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Posts with tag fine

Qualcomm gets spanked for failing to turn over evidence in Broadcom case

We know that minding your P's and Q's can be a challenge in a lawsuit as long, drawn out -- and frankly, boring as the ongoing Qualcomm / Broadcom patent dispute, but isn't this just a little sloppy? Qualcomm has been fined a hefty $8.6 million for "failing" to turn over a veritable wheelbarrow of evidence in the Broadcom case, and here's the real kicker: the money goes straight into Broadcom's pocket. Seriously, at this point, wouldn't it have been way cheaper for Qualcomm to just pony up the licensing fee?

Texting, talking at the wheel could land Brits in jail

We already knew that UK motorists caught driving while texting (or vice-versa) could face a penalty of two whole years in the slammer, but now it seems that merely talking while controlling a motor vehicle could land you in the exact same predicament. Reportedly, British drivers caught chatting on a handset or sending an SMS while on the road "could be jailed" under new guidelines that are expected to be published. In the most extreme cases, they could be tagged with "dangerous driving, which carries a two-year maximum sentence and an unlimited fine." Currently, these folks simply get slapped with an "automatic fine and three points on their license under the lesser charge of careless driving." But honestly, it's not like prison would be so bad for cellphone addicts -- after all, we hear some cells over there actually provide service.

[Image courtesy of MotorTrend]

FCC gets around to proposing fines for E911 misses

The FCC's goal of 95 percent network compliance for enhanced 911 (E911) capability came and went long ago -- December 31, 2005, to be specific -- but like all good bureaucracies, it's just now taking the time to propose a few fines for the carriers that failed to comply. At the deadline, Alltel was apparently at 84 percent, US Cellular rocked out at 89 percent, Sprint came in at 81 percent, and future partner in marriage Nextel was at 74 percent, leaving significant swaths of their respective networks without the ability to locate subscribers in the event of an emergency. For their failures, Sprint Nextel's looking at about a $1.3 million slap on the wrist, Alltel can expect $1 million, and US Cellular about $500,000. Not enough to drive any of the three to the verge of bankruptcy -- and really, not enough for any of the three to even notice when the cash gets pulled out of the coffers. Way to be, FCC.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Mobile speed cameras to suprise chatty motorists with penalties


Nowadays, we're lucky to be able to so much as breathe air while driving without getting penalized. As of late, motorists in South Yorkshire have quite the incentive to keep their phone conversations under wraps while in transit. Mobile speed cameras, traditionally used to catch speeders, will be used by police to catch unsuspecting chit-chatters in the act, who would later receive an unexpected notice showing 3 points on their license and a demand for £60, which was recently, and perhaps not-so-coincidentally, increased from £30. "If officers using mobile cameras see someone using a hand-held phone, whether with their own eyes or through the lens of their camera, then they are fair game." There's been no word on plans for similar implementation within the automated camera system, but "that is not to say that we can't change the policy," states Meredydd Hughes, the head of roads policing for the Association of Chief Constables. Drivers may soon feel compelled to throw down some cash for a headset, although there's even been speculation on the perils of hands-free yapping -- looks like a good tint-job's the last resort... and how about some spinners while you're at it?

[Via Textually]

Crash while cellphone talkin', cough up $500

Talk about adding insult to injury (seriously); DeKalb County, in Georgia, has recently passed a law that would fine drivers at fault for auto accidents if they were talking on their cellphone at the time of the crash. You'd think someone who just got in an accident might have already learned their lesson about paying attention to the road while on the phone, but hey, why fine preventatively (or ban alltogether) when you can just monetarily punish people who may also have to live with the unbearable conscience of possibly having severely injured or killed someone else?

FCC puts the smack down on LocateCell

We know we give a lot of props to the FCC for outing unreleased products for us, but it turns out that's not the only honorable activity they engage in. It seems LocateCell, a little operation selling wireless customers' data (call logs and the like) against FCC regs, was issued a subpoena not too long ago inquiring into exactly how they were doing their evil deeds. They failed to respond in a timely fashion, earning the FCC's wrath in the form of a $97,500 fine, the maximum amount that can be levied for this type of buffoonery. Of course, $97,500 ain't that much for a lot of companies, and FCC chairman Kevin Martin is painfully aware, calling it "merely a cost of doing business" and looking to Congress to get that max fine bumped up a notch or two. Fortunately for anyone who values their privacy, LocateCell appears to have gone under anyway -- their website's now dead -- but let's just see these guys try to do business when they're staring down the barrel of a million-dollar fine, eh?




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