as he fights his way back from injury. The multiple world champion
will be at the show tomorrow for the double-handed sawing. He will compete in
the event with his son Stephen. Foster said it was part of his recovery from a
back injury which almost ended his career. He says the back is slowly getting
better