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THAMES TECH WIRE - May 31, 2005
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o Survey: Software Directive Will Lead to Too Many Patents
o Report: Value of U.K. Software Piracy Exceeds £1 Billion
o Report: U.K. Online Spending Increases by 29.3% in April
o Payment Firm FireOne to List Shares on London's AIM
o Spokesman: EU to Wait until July to Decide on Microsoft
o Briefly Noted: Empower Interactive-Keith Cornell, Antenova
Asia-Tom Newman, Travelzoo UK-Christopher Loughlin
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o Survey: Software Directive Will Lead to Too Many Patents
London -- According to a new survey by the U.K. Patent Office
(UKPO), software companies and developers in the U.K. believe that
the definition of "technical contribution" in the software patent
directive's current form is "ambiguous and too liberal" and will lead to
the creation of too many patents. "The results show just how difficult it
can be to come up with a definition which is both easy to apply and
which gives the 'right' result in terms of allowing patents for computer-
implemented technical inventions, but blocking patents for non-
technical software," said UKPO Director of Patents Sean Dennehey.
"The workshops have generated some useful ideas, and I hope they will
be taken into account in the imminent debate on the CII Directive at the
European Parliament." The UKPO, which compiled the report after
holding 13 workshops across the country, said a change in U.K. policy
was unlikely.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q13521C2B
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o Report: Value of U.K. Software Piracy Exceeds £1 Billion
London -- According to a new report by the Business Software Alliance
(BSA), the value of pirated software in the U.K. has come to more than
£1 billion for the first time ever. Worldwide, software piracy is worth
more than 26.7 billion euro (£18 billion), a 3.2-billion-euro (£2.2
billion) increase compared to last year's figures, the BSA said. What's
more, about 35% of European software is now pirated, according to
BSA estimates. "The level of software piracy remains unacceptably
high," said Siobhan Carroll, Regional Manager of BSA Northern
Europe. "While ongoing campaigns by ourselves and other creative
industries will help raise awareness of the piracy problem and respect
for intellectual property, the support of the government will be crucial
in bringing the rate down." The BSA, which claimed that the U.K.
Treasury was losing millions of pounds in taxes, urged the local
government to crack down on the problem.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M3F625C2B
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o Report: U.K. Online Spending Increases by 29.3% in April
London -- According to the latest report by the Interactive Media in
Retail Group (IMRG), U.K. consumers spent more than £1.4 billion
online in the month of April alone, a 29.3% year-on-year increase and
the highest growth-rate reported in the last seven months. By
comparison, total retail sales in the U.K. fell by 1.3% over the same
period. "We have regularly observed over the past five years that when
times are tough, more shopping moves online," said IMRG Managing
Director Jo Tucker. "But April's huge increase surprised us all, in light
of consumers' reluctance to part with their cash in the bricks-and-
mortar stores." Since the IMRG, a non-profit trade organisation for
online retailers, began compiling figures in April 2000, U.K. online
sales have increased by more than 1,500%.
http://www.imrg.org/
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o Payment Firm FireOne to List Shares on London's AIM
London -- FireOne Group Plc, a Canada-based provider of payment
processing services to the online gaming industry, announced that it
plans to raise more than £24 million with an initial public offering
(IPO) on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Index Market
(AIM). FireOne said the IPO, which will place about 10 million shares
at 241 pence per share, would value the group at more than £120
million. FireOne said its shares would begin trading on AIM on June 2.
FireOne is a unit of Optimal Group Inc., a Canada-based payments and
services company with operations throughout North America and the
U.K.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M25753C2B
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o Spokesman: EU to Wait until July to Decide on Microsoft
Brussels -- The EU announced on Tuesday that it plans to wait until the
end of next month to decide whether to impose extra fines on U.S.-
based software giant Microsoft, despite the fact a compliance deadline
ends tonight at midnight. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd, who said the
EU was confident Microsoft would respond to anti-compliance charges
on time, told Business Week that it would likely take several weeks to
analyse the company's proposal properly. "We're in regular contact
with Microsoft, and we have no reason to believe they will not make
their final offer before midnight tonight," Todd told Business Week. "I
can't say whether they're going to fall into line or not." If the EU is
dissatisfied with Microsoft's proposal, it will be able to fine the
company as much as 5% of its daily global sales for each day that it
continues to breach the terms of a recent antitrust ruling against it.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E20646C2B
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o Briefly Noted:
(London) Empower Interactive Ltd., a U.K.-based wireless technology
firm, announced that it has appointed Keith Cornell as its new chief
executive officer. Empower said Cornell, a veteran of the wireless
industry with more than 23 years of experience in strategy, business
development and operations, would lead the company as it expands in
Asia, Europe and North America. Prior to joining Empower, Cornell
was on the management board of O2 with responsibility for operations
in Germany, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Netherlands. He has also
served in senior management roles at FirstMark Communications,
Vodafone, Airtouch International and Marakon Associates.
http://www.eigroup.com/newsEventsHome.htm
(Cambridge, England) Antenova Ltd., a U.K.-based RF antenna firm,
announced that it has appointed Tom Newman as general manager of
its operations in Asia. Antenova said Newman, an industry veteran and
long-term resident of China and Taiwan, would further establish the
company's operations and increase its presence in the world's largest
mobile-phone market. "(Newman's) experience in the antenna industry
and unique insight gained from living and working in China will bring
huge benefits to Antenova's global strategy," said Antenova CEO Greg
McCray. "(He) will be instrumental in pushing Antenova's patented
HDAT technology and Radionova products into this high growth
market."
http://www.antenova.com/#
(New York) Travelzoo, a U.S.-based provider of Internet travel
services, announced that it has named Christopher Loughlin as senior
vice president and general manager of Travelzoo UK. "In his four years
at Travelzoo, (Loughlin) has led the company's business development
in the U.S. with a strong focus on advertising revenue growth and high
quality content," said Travelzoo CEO Ralph Bartel. "I believe that his
talent and experience with Travelzoo's media business model, applied
to the exciting and emerging business in the U.K., will help us execute
our growth strategy in this important market."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050523/235649.html?.v=1
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