Cody Taylor

coondoggie writes “A federal court today spanked two telemarketers with some .2 million in civil penalties for violating the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Rule. According to the FTC, the companies called consumers whose phone numbers were on the Do Not Call Registry without having obtained their express written agreement or having an ‘established business relationship’ with them. One group’s telemarketers also allegedly abandoned many calls, by failing to connect the calls to a sales representative within two seconds after consumers answered, as required by law, the FTC stated. The cases were filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apple has been grated a patent on the iPhone and its collection of touch-interface technologies. The patent could serve as an important weapon for Apple if it decides to go after unnamed competitors that are “ripping off” its IP.