As Microsoft buys Nokia’s mobile business, is patent law a threat to business competition? September 4, 2013 YESThere are many reasons why Microsoft decided to buy part of Nokia, but it is clear that one of them was for patents. In the US, the patent system is – in some cases – highly anti-competitive and allows for-profit firms like MPEG-LA to abuse their market power by charging excessive license fees. As the [...]
Trouble at Olympus: SFO brings criminal charges against tech company September 4, 2013 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has charged camera and medical equipment company Olympus with offences of "making a statement to an auditor which was misleading, false or deceptive". The alleged offences are said to have taken place between April 2010 and March 2011 and arose from a global fraud case for which Olympus Corporation was [...]
Economists say Eurozone recovery isn’t a one-off expanding as area emerges from recession September 4, 2013 With confirmation that the Eurozone has finally emerged from its six quarter recession, posting 0.3 per cent GDP growth in the second quarter, economists now expect the area to move back towards more impressive growth figures. Capital Economics stress the new purchasing managers' index data as a sign that signs of recovery are not anomalous: [...]
Loads of Twitter’s functions just disappeared September 4, 2013 Update: All of these functions are now back. Looks like Twitter was having some technical trouble. A load of Twitter's functions just disappeared overnight. So far, we can't find any update from Twitter about why this has happened. What we've found so far: No more auto-complete suggestions in the search bar. You used to get [...]
UK sees strongest new business growth in service sector for 16 years September 4, 2013 Great news for the UK service sector this August, as the latest data from Markit shows that activity in the sector is growing at its fastest pace since December 2006. The purchasing managers' index rose from 60.2 to 60.5, despite an expected slowing in expansion to 59.0. New business growth also grew at the fastest [...]
Emerging countries could suffer if the US tightens policy, IMF warns September 4, 2013 Emerging countries could suffer if the US turns off the monetary easing taps, the IMF fears. According to Reuters, a note prepared for the G-20 meeting in St. Petersburg warns that tightening policy is likely to put emerging economies at risk. In its surveillance note, obtained by Reuters, the IMF urged strengthened global action to [...]
Eurozone sees order books expanding at fastest rate in two years September 4, 2013 The Eurozone recovery may finally be materialising, albeit at a lacklustre pace. Data from Markit has shown the currency bloc's purchasing managers' index has risen from 50.5 to 51.5. That's below expectations of a rise to 51.7, but it's still pretty good news. Christian Schulz, senior economist, Berenberg: The overall data conceal two different recoveries [...]
France sees slowest contraction in service sector for a year September 4, 2013 The French services sector has performed better than expected in August. While still contracting, the pace of contraction has slowed. Analysts were expecting the squeeze to bite harder. Markit's purchasing managers' index shows a rise from 48.6 to 48.9, rather than the anticipated drop to 47.7. Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Markit said: The downturn [...]
Italian service sector slump continues September 4, 2013 While we're expecting the Eurozone services sector as a whole to show growth in August, the Italian sector remains stuck in contraction. The headline purchasing managers' index number rose from 48.7 to just 48.8. Economists had forecast an increase 49.4, bringing the economy close to the end of contraction. Any number below 50 implies that [...]
Spanish service sector sees first growth in activity in 26 months September 4, 2013 The Spanish service sector just saw its first rise in activity in 26 months. According to fresh data from market, the sector's purchasing managers' index increase from 48.5 to 50.4 in August. That's above an expected increase to 50.0. 50 is the break even point, a number under 50 implies expansion. Above would suggest expansion. [...]
