According to today's NY Times, in an age when private citizens are publishing blogs that have become a "critical source of news," the courts are being asked by Apple Computer to decide to whether or not bloggers should enjoy the same protections as mainstream journalists. In the past, the courts have extended latittude to journalists "in protecting the identities of confidential sources."
HELSINKI, Finland, Dec 15, 2004 -- Nokia, the world's largest handset maker plans to mark its original batteries with a hologram as part of the fight against unsafe, counterfeit mobile phone batteries - some of which have exploded in users' hands.
The hologram labels will help customers identify an original Nokia battery thus ensuring the safe use of handsets, Nokia Corp. said Wednesday.
"Consumer safety is our most important concern and we are taking even more aggressive measures to raise consumer awareness about the dangers of counterfeit batteries and poor quality third-party batteries," said Razvan Olosu from Nokia's multimedia division. "We are directly attacking the counterfeiters who manufacture potentially unsafe batteries."
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The hologram label includes a holographic image and an authentication code hidden under a scratch-off area on the label. Sales of the hologrammed batteries have already begun and all new Nokia batteries will be equipped with holograms, Nokia said.
Nokia maintains that reported cases of overheating batteries that have damaged both batteries and phones were counterfeit or non-original products.
The Finnish company also said it will continue its drive "to take strong legal measures, including criminal prosecutions" against those who sell and distribute counterfeit Nokia products.
Last month, Nokia said it plans to bring 40 new handsets to the market in 2005 as it seeks to expand its already dominant market share amid increased competition from rivals Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Sony Ericsson.
Nokia is the world market leader for cell phones, with about 31 percent of all mobile handsets sold, according to Gartner Dataquest. Last year, Nokia claimed a 38 percent market share.
Based in Espoo, just outside the Finnish capital, it has sales in 130 countries with some 53,000 employees.
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