Thirty-seven state and district attorneys general on Wednesday sued Alphabet Inc’s Google, alleging it had bought out competitors and used restrictive contracts to illegally maintain a monopoly for its app store on Android phones.

The Google Play Store allegations stem from an investigation involving nearly every state in the United States that began in September 2019 and has already resulted in three more lawsuits against the company.

The cases threaten to force major changes in the way it generates billions of dollars in revenue from its businesses, including advertising, in-app purchases and smart home gadgets.

Google said on Wednesday that the litigation was aimed at stimulating a handful of large app developers who want preferential treatment rather than helping small businesses or consumers. He argues that unlike Apple Inc with its iPhone App Store, Android supports Play Store competitors.

“Android and Google Play provide openness and choice that other platforms just don’t,” the company said in a blog post.

States, led by Utah, New York, North Carolina and Tennessee, say Google has generated “huge profit margins” on the Play Store by adopting illegal tactics to preserve monopolies in selling apps Android and integrated products.

In the United States, Google Play accounts for 90% of downloaded Android apps, according to the lawsuit.

“Google is leveraging its monopoly power with Android to illegally maintain its monopoly in the Android application distribution market,” the lawsuit said.

The states highlighted deals already covered in other lawsuits such as those Google has entered into with mobile carriers and smartphone makers to promote its services.

But they added new allegations after recently reviewing internal company documents. States alleged that Google had bought out the developers so that they would not support competing app stores, and that through numerous secret projects, it intended to pay Samsung Electronics Co, including the store. Rival applications posed the greatest threat, so that it stops competing.

Samsung declined to comment.

The plaintiffs, which include California and the District of Columbia, also claim that Google illegally required certain apps to use the company’s payment tools and give Google up to 30% of digital product sales.

The “extravagant commission,” compared to 3% in other markets, forced app makers to raise prices and consumers to spend more, states said.

“Google Play is not fair play,” Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said in a statement. “It must stop using its monopoly power and hyper-dominant market position to illegally exploit billions of additional dollars from small businesses, competitors and consumers beyond what should be paid.”

States want consumers to get their money back. They also called for civil penalties and court-imposed scrutiny to ensure Google facilitates the process for consumers, app developers and smartphone makers to use or promote alternatives to the Play Store. and to the official payment system for 20 years. Additionally, states are seeking to stop Google payments to Samsung and developers.

States said Wednesday they were not ruling out taking similar action against Apple on its App Store.

The case has garnered praise from Meghan DiMuzio, executive director of the Coalition for App Fairness, which represents companies such as Match Group Inc and Spotify Technology SA that oppose some of the Play Store rules.

“Anti-competitive policies stifle innovation, hamper consumer freedom, inflate costs and limit transparent communication between developers and their customers,” said DiMuzio.

fearing SAMSUNG

The lawsuit said that although Google allows consumers to avoid the Play Store, it displays “generally misleading warnings and barriers” to discourage such activity.

Google doesn’t detail the financial performance of the Play Store, but said the unit, along with several others, generated $ 21.7 billion in revenue last year, or about 12% of overall sales.

Google’s concerns about Samsung grew after the South Korean company worked with video game maker Epic Games Inc to launch “Fortnite” exclusively for Android devices in 2018, according to the lawsuit.

Epic’s Play Store bypass cost Google a few million dollars in revenue, the States said.

Google “immediately launched multiple coordinated initiatives designed to block the emergence of competitive [Samsung] Galaxy Store, ”the lawsuit said. “Google saw these projects as an integrated approach to removing the threat from more developers following Epic’s lead.”

Last year, Epic itself sued Google and Apple separately in federal court in California over App Store policies. The proposed classes of developers and consumers have joined the cases.

A judge’s ruling in the fight against Apple is expected in the coming weeks, and a hearing on Google’s efforts to dismiss the case against it is scheduled for July 22.

The lawsuits come amid growing antitrust scrutiny of big tech companies, but regulators took a heavy blow last week when a judge dismissed a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit against Facebook Inc.

The ruling is not expected to affect the Play Store case as it covers different circumstances, states suing Google have said.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz, Paresh Dave and Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Pullin)

Don’t miss the latest news and information.

Companies including internet giants Alibaba and Tencent were fined Wednesday by anti-monopoly regulators as part of a new move to tighten control over their rapidly developing industries.

In 22 cases, companies were fined 500,000 yuan (US $ 75,000) each for actions that included acquiring stakes in other companies that could unduly increase their market power, the company said. State Administration for Market Regulation. He said the violators included six companies belonging to the Alibaba Group, five by Tencent Holding Ltd. and two by retailer Suning.com, Ltd.

Chinese executives are worried about the dominance of its largest internet companies, which expand into finance, health services and other sensitive areas. The ruling Communist Party says enforcement of the anti-monopoly law, especially in technology, is a priority this year.

In the biggest sanction to date, Alibaba was fined 18.3 billion yuan ($ 2.8 billion) in April for stifling competition. Other companies have been fined or reprimanded for violating competition, data protection, censorship and other rules.

On Sunday, ride-sharing service Didi Global Inc., which debuted on the U.S. stock market last week, was ordered by regulators to overhaul its collection and processing of customer information.

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Nintendo and Hasbro reunite again as the company rolls out Monopoly Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition. Now you too can learn what it’s like to be under Tom Nook’s thumb as you tour the set of one of the most iconic board games of all time. All kidding aside, this is probably one of the most creative ways to apply the rules of the Monopoly game to a different IP. Players will experience island life as new residents move around the island with video game-inspired tokens. In this version, players complete island tasks and meet other characters, but instead of buying properties and paying rent, players collect bugs, fish, fossils, and fruit.

Right now, the game is sold for pre-order on Entertainment Earth for $ 25 and will finally be released in August. We have the official description for you here as we are pretty confident that this version of the game will play out quickly. We look forward to Tom Nook inviting you to purchase a Collector’s Edition with larger coins after winning the game.

In this Monopoly board game, players can enjoy island life and immerse themselves in the colorful and creative world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. As they move around the board with video game-inspired tokens, players complete island tasks and meet other characters. Instead of buying property and paying rent, players collect insects, fish, fossils, and fruit. They can also stop by Nook’s Cranny and cash in Bells to purchase decorations. The decorations are worth Nook Miles and the player with the most Nook Miles wins the game. Available for pre-order now and at most major retailers later this summer.

Newly elected Sri Lanka Football (SLF) President Jaswar Umar is determined to change the sport landscape in the country and herald a new dawn to lift his declining popularity and collapse in the world rankings, after winning the first post by a thin margin of six votes.

“I am proud and humbled by the people’s choice,” proclaimed the 47-year-old former secretary who won one of the most contested elections in its history to become the 13th president of the SLF.

He did not respond to his prediction of at least 115 out of 186 votes, with 96 votes in elections held in Galle, Kandy and Polonnaruwa due to COVID-19 restrictions, to get ahead of rival Dr Manil Fernando .

“I firmly believe that people want to see a new dawn for football in Sri Lanka. For 30 or 40 years, the administration of football was controlled by a clique or a group. They were playing musical chairs. I don’t personally blame anyone for this. The system did not allow the right people to get elected. This is why we have started the fight to change the direction of football in Sri Lanka, ”said Jaswar after his historic triumph over a heavyweight and son of former FSL president Manilal Fernando.

A former Royal College footballer who took the whistle and became an international match commissioner, Jaswar may be the first FSL president to be elected out of the system, but he has his work cut out for him. one year to complete its programs previously. facing another election.

“It was not easy to fight against a formidable opposition. I believe I am the people’s choice. Even those who voted against me are contacting me. I am sincerely looking for everyone’s cooperation, ”he declared, without however inviting former FSL President Anura de Silva and the President of the FSL Medical Commission to sit in his administration.

“People gave me the mandate to change the landscape of football. It is a great responsibility that I will assume, ”he promised after taking office as FSL president at a ceremony held at Football House on Friday. He wants to reduce the number of FSL executive committee members from 28 under the previous administration. “My first priority is to change the constitution and introduce administrative reforms,” ​​he said.

He plans to “revive football” by bringing sport to rural areas and getting back to basics. “We have football but I want to go back to basics where football lost its momentum by taking the game to the villages. That’s where this game belongs, ”said Jaswar who garnered most of his votes in leagues outside of Western Province.

He felt that the 90 votes obtained by his rival Manil were perhaps a gesture of appreciation and gratitude for the legacy of his father Manilal Fernando.

“There are no more rivals now because I get calls from everyone. I will ensure that they are integrated into certain development programs. I will treat them on an equal footing without any political agenda. I think this is definitely my mandate, my chance, my opportunity. They will definitely see me as a different leader, ”said Jaswar who has a powerful team including former FSL chairman Ranjith Rodrigo as vice chairman.

The new football chief got the highest vote of confidence from European Pro-License coach Amir Alagic who transformed the Sri Lankan squad dubbed the “Golden Army” into a combat unit, as evidenced by the 2022 World Cup qualifiers (Asia) against Lebanon and South Korea.

“First of all, I’m happy with this change. It was absolutely necessary for Sri Lankan football because obviously the last management lasted too long without positive results. This is why we are 206th in the FIFA rankings without the youth leagues, almost nothing. It will be a big challenge for the new administration. I think we’ll spend another two years fixing the issues first and then start from there, ”said Alagic who pleaded for the public’s patience.

“Everyone should be patient in the country. Results cannot happen overnight. It’s a long process especially when you have a situation like the one we have. Number one for me is infrastructure. Work closely with the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education to establish grassroots football in the country. Someone should replace Sujan (Perera) and the members of the national team. We need the training of coaches. We got the approval for the “B” license course in Sri Lanka after so many years, ”he said.

“I’m bringing FIFA to Sri Lanka. Very soon, their technical department will visit us. Many positive changes are in sight. We need someone like Jaswar to come and start all of these processes. To reopen football to fans. Don’t keep a low profile like what the last management did, ”said Alagic, of Bosnian descent, who has worked in football for many decades.

“Unfortunately, I did not have a good relationship with the last management. But with Jaswar who is a very educated and very energetic person, we can certainly reach the top. I am sure Sri Lankan football will flourish after two years, ”he said.

Asked if he would have congratulated Jaswar if he hadn’t won the election, Alagic replied, “Everyone knows I have supported him even during the difficult times of the past six months. It’s not about Jaswar or anyone else. In football, it’s black and white. When you see that someone is educated, that someone is making clear decisions, that someone is very simple, that’s football. “

“I have worked extremely hard in my dual role with one salary in 16 months as Technical Director and National Coach. We are one of the few countries in the world to have improved the national team during a pandemic. We lost two games in Korea, but my assessment is that we are around 180 in the FIFA rankings, ”he said.

While he was unwilling to speak in depth about the national team, he was eager to prove that he had accomplished a lot with limited resources in a short period of time.

“We did a good job in South Korea, but this is just the start. It is not development. I think the national team needs two more years to be strong honestly. I also try to bring in foreign players to strengthen the national team, ”he said.

“We are waiting for the Super League to take off because for the moment, it is far from expectations. We can’t dream of a strong national team without a strong Super League because the Super League should produce the players, not me. At the moment, I am one of the few national coaches in the world who have to create the players for the national team. This is not normal, ”he said.

“If you look at South Korea or Lebanon, clubs create players. The national coach simply chooses the best, gives training and tactics on how to play. But here I have to do everything, ”said Alagic, who would like to devote more time to FSL’s technical service.

But the key to development is to make football a professional game.

“We have a Super League that’s kind of semi-professional. You can’t say it’s professional when we have so many officials, players and coaches who don’t win anything from football. Once all the players, club officials, secretaries, managers, referees have become professionals, then you can say it’s a professional league, ”Alagic said.

“I am the creator of the Super League. I will ensure that it is cultivated appropriately, ”summed up Jaswar who wants to chart a new course for Sri Lankan football.

The promoters of more than 500 companies will no longer be the sole judges of the appointments of independent directors. The Securities and Exchange Board of India said the appointments will require a special resolution. This means that the threshold for voting in favor of the nomination will now be 75 percent.

Previously, it had passed by ordinary resolution that required a majority vote (above 50 percent). Analysis of shareholder data shows that this would remove the promoter’s monopoly on these appointments in about 60 percent of companies. The analysis focused on companies with at least …

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Just in case you’re the kind of person who loves Monopoly and shopping at Target, Hasbro made a version of the game for you. As you can expect from the look of the box cover below, Monopoly: Target Edition is a fully Target store-based version of the game, co-developed by the two companies to “encapsulate the unique and joyful shopping experience”. This version of the game is basically the same one you’ve always played, but this time around, players will walk through different sections of the store while moving around the board collecting as many Target Circle items and tokens as possible. As you can see from the images below, even some of the tokens are game themed as you have a shopping cart, a coffee mug, and even the Bullseye mascot (who also sits on the cover).

Target is offering the game on presale starting June 25, with the game slated to release exclusively in its stores on August 1. Here are some quotes from this morning’s announcement.

“Monopoly: Target Edition is the latest example of how we’re always exploring new ways to spark moments of joy with all of our guests within our curated assortment of fan-favorite and Target-exclusive games and toys, ”said Nik nayar senior vice president, hardlines, Target. “Thanks to the collaboration between Target and Hasbro, guests will experience the magic of Monopoly with all the excitement of the ‘Target Run’ at the table. “

“Hasbro is excited to team up with Target to bring their unique shopping experience to life in a whole new Monopoly game “, said Jeff Anderson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Hasbro Gaming, “Monopoly: Target Edition allows consumers to enjoy a Target Run at game nights with friends and family, where instead of buying properties, you search for items and save the most money to win! “

And the big question I ask myself is: why haven’t I learned this before today? Because today, June 23, for just a few hours, the oldest bar in Worcester, MA will actually make wishes come true for anyone who has ever played Monopoly. Ralph’s Tavern will accept Monopoly money as Payment!

It’s pretty cool! The monopoly has existed for a long time. In fact, someone once said, “You can say Monopoly is old fashioned because the rich can still go to jail.” Who among us has played Monopoly and thought to ourselves, “Boy, I wish that big stack of tickets were real.” I’m sure I wasn’t the only one …

WTEN / 10 News Albany reports that Ralph’s Tavern on Shrewsbury Street is urging customers to use Monopoly money between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on June 23 as part of a campaign to land the bar on an upcoming Worcester edition of Monopoly.

Owner Scot Bove is hoping Ralph’s Tavern will be one of 34 Worcester venues featured in the new edition of Monopoly and believes this event will grab some attention.

Between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. you can purchase selected items with Monopoly invoices. And there is no limit. Guests can pay $ 5 in Monopoly cash for admission, $ 10 for a hot dog, $ 20 for Jell-O’s shots, and $ 50 for raffle entry. Keep in mind that Jell-O shots will lack a certain ingredient. Bové explains:

We cannot give alcohol, so all Jell-O shots will be alcohol-free. All alcohol must be paid for in regular US currency.

If you choose to enter the raffle, you could end up winning hats, t-shirts, or glassware. The one and only Rich Uncle Pennybags, known internationally as Mr. Monopoly, will join the fun. The creators of Monopoly, Hasbro, will bring it.

Ralph’s Tavern even encourages its guests to dress up as Uncle Pennybags for a chance to win additional prizes. As I already mentioned at the beginning of this article, I wish I had known in advance. The chance to spend colorful Monopoly money for an hour or two. I missed my chance.

For more on the story, check out the WTEN website here.

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China has become synonymous with table tennis and their association with the game has made it a powerhouse with amazing ping pong mastery. In fact, unsurprisingly, table tennis is also the country’s national sport and to showcase their fortress – record books have run out with the names of paddlers from the world’s most populous nation.