Today in international tech news: Google ends a lengthy legal battle in Australia; Raspberry Pi goes on sale in Europe for $25; Japanese authorities and rights-holders plant fake files on piracy sites; the new BlackBerry is received with a collective "meh" in Canada; and Nokia drops a hint about a future tablet.
A court in Australiahas ruled in favorof Google in its lengthy legal fight with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, according toThe Sydney Morning Herald.The case, which lasted six years, concerned search results from 2006-07.The Commission claimed that sponsored links published by Google diverted users to rival companies, according to theHerald. For instance, a search for"Honda Australia" would prompt a paid ad for CarSales, which was a competitor.The Commission charged that results like that insinuated that CarSales and Honda were partnered in some way -- and Google, therefore, was to blame for the mix-up.The Federal Court found Google liable for misleading and deceptive conduct, but upon appeal, the High Court ruled unanimously in favor of Google.In October, an Aussie courtfound Google liablefor damages when a man complained that Google's autocomplete function linked him to a meth kingpin.Raspberry Pi on Sale in EuropeA less expensive version of the Google-funded Raspberry Pi computer is now on sale in Europe.The BBCreportsthat the computer, dubbed Model A, is scaled-down from its Raspberry Pi successor, the Model B. The ModelA lacks a network jack and containsless memory. It also uses less power.Drawbacks, maybe, but the humble design means the computer costs all of $25.The Model A is only available in Europe, but that will change soon, according to the BBC.Japanese Government, Rights-Holders Planting Fake FilesIn Japan, government authorities and rights-holdersare seeding fake fileson file-sharing sites that contain anti-piracy messages, according to Torrent Freak.The nationapproved a major upgradein anti-piracy legislation in2012. However, file-sharers have been slow to heed the policies. Thus the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and rights-holding companies have embarked, as the Ministry puts it, on "experiments to contribute to the enlightenment of users" who download illegal files.Torrent Freak posted a sample warning. It says that similarly-named files contain illegal content,and that downloading said files is illegal. The message also makes note of the October 2012 passage of laws that can punish offenders with up to two years in prison and more than US$20,000 fines.No Frenzy for New BlackBerrys in CanadaTuesday'slaunch in Canadaof BlackBerry's new Z10 phone was a"subdued event," according toThe New York Times.The debut of the new smartphone,which is seen as critical for BlackBerry, was "underwhelming" and "sluggish" across Canada, home country of BlackBerry, formerly known as Research In Motion or RIM.All three major Canadian carriers are charging US$150 for the Z10 ifcustomers agree to a three-year contract. Verizon said that it wouldcharge $200 for the Z10 when it arrives in the US in March.Nokia Eyeing Tablet MarketNokiacould soon take a shotat thetablet market, according to The Australian Financial Review.The tablet will likely be Windows-based, which makes sense seeing as Nokia turned to Windows for its Lumia 610 smartphone.The company has yet to officially confirm plans for a tablet, but company CEO Stephen Elop spoke to reporters in Sydney about"broadening out the [company's] portfolio," and that tablets could be part of that strategy
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