Hasta La Gadget!

The European Commission is digging it its heels and officially launching an investigation into 13 companies for allegedly rigging bids on optical drives with at least two major OEMs. The companies haven’t been named, but it’s safe to assume if the Commission is getting involved these aren’t two-bit players selling cheap knockoffs. With the Statement of Objections issued, now its a matter of gathering evidence and formally charging those it can build a case against. With an e-book investigation underway and a DRAM conspiracy not far in its past, the existence of an optical drive cartel is probably not the sort of news the Commission wants to hear right now. Sadly, there’s not much detail to share, but you’ll find the complete and brief PR after the break. Now its just time to sit back and wait to see what companies we’re allowed to start hating next.

Continue reading European Commission investigating 13 companies for optical drive price fixing

Filed under: Storage

European Commission investigating 13 companies for optical drive price fixing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Word around the mulberry bush is that Apple has just won itself a Europe-wide injunction against the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, in case anyone still wanted to buy that tablet now that the Nexus 7 is out. The decision was taken in-between beer courses at the appeals court in Dusseldorf, but it didn’t all go Apple’s way — Cupertino’s request to have the re-designed Galaxy Tab 10.1 (aka the 10.1N) banned too was rejected, having already been turned down at preliminary hearing back in February.

The Tab 7.7 apparently infringes Apple patents that date from 2004 and, such is the power of one little German town, cannot technically be sold anywhere in the EU — although other countries may choose to ignore the ruling and it’s probably only a matter of time before a 7.7N comes out anyway. In contrast, the failed claim against the 10-inch slate hinged on a “generic design patent,” which a British judge has also vehemently dismissed. Glossing over the 7.7 decision, Samsung says it “welcomes the court’s ruling” with regard to the 10.1N and accuses Apple of using “legal claims” to restrict “design innovation and progress in the industry.”

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Apple wins ‘EU-wide’ injunction against Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, denied on 10.1 ban originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 05:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’d be forgiven for thinking this whole browser choice issue was resolved back in 2009, but no. European regulators are back on Redmond’s back, following suspicions that the megacorp may not be complying with the deal it struck all that time ago. Specifically, the allegations focus on versions of Windows 7 sold since February 2011 that came preloaded with patches, and which may not have displayed the all-important browser selection screen that offered up IE alternatives like Firefox and Chrome.

The EU’s concerns have already been bluntly expressed by Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, who said that Microsoft “should expect sanctions” if the “infringement is confirmed” by the investigation. Almunia added that this is the first time his commission has been faced with a previous offender potentially failing to meet its antitrust commitments.

Update: Reuters reports that Microsoft has acknowledged a “technical error” that meant it “missed delivering the BCS (browser choice screen) software to PCs that came with the service pack 1 update to Windows 7.” The company apologized for the problem and said it has taken “immediate steps” to fix it.

Filed under: Software

Microsoft under investigation for not fulfilling browser choice pledge (update: MS says it’s fixing ‘glitch’) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One advantage American technology fans can celebrate is the right to resell software. After the initial purchase, they’re usually cleared to pass along any apps or games as long as the technology itself allows. Europeans haven’t had that (legal) option to date, but the EU’s Court of Justice has just ruled in a case against Oracle that they will going forward: no matter what the license says, those in EU countries can resell their downloaded apps as long as they don’t try to keep a working copy for themselves. The new owner doesn’t even have to shuffle over a local example and can go straight to the source. We can’t imagine that Oracle and other companies averse to used software are jumping for joy, although copy protection and a lack of digital resale mechanisms might help them simmer down and let us treat our apps like we do our gadgets.

[Image credit: Maciej Bliziński, Flickr]

EU clears resales of used software, shoots down Oracle’s new-sales-only dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) was an EU treaty to protect copyright—but many feared that it was too restrictive and would in turn lead to online censorship. Fortunately the European Parliament has has just rejected the agreement. The internet lives to fight another day. More »