Nearly a year after rumors began swirling that Google could face a record-breaking fine in order to put a six-year long European antitrust investigation related to its search behind it. European regulators are ordering the tech giant to pay up, to the tune of $2.7 billion. [More]
european union
Irish Burger Chain Goes After McDonald’s For Trademarking Every ‘Mc’ Or ‘Mac’ Name
By 4.12.17
Names beginning with “Mc” or “Mac” are incredibly common, but selling food using some variation on either of these could result in a cease-and-desist demand from McDonald’s. Now one Irish burger chain is challenging McDonald’s ability to claim a trademark on every Mc/Mac eatery everywhere. [More]
German Officials Tell Parents To Destroy Doll That Records Conversations
By 2.17.17
Late last year, research indicated that certain toys may be collecting audio recording and personal information from children and sending that data to a company that used the information to improve the voice-recognition tools it sells to the military and law enforcement agencies. While consumer advocates quickly filed complaints with federal regulators in the U.S., across the pond, authorities in Germany are now directing parents to get rid of the “My Friend Cayla” doll. [More]
Apple Officially Appeals EU’s Decision On Back Taxes
By 12.19.16
Three months after Apple CEO Tim Cook called the European Union’s ruling that the company owes Ireland about €13 billion in back taxes “political crap,” the tech giant officially filed an appeal against the decision, adding to the already years-long battle between the Commission, Apple, and Ireland. [More]
Proposed European Law Change Could Make Google Pay Publishers For Your News Results
By 8.26.16
Regulators in Europe are proposing a big update to copyright law in the region that, if adopted, would likely to lead to major changes in the way your news aggregators, well, aggregate. [More]
Anheuser-Busch, SABMiller’s $107B Merger Passes Major Hurdle, Gains European Approval
By 5.24.16
When you’re trying to combine a Belgian-Brazilian beer giant (that loves to pass itself off as American) with a huge London-based beer company whose roots trace back to South Africa and Wisconsin, you’re going to need to shed some overlapping businesses to get all the approvals you need. It looks like Anheuser-Busch’s plan to sell off some SABMiller brands overseas has helped gain approval from European Union regulators who have given the green light to the $107 billion merger of the two companies.
[More]
Google Faces $3.4B Antitrust Fine Over Shopping Search Results
By 5.16.16
Weeks after European regulators announced they were opening an investigation into Google’s requirements that Android-based devices come pre-loaded with Google apps, the tech company is reportedly poised to put a second, longer-running European antitrust case related to its search behind it, to the tune of a $3.4 billion fine. [More]
Regulators Widen Investigation Into Google’s Pre-Loaded Android Apps
By 4.27.16
A week after European regulators announced an investigation into Google’s requirements that Android-based devices come pre-loaded with Google apps, a similar stateside probe is finally getting off the ground. [More]
Mega-Beer Merger Clears Hurdle: SABMiller Officially Sells Peroni, Grolsch Brands For $2.9B
By 4.19.16
In order to grease the wheels for the mammoth $107 billion merger of beer giants Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, a number of Miller’s brew brands are being sold off as quickly as possible. Only a week after announcing that Miller might sell a number of premium labels — including Peroni, Grolsch, and Meantime — to Japan’s Asahi Group, the $2.9 billion deal is now official.
U.K. Orders Google To Forget 9 News Articles About The “Right To Be Forgotten”
By 8.21.15
Although Europeans in 28 countries have the option to ask Google to remove Internet search results about themselves under certain conditions, Google is pushing back against a new “right to be forgotten” request — one that seeks to remove nine news articles about the “right to be forgotten” itself from its internet search results. [More]
Should American-Made Cheeses Be Able To Use European Names Like Parmesan?
By 3.11.14
Because the sun rose in the east today and will set in the west, it’s time to talk about cheese: Specifically, Parmesan cheese made in the United States. The European Union is setting up to fight to keep American-made cheese from having the right to be called Parmesan. [More]
European Union Looking Into iPhone Contracts After Carriers Complain They Stifle Competition
By 3.22.13
Regulators over in Europe are checking into Apple’s deals with cellphone carriers after complaints that the iPhone contracts the company uses stifle competition. There are no formal complaints yet, but a group of wireless carriers banded together to submit info about their various contracts to the European Commission, in a move reportedly started by French carriers. [More]
Budget Airline Ryan Air Appeals Third Blocked Bid To Buy Rival Aer Lingus
By 2.27.13
Budget airline Ryanair, of the standing room-only cabins idea, has big plans for its Irish rival Aer Lingus. But it can’t get down to that happy future of slashing customer comfort and stripping the flying experience down to bare bones just yet because the European Union has blocked its third attempt to acquire its competitor. [More]
"Pure Chocolate" Does Not Exist, EU Court Rules
By 11.29.10
There’s no such thing as “pure chocolate,” says a European Union high court, and the phrase cannot appear on the front of candy packages. [More]
E.U. Agrees To Universal Standard For Phone Chargers
By 6.29.09
Ugh, next time those snooty Europeans come over to blanket us with their Euro-gold, they’ll have one more reason to be all smug and superior: ten of the world’s largest telecoms have agreed to make a universal phone charger that can charge any phone sold in the European Union.
Which Store Has The Worst Return Policy?
By 10.12.08
As part of their multi-pronged effort to fight the financial Godzilla besieging the world economy, the European Commission today proposed a 14-day no-questions-asked return period for any online purchases made within the European Union. The “two-week cooling-off period” is designed to give consumers a chance to shop across borders for the best prices without worrying about return policies. The practically adorable European decision to respond to a financial crisis with consumer protections made us want to look inwards at some of the onerous return policies Americans face.
EU Pushes For Per-Second Wireless Billing
By 3.17.08
Viviane Reding, the European Union’s Telecommunications Commissioner, is our new wireless hero. She’s demanding that wireless carriers in Europe begin billing on a per-second basis rather than per-minute, because “at the retail level, the difference between billed and actual minutes appears to be typically around 20 percent.”
China Will Not Be Banned From Exporting Toys To EU
By 11.21.07
Here’s something everyone can be thankful for—the Chinese, Europeans, and tangentially everyone in America and the rest of the world who have spent the better part of last year dodging lead bullets from the factory nation. The European Union’s consumer chief has said that China has made “quantum leaps” in improving its safety protocols, and will therefore not face a ban in the EU.
