Here’s the latest news from the technology industry, which is coming under increasing scrutiny.
Apple Ordered To Pay $308.5 Million For Patent Infringement Linked To Digital Rights Management
Apple was ordered by a federal jury to pay approximately $308.5 million to Personalized Media Communications LLC (PMC) for infringing on a patent connected with digital rights management, Reuters reported. PMC had initially sued the tech company in 2015, claiming that the company’s iTunes platform infringed on multiple patents. “Cases like this, brought by companies that don’t make or sell any products, stifle innovation and ultimately harm consumers,” Apple said in a statement, as per Reuters. PMC, which is based in Texas, has infringement cases in progress against firms such as Amazon, Google and Netflix per the report.
Multiple US States And Puerto Rico Join Texas-Led Antitrust Suit Against Google
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that he has filed an amended complaint alleging “antitrust violations and deceptive acts” by Google regarding its digital display advertising operation, according to a press release. Attorneys general from Puerto Rico, Nevada, Montana, Florida and Alaska signed onto the lawsuit initially filed by a group of 10 states headed up by Texas. The amended complaint alleges different contraventions of U.S. and state antitrust laws and consumer protection regulations.
The Wikimedia Foundation Launches Wikimedia Enterprise
The Wikimedia Foundation is rolling out a Wikimedia Enterprise commercial offering, Wired reported. Lane Becker, a senior director at The Wikimedia Foundation, said that the organization has always known that commercial users exist but that “we never really treated them as a user base.” Enterprise will have its iteration of Wikipedia content on Amazon Web Services in lieu of the organization’s servers. However, every user, with the inclusion of commercial users, will still be able to use the complimentary option.
Facebook’s Sandberg: Tech Laws Need To Be Reconsidered, But US Leadership Needs To Be Protected
Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said at a Detroit Economic Club meeting that rules for social media companies such as her own should be reconsidered, although she cautioned that policymakers need to take care to not disadvantage U.S. firms against their international rivals, The Detroit News reported.
“There is real concern about the size and power of the tech companies. We understand that and we really believe the laws need to be rewritten,” Sandberg said per the report, while also noting that that she believes that it is “important that we find a way to continue American leadership of the tech industry.”
US Representative Cicilline Calls For Antitrust Overhaul
U.S. Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) said in his opening statement for the Thursday (March 18) Antitrust Hearing on Monopoly Power that “we need a massive overhaul of our antitrust laws and significant updates to our competition system,” according to remarks prepared for delivery. The congressman said the hearing “is an opportunity to take additional steps in that process by identifying reforms to develop and clarify the antitrust laws to confront America’s monopoly problem.”
Report: UK’s CMA Planning Probe Into Facebook Over User Data Practices
The United Kingdom’s antitrust regulator, The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), is reportedly planning a probe into the way in which Facebook handles user data. The watchdog’s probe into the social media company comes on the heels of similar competition investigations into Apple and Google earlier in March.
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