Aoife White
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/ 22 January 2008

Are IP addresses personal information?

Internet protocol (IP) addresses, a string of numbers that identifies a computer, should generally be regarded as personal information, the head of the European Union’s group of data privacy regulators said on Monday. Google insists an IP address merely identifies the location of a computer, not who the individual user is.

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/ 15 October 2007

De Beers backs Africa on diamond cutting

De Beers group managing director Gareth Penny on Monday called on diamond traders in Europe, the United States and Israel to back Africa’s efforts to cut and polish its own gemstones. The head of the South African miner — which controls 40% of the world’s diamond trade –it w said as not altruism to stabilise the diamond business by creating jobs in African democracies.

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/ 24 April 2006

Microsoft, EU get ready to square off

Microsoft began a challenge on Monday before the European Union’s second-highest court of the European Commission’s landmark antitrust ruling against it, arguing that the future of innovation in the technology industry was at stake. In an opening statement, Microsoft lawyer Jean-Francois Bellis said the commission made ”serious errors” in its decision two years ago that the company abused its dominant market position.

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/ 31 March 2006

Sword of Damocles hangs over Microsoft

Microsoft said at the start of a final day of hearings with European Union (EU) regulators on Friday that it was more optimistic about its antitrust battle and still hoped to stave off fines of â,¬2-million (,4-million) a day. The hearing is the company’s last chance to defend itself before the EU decides whether to levy the fines.

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/ 28 October 2005

New EU offer to cut agricultural tariffs

The European Union offered on Friday to reduce average agricultural tariffs by 47%, its steepest farm tariff cuts to date, in a proposal aimed at breaking a deadlock in world trade talks. ”The EU’s offer is substantial, offering new market access in agriculture,” EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said.