Did Apple’s iPod become the dominant music player illegally? That’s the question at the heart of a billion dollar suit that claims Apple shut out competitors. Recently, Apple challenged the legal qualifications of two women who are the primary plaintiffs to pursue the suit.
The company claims that customer records show the iPods were purchased later than the timeframe at issue in the suit, which is 2006 to 2009. However, testimony continued in federal district court in Oakland, Calif., while the plaintiff’s attorneys searched for additional documentation to confirm their qualifications. The suit claims Apple illegally forced song buyers to use iPods and Apple’s iTunes software to download music rather than cheaper music players that could not play songs purchased using iTunes.
Microsoft announced on Dec. 5 that its Torque app is making the leap from wrist-worn Android Wear devices to Android smartphones. Torque joins OneNote for Android Wear as an early foray into the wearables software market for Microsoft. The app, from the Office Labs offshoot dubbed Microsoft Garage, is part of a new wave of fast-tracked consumer apps.
BlackBerry CEO John Chen recently stated that he couldn’t allow a Chinese company to acquire the mobile device maker, because legal issues in Western nations could block such a sale. The Five Eyes nations–the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia–share an intelligence agreement that dates back to World War II. Concerns about Chinese companies buying American companies have been around for a long time, due to security and intelligence issues.
Clothing retailer Bebe has publicly admitted that its payment systems were breached in a security incident last month. The breach, which occurred Nov. 8-26, involved payment cards used in Bebe stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and did not impact purchases made in Canada or online. According to the company, the data that was stolen may have included cardholder names, account numbers, expiration dates and verification codes.