IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 13 December
13-12-2007
by Sylvia Leatham
eBay ordered to pay USD30m to MercExchange | Sky backs down on plans to share subscriber info
The Irish Times reports that Microsoft, Cisco and Symantec have come together to provide up to EUR25 million of new technology each year to Irish charities. Read the full story on ENN.
The paper also notes that more than 2,000 mobile phones have been seized by prison authorities this year, according to Prison Service figures. Some 2,010 phones were found in 15 jails and institutions, with 687 phones found in Mountjoy Prison. Statistics for other years are not available.
The Irish Independent says that even as the credit crunch has dragged down the bulk of the stock market, Google has managed to weather the storm more than most. Analysts argued recently that while they are generally bearish on the US economy, Google is likely to prove more recession-proof than many other internet stocks, thanks to market share gains and its international strength. Last week, Credit Suisse set a target of USD900 on the stock, a new Wall Street high.
The Irish Examiner reports that over EUR1 million has been invested in a new innovation laboratory at the Institute of Technology in Tallaght, as reported by ENN on Wednesday.
The paper also says that Sky TV has backed down to threats of legal action from the Irish Data Protection Commissioner over radical plans to provide personal information of subscribers to other companies. The DPC said it had "suspended" legal enforcement against Sky after the broadcasting company withdrew a notice it sent out to its 500,000-plus subscribers in the Republic. The notice told subscribers that Sky had "reviewed" the way it used their personal information and that it would share that information with other companies in the British Sky Broadcasting group as well as outside companies, including credit reference agencies and marketing and sales firms.
The Wall Street Journal says that signs are growing that Motorola may be contemplating a break-up in the wake of the Razr's collapse in popularity. Such a move would satisfy activist investor Carl Icahn, who this year ran an unsuccessful proxy fight to gain a board seat. He says carving up Motorola could produce almost USD20 billion of additional shareholder value. Analysts agree in principle with Icahn's calculations, although many caution that Motorola needs to fix underlying problems in the handset division to maximize the value of a break-up. Breaking Motorola into stand-alone units would highlight uncertainties facing its lesser-known businesses and would go against the trend of consolidation in the telecoms equipment business.
The paper also says that a US federal judge has ruled that eBay must pay about USD30 million in damages to MercExchange as part of a long-running dispute over a patent related to the online auction firm's "Buy It Now" fixed-price feature. US District Judge Jerome Friedman entered a final judgment stemming from a 2003 jury verdict that eBay and its Half.com subsidiary intentionally infringed MercExchange's patent. MercExchange said a motion is still pending before the judge for eBay to account for additional revenue received for its fixed-price sales since the jury verdict.
The Financial Times reports that IBM is to spend USD1.6 billion over the next three years in emerging markets, according to an internal memo from its chief executive. In an e-mail to senior management, Sam Palmisano wrote of "a significant shift in our approach to the global marketplace" as the company seeks to organise itself to deal with opportunities outside its normal scope. The attempt to tap a wider range of developing countries comes as IBM's earlier investment in the four biggest -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- has started to pay off.
The paper also says that Nokia has won a legal victory in its long-running cross-licensing dispute with Qualcomm, after a US judge ruled it had not infringed on three of the chipmaker's patents. Qualcomm had filed a complaint to the International Trade Commission in June 2006 asking the ITC to ban the importation of the infringing technology, which controls signal power to mobile phones. The case was part of the legal pressure exerted by Qualcomm to persuade Nokia to agree to licensing fees for Qualcomm-patented technology in 3G phones. Nokia has argued it should pay less than for previous generation handsets. Nokia has also countered with its own patent-infringement complaint to the ITC, but it was rejected.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 