Corporate and legal

Lenovo in talks with smartphone party for joint venture

Lenovo told its shareholders in a statement Tuesday that it's in talks with a smartphone maker to engage in a possible joint venture.

"The Board would like to inform the shareholders of the Company and potential investors that the Company is in preliminary negotiations with a party in connection with a potential joint venture transaction," Lenovo wrote (PDF). "As at the date of this announcement, no material terms concerning the Potential Transaction have been agreed and the Company has not entered into any definitive agreement in relation to the Potential Transaction."

The business-speak aside, Lenovo … Read more

HTC bleeding continues: Operations chief reportedly steps down

The HTC exodus continues, with Chief Operating Officer Matthew Costello the latest key executive to step down, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Costello leaves office after less than three years at the smartphone manufacturer, according to the report. Fred Liu, president of engineering and operations, is taking on Costello's duties, while Costello stays on as an executive adviser after moving to Europe.

HTC confirmed Costello's departure and Liu's new role and issued a statement to CNET.

To achieve success, we've had to change when it was right for the business. Recently was one of those times. We … Read more

Obama to target patent trolls with executive actions

The Obama administration will reportedly announce a set of executive actions on Tuesday aimed at reining in certain patent holders amid concerns they are abusing the current system and squelching competition.

President Obama will instruct the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to initiate a rule-making process that would require patent holders to disclose the owner of a patent, senior Obama administration officials told The Wall Street Journal. He will reportedly announce five executive actions and seven proposed legislative changes, including asking Congress for legislation that would sanction litigants who file lawsuits deemed abusive by the courts.

Patent assertion entities (… Read more

Apple WWDC predictions: Deutsche Bank chimes in

The overhaul of iOS will be the marquee attraction at Apple's upcoming WWDC, according to Deutsche Bank.

In a note to investors Monday, Deutsche Bank Equity Research's Chris Whitmore said the focus will be on iOS 7 and Mac OS upgrades.

The note has a lot to say about the expected iOS 7 announcement.

We believe iOS is due for a material upgrade in order to freshen and reinvigorate the 'cool' factor around Apple's products. The general look and feel of iOS is 6 years old and is in need of an update and some spark. It … Read more

Sean Parker agrees to $2.5M settlement over wedding venue

It appears that former Facebook president Sean Parker has inadvertently become an environmentalist to save his wedding.

He has agreed to dole out $2.5 million in a settlement with the California Coastal Commission over the construction of an immense wedding venue in an ecologically sensitive area of state. That comes on top of the $10 million he spent on his lavish wedding this past weekend to singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas.

In a little nook of the redwood forest in Big Sur, Calif., Parker commissioned the custom-made construction of what seems like a small village for his wedding day. In addition … Read more

Apple owes France $6.5 million in unpaid taxes

Apple appears to be delinquent on a hefty tax payment in France.

SACEM, a French society that controls royalties paid to authors, composers, and publishers, said on Friday that Apple owes 5 million euros ($6.5 million) in royalty taxes from iPads sold in France in 2011. The tax, known in France as a copie privee, is levied against all vendors of digital devices that use copyrighted content, according to French blog site The Rude Baguette.

That tax then goes to SACEM, which divvies out the money among the various authors, producers, and other creative folks.

Apple passed on the … Read more

Sprint: Dish's offer to buy Clearwire violates state law

Sprint is firing off some legal salvos in its effort to stop Dish Network from acquiring Clearwire.

In a letter sent today to Clearwire's board of directors, Sprint said that Dish's acquisition proposal lacks sufficient legal grounds as certain provisions run afoul of the Clearwire Equityholders' Agreement (EHA) or of Delaware state law.

Specifically, Dish's demand for an agreement to choose at least three of Clearwire's board members and have the authority to veto certain Clearwire actions violates the EHA or Delaware law. Further, Dish's proposal asks Sprint, which already owns half of Clearwire and … Read more

Mobile carriers snap back at European roaming reform

A consortium representing mobile network operators didn't like what it heard last week when a top European Commission official called for an end to the roaming fees consumers must pay to use their mobile phones outside their home countries.

Neelie Kroes, the vice president of the EC leading the digital agenda, said she wanted an end to roaming fees by Easter 2014. "I want you to be able to go back to your constituents and say that you were able to end mobile roaming costs," Kroes told members of a European Parliament committee in a speech on … Read more

Ballmer at work on Microsoft restructuring, report says

Microsoft, a software giant since the dawn of the PC era, might not be so focused on software much longer.

CEO Steve Ballmer is in the process of managing a "major restructuring" that would shift his company's center of balance, All Things Digital's Kara Swisher is reporting on Monday, citing people who claim to have knowledge of Microsoft's plans. Rather than base its business on software, as it has since its inception, Microsoft would transition to a "devices and services company," Swisher's sources say.

Ballmer might have already laid the groundwork for … Read more