The Register reveals that “[t]he European Commission has reiterated its demand for the creation of a single European patent. It said the absence of such a protection is hindering the growth of technology companies in the European Union.”
The San Francisco Gate has another article on the Obama administration’s newest plan to direct aid to small firms, writing that “President Obama freed billions of dollars to help the nation's small businesses on Monday, hoping to get credit flowing again to Main Street, not just Wall Street. He heaped praise on the little guys of American industry, often overshadowed in the blitz of government bailouts. The centerpiece of Obama's latest plan will allow the government to spend up to $15 billion to buy the small-business loans that are now choking community banks and lenders. That, in turn, could allow those banks to start lending money again to small companies to invest, pay bills and stay afloat.”
According to the New York Times, “[f]or the first time in six years, enrollment in computer science programs in the United States increased last year.” That was the finding of Taulbee Survey, an annual survey conducted by the Computing Research Association following trends in student enrollment, degree production, employment and faculty salaries for computer science, computer engineering and schools of information in the United States and Canada. NYT writes that “[t]he revival is significant, according to computer scientists and industry executives, who in the past have pointed to declining numbers of science and engineering students as a canary-in-a-coal-mine indicator warning about the nation’s weakening ability to compete in the global economy.”
Internetnews.com speculates on whether a second-generation Microsoft “Surface” will soon become commercially available.
The Guardian reports that “Google today entered the latest stage in a four-year legal battle against luxury brand Louis Vuitton which accuses the US internet giant of selling trademark search terms relating to its products to rivals. Google's lawyers are at the European Court of Justice today as part of a hearing relating to an appeal the search company lodged after LVMH won a case in France against Google in 2005. LVMH, which makes high-end products including luggage and handbags, argues that Google should not be allowed to sell key search terms – such as Vuitton – to the highest bidder. Both sides will put their case to the hearing today, which will not see an outcome to the legal wrangle. No outcome is expected for months.”