Government & Policy

Founders and VCs back a pan-European C corp, but an ‘EU Inc’ has a rocky road ahead

Government & Policy /

It’s become a common refrain in political discourse: Europe needs to take radical action to remain competitive. On the long list of potential reforms, one that’s gaining particular traction is a new, EU-wide corporate status for innovative companies. Known (somewhat obscurely) as the “28th regime,” the innovation is being billed as Europe’s answer to a […]

Founders and VCs back a pan-European C corp, but an ‘EU Inc’ has a rocky road ahead Read More »

Apple wins $250 from Masimo in watch patent trial

Government & Policy /

A federal jury ruled Friday that Masimo smartwatches infringed Apple patents, but Apple isn’t getting a big payday. Bloomberg Law reports that the company was only seeking the statutory minimum of $250, and that’s all it was awarded. Apple’s attorney John Desmarais reportedly told jurors, “We’re not here for the money.” Instead, he said the

Apple wins $250 from Masimo in watch patent trial Read More »

Elon Musk reportedly chats often with Putin

Government & Policy /

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Russian president Vladimir Putin since late 2022. That’s according to The Wall Street Journal, which reports that the conversations have raised national security concerns among some intelligence officials. At one point, Putin reportedly asked Musk to avoid activating Starlink, his satellite-based internet service,

Elon Musk reportedly chats often with Putin Read More »

UK competition regulator to investigate Alphabet’s investment in Anthropic

Government & Policy /

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is launching a formal probe into Alphabet’s investment in AI rival, Anthropic. The investigation comes three months after the CMA confirmed it was inviting “interested parties” to comment on Alphabet’s various investments in Anthropic, which includes a reported $300 million early last year followed by another reported $2 billion. The probe

UK competition regulator to investigate Alphabet’s investment in Anthropic Read More »

Cement startup Furno lands $20M grant to build low-carbon micro-kilns in Chicago

Government & Policy /

Cement startup Furno will receive a $20 million grant from the Department of Energy, funds that will help the company build up to eight micro-kilns at a concrete plant in Chicago.  Chicago might not seem like the sort of place where cement is hard to come by. But with the nearest kiln 100 miles away,

Cement startup Furno lands $20M grant to build low-carbon micro-kilns in Chicago Read More »

Experts say OpenAI’s patent pledge amounts to little more than ‘virtue signaling’

Government & Policy /

This week, OpenAI quietly published a statement on its website pledging not to use its patents offensively. Asserting its commitment to the principles of “broad access” and “collaboration,” OpenAI said that it would only use its patents in a way that supports innovation. “We pledge to only use our patents defensively, so long as a

Experts say OpenAI’s patent pledge amounts to little more than ‘virtue signaling’ Read More »

French court blocks porn sites over age verification for child protection

Government & Policy /

The Paris Court of Appeal ordered some pornography websites to be blocked on Thursday over failure to implement robust age verification systems that are capable of preventing minors from accessing the adult content, Politico reports. Porn sites Tukif and Xhamster were among several adult websites subject to the order. The sites have been given 15

French court blocks porn sites over age verification for child protection Read More »

The FTC makes it easier to cancel subscriptions like streaming services, memberships and Prime

Government & Policy /

Soon, it’ll be easier to end recurring subscriptions and memberships — if the FTC has its way. Today, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced a final “click-to-cancel” rule that’ll require companies selling subscription-based products to make it “as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment as it was to sign up.” First put forth for

The FTC makes it easier to cancel subscriptions like streaming services, memberships and Prime Read More »

Elon Musk’s X dodges EU’s DMA as bloc decides platform isn’t important enough for fairness controls

Government & Policy /

Elon Musk’s X won’t be regulated under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) the Commission decided Wednesday, despite the social media platform hitting usage thresholds earlier this year. The decision means X won’t be subject to the DMA’s list of operational ‘dos and don’ts’ — in areas like its use of third party data

Elon Musk’s X dodges EU’s DMA as bloc decides platform isn’t important enough for fairness controls Read More »