France

News Byte

Samsung Blows Bid to Ban iPhone 4S Sales in Italy

John Paczkowski in Mobile on January 5 at 3:15 pm PT

Samsung’s effort to block sales of Apple’s iPhone 4S in Italy will go unrewarded — for the time being, anyway. An Italian judge today rejected Samsung’s October request for a ban on sales of Apple’s latest iPhone in the country. The decision follows a similar one in France last month.

Samsung Loses Bid to Ban iPhone 4S in France

John Paczkowski in Mobile on December 8, 2011 at 7:38 am PT

Another battle lost in Samsung’s legal campaign against Apple.

Whitman: HP Decision on webOS Coming Within Two Weeks

Arik Hesseldahl in News on November 30, 2011 at 4:25 am PT

In an interview with a French newspaper, HP’s CEO says a final decision on what to do with the webOS software business will come before Christmas.

Samsung to Seek Ban on Apple iPhone 4S in France, Italy

Evan Ramstad, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in Mobile on October 5, 2011 at 2:40 am PT

Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday it would try to stop the sale of Apple Inc.’s iPhone 4S in France and Italy, aiming to use the product’s rollout as leverage against Apple in a broader fight over the design of smartphones and tablet computers.

Apple Withdraws App in France

Noemie Bisserbe and Geoffrey A. Fowler, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in News on September 15, 2011 at 9:45 am PT

Amid pressure from French social activists, Apple Inc. has removed from its French online store an application called “Jew or Not Jew” that says it allows users to identify whether a politician or celebrity is Jewish.

Apple-Samsung Patent Battle Adds France to European Tour

John Paczkowski in News on September 13, 2011 at 7:41 am PT

The Apple-Samsung patent battle spills over into France.

Exclusive: Groupon’s Mason Tells Troops in Feisty Internal Memo: “It Looks Good.”

Kara Swisher in Commerce on August 25, 2011 at 3:02 pm PT

Facing a barrage of negative press about its upcoming IPO, Groupon CEO and co-founder Andrew Mason took up a pen to counter critics of the social buying service in a pugnacious email to employees.

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News Byte

Boku Launches Carrier Billing in France for Digital Goods

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on August 24, 2011 at 3:01 pm PT

San Francisco-based Boku, which enables consumers to charge digital items to their wireless bill, is launching with French carriers Bouygues Telecom and SFR, in addition to already working with Orange France. Now most mobile-phone owners in France will be able to charge things, such as virtual goods in an online game, up to 10 Euros. Boku operates in 65 countries and across 230 carriers. Its main competitor, Zong, was acquired by eBay last month.

American Express Hires Googler as CEO for Flash Sales Joint Venture

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on July 27, 2011 at 7:29 am PT

Vente-privee.com, a French-owned flash sales site with about 13 million members and more than $1 billion in European sales, has formed a joint venture with American Express to enter the U.S.

Google+ Exec Is Now Really Plus One

Kara Swisher in Social on July 5, 2011 at 9:01 pm PT

Usually, I don’t fall for this kind of stuff, but a posting tonight on Google+ about a marriage proposal in Paris by one of the key execs involved in its recent launch, Bradley Horowitz, is too adorkable to resist. Better still: It’s not complicated.