European Tech Wire

Finnish Mobile Firm Iqua Secures €2-Million Investment

Helsinki -- Iqua, a Finland-based mobile communications firm,
announced that it has raised €2 million in venture-capital financing.
Finnish venture-capital firm Eqvitec led the investment in Iqua,
which specialises in the design and manufacture of wireless
accessories. "The market for Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones is
forecasted to grow from 80 million today to 470 million in 2008,"
said Eqvitec's Juha Mikkola. "This potential … makes Iqua a
unique company and very interesting investment opportunity." Iqua
said it would use the funds to spur growth in Asia and the
Americas and recruit new talent for product development, design
and international operations.
http://www.eqvitec.fi

U.K. Government Aiming to Tackle Technology VAT Fraud

London -- Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has
called on the European Commission to allow the U.K. to change
laws concerning technology VAT fraud. The German and Austrian
governments have made similar requests. The VAT fraud in
question, known as "carousel fraud", involves a company charging
VAT on wholesale technology goods like computer components or
mobile phones, but neglecting to return the tax to the government.
Technology companies purchase goods only to discover at a later
date that they are unable to recover VAT. The U.K. wants to opt
out of European laws governing VAT in order to better tackle the
problem, which, it claims, costs the government more than £1
billion a year.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/whatsnew.htm

EU Seeks to Deepen IT Partnership with Mercosur Countries

Brussels -- The EU announced that it is seeking to strengthen an
IT partnership with the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina,
Uruguay and Paraguay). Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for
Information Society and Media, will meet with ministers in Brazil
and Argentina to increase cooperation on mobile broadcasting,
software and satellite communications and discuss the
development of digital TV in the region. "(IT has) huge potential to
foster economic competitiveness and social cohesion throughout
Europe and Latin America," Reding said. "The EU is the Mercosur
countries' most important trade partner and is already supporting
the partnership with Mercosur in Information Society technologies
under our research and cooperation programmes."
http://europa.eu.int

U.K. Courts Rule File-Sharing is Illegal, Impose Stiff Fines

London -- A landmark duo of court rulings in the U.K. has for the
first time found music file-swappers guilty of copyright infringement
and ordered defendants to pay damages to the U.K. music
industry. In the first case, the U.K. High Court granted summary
judgment against a man from King's Lynn accused of file-sharing
copyright infringement, ordering him to pay nearly £5,000 to the
British Phonographic Institute (BPI). The man must also pay legal
fees totalling nearly £13,500 and as yet unspecified damages.
Another man from Brighton was also found guilty by summary
judgment and ordered to pay £1,500 immediately to the BPI, with
additional damages likely to follow.
http://www.bpi.co.uk

Irish High Court: ISPs Must Identify Music File-Swappers

Dublin -- The High Court of Ireland has ruled that Internet service
providers (ISPs) must turn over the identities of subscribers
alleged to have used file-sharing networks to commit copyright
infringement, according to a report from Digital Rights Ireland, a
digital civil liberties group. The Irish divisions of the major record
labels monitored file-sharing networks using a programme called
MediaSentry and obtained the IP addresses of suspected file-
swappers. They then asked the individuals' ISPs -- Eircom, BT
Communications Ireland and Irish Broadband -- to reveal the
identities of these subscribers. Justice Peter Kelly called file-
sharing "a modern form of thieving", ordered the ISPs to give
subscribers' identities to the record labels and suggested the
labels pass on that information to criminal prosecution authorities.
http://www.digitalrights.ie

Filtronic Shares Fall 30% after Poor Results; CEO Resigns

London -- Filtronic Plc, a U.K.-based wireless-telecommunications
equipment maker, announced that John Roulston, its chief
executive officer, has resigned by "mutual consent". News of
Roulston's departure, coupled with a larger-than-expected £2.9-
million loss for the first half, sent Filtronic shares on the London
Stock Exchange down by as much as 30% in late afternoon
trading. The company said Roulston would be replaced by current
chairman David Rhodes, while acting senior non-executive director
Rhys Williams will act as temporary chairman.
http://www.filtronic.co.uk/news_latest.php

smartfundit.com Launches Software Financing Marketplace

London -- U.K.-based smartfundit.com claims that it has launched
the world's first independent software financing marketplace. The
company said the marketplace would allow software companies to
exchange ideas, find services partners and make the transition to
subscription licensing, as well as bring together top banks that
want to finance software. "What's particularly special about
smartfundit.com is that it is an open market, it isn't just offering a
single source of finance," said Bloor Research analyst Tony Lock.
"It is a single, independent, central point of focus for both software
houses and financial services providers, making it very simple for
the two parties to get together."
http://www.smartfundit.com/

Smart Holograms Expands Management Team

Cambridge, England -- Smart Holograms, a Cambridge-based
sensor-hologram start-up, announced that it is has expanded its
management team. The company has exclusive rights to a new
sensor-hologram technology invented at Cambridge University.
Smart Telecom said it has created two new director positions and
appointed a new financial controller. Chris Culshaw has been
made director of IT and Quality Management Systems, while Julie
Lakin has been promoted to director of Human Resources and
Office Systems. Kevin Thomas has been appointed Financial
Controller.
http://www.smartholograms.com/site/sections/news/06_01_24.htm

Quartilium Appoints Thevenet as Investment Manager

Paris -- Quartilium, the private-equity unit of France-based Finama
Private Equity (Groupama), announced that it has appointed
Olivier Thevenet as its new investment manager. Quartilium
invests in specialised private-equity fund of funds investment
programmes in Europe and the U.S. Prior to joining Quartilium,
Thevenet worked as a management consultant for McKinsey &
Company, and later joined the local office of U.S.-based Advent
International. He has also worked at the Boston Consulting Group
as a senior consultant.
http://www.finama-pe.fr/Website/site/eng_accueil.htm

Rambus Appoints Udo Muerle to European Office

London -- Rambus, a U.S.-based chip-technology firm, announced
that it has appointed Udo Muerle as director of business
development for its new European office. Muerle will assume
responsibility for the overall management of the company's
customer and partnership relationships in Europe, Rambus said.
Prior to joining Rambus, Muerle worked for Synopsys as executive
account manager and TransEDA as chief executive officer. He has
also worked for Virage Logic, Texas Instruments and IBM.
http://www.rambus.com/index.aspx