"Our Own Personal Affront to Bill Frist"
COMPETITION
==========
Mourning the Loss of 15 USC 31, 116 STAT 1922
JCRA Welcomes Jersey Dairy's Message to Retailers
The JCRA is encouraged by the voluntary action of Jersey
Dairy to contact over 100 retailers in Jersey reminding them that, under the
provisions of the Competition (Jersey) Law 2005 (the Law), retailers must set
their own retail prices for products they purchase from Jersey Dairy, including
milk.
The OFT
urges SMEs to fix the fixers in launch of 'Come Clean on Cartels' month.
[I wonder if the OFT will create a happy-go-lucky mascot, like the FTC's consumer protection turtle or our own helpful Pete Your Consumer Protection Pal sock puppet. I'm thinking, Spankers, the Cartel Come Clean Moistened Towelette.]
South Korea's MS antitrust probe still on 3:18PM
South Korean antitrust investigators have vowed to
continue their Microsoft probe despite threats that it will withdraw from the
country. The information ministry said that Microsoft should accept that it has
a responsibility to its customers. 'We regret that Microsoft, which serves more
than 20 million customers in South Korea, has officially mentioned that it could
pull out from the country when regulators are probing the issue on a fair legal
basis,' the ministry said. Last week the company warned that if the Korea Fair
Trade Commission (KTFC) orders it to 'remove code or redesign Windows' then 'it
might be necessary to withdraw Windows from the Korean market or delay offering
new versions in Korea'. The KTFC is expected to announce its ruling within the
next few days, having confirmed that it has finished its review and is now
attempting to reach an agreement with Microsoft.
Alito has business-friendly record
"This does appear to be a judge who recognizes how
markets work and how businesses operate in a litigation environment," said Ted
Frank, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Frank also said in an
interview that he was heartened by Alito's dissent in an antitrust case
involving 3M Co. (MMM) A competitor sued the maker of Scotch-brand tape and
other products after accusing 3M of using rebates to enter the market for
private-label tape. Alito dissented from the $68 million verdict, saying the
competitor failed to show how 3M's rebates harmed consumers.
FTC
Requires Divestiture of Assets to Allow Johnson & Johnson’s Purchase of Guidant
Corp.
Consent Order Protects Competition in Three Medical
Device Product Markets. The Federal Trade Commission today announced a consent
agreement that will protect competition and consumers in three significant
medical device product markets affected by Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) proposed
$25.4 billion acquisition of Guidant Corporation (Guidant).
MARKETS
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The Hit Factory
Who needs major labels, marketing or airplay? MySpace
gets more hits than Google -- and becomes the MTV of the internet generation.
Putting Porn on Your IPod
A relatively unknown search engine that specializes in
culling video files from Usenet is ready to offer all kinds of stuff for your
iPod, including pornography.
Sprint Nextel in Venture With 4 Cable Cos.
Sprint Nextel Corp. and four major cable companies said
today they will form a joint venture to sell a package of entertainment and
wireless services, a move designed to combine resources and compete with
regional telephone giants.
Stores Look for a Niche as Gadgets Grow Up
A Magnavox 42-inch widescreen high-definition plasma
television is $2,000, a Canon 8.2-megapixel digital camera is $1,400, and a Sony
Vaio laptop is $2,400 - not exactly a bargain for working-class consumers. But
if the prices are slightly out of reach for the average Wal-Mart shopper, that
is fine by the company. In fact, it is by design. To borrow retail lingo, the
electronic products are "aspirational," said Gary Severson, a senior vice
president at Wal-Mart, responsible for electronics. That word is a euphemistic
way of saying that the chain does not want its shoppers to wake up one morning,
realize the price of a plasma TV has dropped into their income level, then dash
to Best Buy or Circuit City to get one. Wal-Mart wants shoppers to aspire to own
the electronics in its store, not somebody else's.
THE PEQUOD
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Hollywood wants
its finger in the analog hole
Hollywood is running another batch of ersatz legislation
up the flagpole, in the hope of finding Congressmen who'll salute. The latest
proposals aren't bills destined for the floor of the House so much as discussion
documents intended to gauge Congressional reaction at a copyright panel hosted
by the House Judiciary Committee later this week. Of the three drafts circulated
for review, two are predictable - seeking the re-introduction of the broadcast
flag for digital TV broadcasts its introduction into digital satellite radio
broadcasts. But the third is a spectacularly optimistic punt that seeks to
restrict the import, sale or distribution of equipment that performs analog to
digital conversions. Simple A to D, a crime? Yes, indeed - in some
circumstances.
THIS IS F*ING WEIRD
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DNA Dose Seeds Living Tombstones
Harvesting genetic material from the dearly departed and
infusing it into thriving trees could create the ultimate memorial.
BOW
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Principal search gets under way
Although the new Bow High School principal won't be
starting the position until July 1, the search committee is already nearing the
end of an important step in the process. Applications must be received by 4:30
p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, after which the screening process will begin.
Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Holt said selecting a principal will take
months.