2009 January: Business

2009 January: Business

Anchor: Base Index
Other months: December February
Other areas: Climate computing education health international Internet science social technology Others
Topics: Agriculture banking carbon cartels climate competition conservation consultancy consumerism copyright corruption economics environment fraud free trade freight globalism management manufacturing marketing media mining money newspapers outsourcing pay policy politics privatism property publishing recycling social television trademarks wealth

(see also in Climate: Mitigation and National)

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Bryony Worthington, 'Just a money redistribution exercise where we foot the bill', Guardian, 2009 Jan. 28 (the pollution permit price crash highlights one of the risks of cap and trade schemes)
Companies clean up—in the wrong way, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 28 (how does it work?; what does it cover?; your questions answered about the EU's emissions trading scheme)
Ben Cubby, Green homes may pay for big polluters, The Age, 2009 Jan. 26 (a quirk in the Federal Government's proposed carbon trading scheme means household efforts to cut carbon footprints could simply translate into more money in the pockets of heavy polluters, many economists and environment groups believe)
Gerard Wright, Looking for a greener place in cyberspace, The Age, 2009 Jan. 24 (the internet is a growing contributor to carbon emissions, but soon its potential to reduce them may come to the fore)
Norway and the environment: Binge and purge, Economist, 2009 Jan. 17 (home to a green-minded people and government, Norway exports the dirty stuff to the rest of the world; the result is a contradiction)
Andrew Walker, Nigeria's gas profits 'up in smoke', BBC, 2009 Jan. 13 (the latest deadline set by the Nigerian government to stop flaring natural gas from oil wells in the Niger Delta has passed without stopping the flames, which campaigners say are poisoning local people)
Peter Ker, Victoria, the dirty state, shamed by emissions scorecard, The Age, 2009 Jan. 12 (Victoria is driving Australia's carbon pollution problem, with the Garden State being revealed as Australia's worst greenhouse performer across a number of emissions indicators in 2008)
Ari Sharp, Keep to emission cuts, say economists, The Age, 2009 Jan. 3 (economists have given a lukewarm response to Kevin Rudd's carbon emission reduction targets, but have urged the Federal Government not to be spooked by the global economic downturn)
The sea: The curse of carbon, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (the sea is 30% more acidic than it would have been without man's new activities; the processes now set in train cannot easily be stopped, let alone reversed; part of a special report)

Competition and Cartels

(see also Marketing)

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Ari Sharp, Warning of reverse effect to drug block, The Age, 2009 Jan. 21 (attempts by pharmacists and the competition regulator to block consolidation by drug distributors could unwittingly pave the way for a single player to dominate the sector, an analyst warns)
Microsoft is accused by EU again, BBC, 2009 Jan. 17 (the European Commission has accused Microsoft of harming competition by bundling its Explorer web browser with its Windows operating system)

Consumerism

(see also Social and in Social)

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Greg Barns, Consumer the fall guy for strangled capitalism, The Age, 2009 Jan. 28 (greater government intervention as a response to the financial crisis will be disastrous)
Segregation and shopping: The call of the mall, Economist, 2009 Jan. 17 (Americans of all ethnic groups are increasingly living and going to school together; shopping is another matter)
William Keegan, When there's no cashflow, Mr Cameron, saving won't save us, Observer, 2009 Jan. 11 (a capitalist economy runs on debt; banks and consumers need to regain a sense of proportion)
Jon Canter, Passion and packaging, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 5 (we must resist those who try to fool us that their faceless businesses have beliefs and personalities)
Retailing gloom: Amid hectic shopping more famous names on the high street face ruin, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (Nick Hood, a partner at Begbies Traynor, a corporate-rescue specialist, predicts another five or ten notable insolvencies in the retail sector and at least a year of agony before things get better)

Copyright and Trademarks

(see also in Internet and Technology)

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Peter Carey, Silencing Australian voices, The Age, 2009 Jan. 29 (eliminating territorial copyright will devastate our writers and the industry that supports them)
Severin Carrell, Glasgow council Surreal case of the Dalí images and a battle over artistic licence, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 27 (issues legal threats to stop poster firms and rock band illegally copying prized painting)
Imogen O'Rorke, A big hit with the kids, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 26 (brands are using legal loopholes to market their products to web-savvy children, a new book reveals)
Watchmen movie gets the go-ahead, BBC, 2009 Jan. 16 (superhero movie Watchmen will be released as planned in March after two Hollywood studios resolved a legal dispute over copyright)
Max Barry, Collateral damage in video war, The Age, 2009 Jan. 11 (the innocent are being keelhauled by DVD-copy protection aimed at "pirates")
Garry Barker, World's big four music companies run up white flag to digital pirates, The Age, 2009 Jan. 8 (from today the four big labels, EMI, Warner, Sony Music and Universal, will lift digital rights management restrictions on 8 million songs available through Apple's iTunes Music Store; what this means for the music companies' prosecutions of music pirates is unclear, but experts in the recorded music business have seen an end to DRM as inevitable and sensible)

Economics and Policy

(see also Money)

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Olivier Blanchard, Economics focus: (Nearly) nothing to fear but fear itself, Economist, 2009 Jan. 31 (policymakers should focus on reducing uncertainty)
Nicholas Gruen, Reduce the bugbears with some beta-tested policies, The Age, 2009 Jan. 29 (governments should tap into the wisdom of the web)
Stephen Moss, Those genius financial doomsayers, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 26 (so many foresaw the crisis, in fact, that it seems amazing it took so long for the penny (cent, yen and krona) to drop)
Simon Jenkins, The nation has a bad case of mad Treasury disease, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 21 (Brown and Darling's bid to seduce the banks is daft—they should turn to Keynes and focus on stimulating demand)
Jessica Irvine, The definition of recession? Just apply the duck principle, The Age, 2009 Jan. 21 (even the experts can't pin down what it really means to be in recession)
Economics focus: Looking good by doing good, Economist, 2009 Jan. 17 (rewarding people for their generosity may be counterproductive)
Amazon worldwide bestsellers: Words of warning, Economist, 2009 Jan. 10 (the financial crisis has revived interest in the writings of J.K. Galbraith)
Simon Jenkins, For all the wild apocalyptic punditry, recessions pass; this one will, too, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 9 (where economists fail, bishops, philosophers and gurus rush foolishly in; despite them, we will muddle through again)
Economics focus: Diagnosing depression, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (what is the difference between a recession and a depression?)
Buttonwood, Ready for a rally?: Markets could decouple from the economy in 2009, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (in a pleasant way for equity investors)
Emerging economists: International bright young things, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (the next generation of economists do their best work somewhere between the field clinic and the dissection room; we asked leading authorities in the discipline to name the best young economists in the world; between them, they proposed over 50 researchers, but several names recurred on many lists; we have sifted the 50 down to eight, all of whom received their PhDs in the past ten years)
Timothy Garton Ash, 2009 brings hard choices over the future of capitalism, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 1 (either a large part of humankind has to be excluded from the happy benefits of growth or our way of life has to change)

Environment and Conservation

(see also in Health and Science)

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Haroon Siddique, Eden Project could go global, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 26 (after years of rejecting international suitors, plan to open number of like-minded ventures around the world)
David Smith, Demand for beef 'harming' countryside, Observer, 2009 Jan. 25 (the trend towards intensive US-style cattle farming could ultimately ruin green rolling landscapes)
Carmel Egan and John Elder, Australia fails to act on wetland obligations, The Age, 2009 Jan. 4 (Australia has snubbed an international agreement—to which it is the No. 1 signatory—by refusing to provide information on the neglected state of our most endangered wetlands)
The sea: Man has used the oceans as a dustbin for far too long, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (but the sea can be harnessed for energy, and to store carbon; part of a special report)
The sea: Saline solutions, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (the sea needs research, management, property rights—and political action; part of a special report)

Fraud and Corruption

(see also in Internet and Social)

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Belinda Tasker, Peer admits taking money from firms, The Age, 2009 Jan. 28 (a member of House of Lords accused of taking cash from companies in exchange for changing laws says he was paid as much as $A211,000 by some firms)
Audrey Gillan, Court told of electronic attempt to steal £229m, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 22 (jury told that money transfer failed 'because of logging error' as three stand trial for attempted fraud)
James Doran, No evidence Madoff traded a single share for clients, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 16 (financial regulator received warning as early as 1996, but failed to demand necessary evidence; watchdog has examined books since 1960; statements showing trades now look fictitious)
Dan Oakes, Indian IT company scandal threatens jobs, The Age, 2009 Jan. 9 (hundreds of Australian jobs could be at risk after the chairman of Indian outsourcing company, Satyam, confesses to committing a massive fraud)
The Madoff scandal: Follow the feeders, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (the crucial roles played by credulous middlemen and clueless regulators)

Globalism and Free Trade

(see also in International)

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Timothy Garton Ash, The knives are out for Davos Man. But the alternative is much more alarming, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 29 (the biggest danger is not a surfeit of the globalism embodied by this forum, but the strengthening of economic nationalism)
Ian Traynor, Nervous and vulnerable, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 28 (those in power in central and eastern Europe facing big eruption of protest at impact of globalisation)
Will Hutton, Danger lurks if the US tries to back Beijing into a corner, Observer, 2009 Jan. 25 (the growth machine that has propelled China to third in the world economic league table is revealing its fatal flaws)
Paola Totaro, Politicians, not bankers, lead way at Davos, The Age, 2009 Jan. 24 (with the global crisis, the World Economic Forum will be different this year)
Glenn Kessler, Accounting push hit by politicking, The Age, 2009 Jan. 5 (world leaders have vowed to help prevent future financial meltdowns by creating international accounting standards so all companies would play by the same rules)
Ari Sharp, Experts believe reforms can beat financial crisis, The Age, 2009 Jan. 3 (the Australian trifecta of infrastructure spending, targeted cash handouts and lower interest rates have been given the thumbs up by economists, but many warn that a structural overhaul of the global economy is essential to protect against future financial meltdowns)

(see also in Computing)

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Anthea Lipsett, Officials should have Googled Sats test row firm, MPs told, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 27 (report finds agencies awarding ETS contract responsible for 'massive failures' in not checking its record and reputation)
Natalie Craig, Business leaders too fearful to act, The Age, 2009 Jan. 21 (the speed and intensity of the economic crisis have paralysed business leaders and prevented them taking appropriate action, according to the author of an international survey)
Clay Lucas, Australian 'culture' blamed for train chaos, The Age, 2009 Jan. 19 (as Melbourne's rail system dissolved into chaos last week at the first signs of summer, few would have blamed the mess on Australian culture)
Performance management: The Rypple effect, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (a novel way to satisfy feedback junkies; the creators of a new, web-based service called Rypple claim that it can satisfy Net Geners' desire for frequent assessments while easing the burden on their supervisors)
Generation Y goes to work: Reality bites for young workers, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (because of the downturn, Net Geners are finding it harder to hop to new jobs; at the same time, their dissatisfaction is growing as crisis-hit firms adopt more of a command-and-control approach to management—the antithesis of the open, collaborative style that young workers prefer)

Manufacturing and Mining

(see also in Science and Technology)

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The car industry: Car sales around the world dried up in the last quarter of 2008, Economist, 2009 Jan. 17 (what are the prospects for an industry so reliant on credit and consumer confidence?)
The car industry: Electric propulsion provides some excitement amid the gloom, Economist, 2009 Jan. 17 (most makers talk of battery packs that take up to eight hours to charge and provide a range of around 100 miles, but BYD claims its “lithium ferrous phosphate” battery technology can provide a range of 250 miles with as little as three hours of charging)
Rolls-Royce: Britain's lonely high-flier, Economist, 2009 Jan. 10 (a resurgent Rolls-Royce has become the most powerful symbol of British manufacturing; its success may be hard to replicate, especially in difficult times)
Michelle Grattan, Another decline for factories, The Age, 2009 Jan. 3 (manufacturing starts the year in a bleak state, according to the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index)

(see also Competition and in Internet)

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Imogen O'Rorke, A big hit with the kids, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 26 (brands are using legal loopholes to market their products to web-savvy children, a new book reveals)
Aida Edemariam, The story of a high street, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 23 (experts say 10% of high street shops will be out of business by the end of February; in Shrewsbury, the reality is already far grimmer)
Julia Medew, Get tough push on drug firms, The Age, 2009 Jan. 22 (thousands of doctors have called for tougher rules governing the interaction between drug companies and health professionals amid claims "big pharma" is crossing more ethical boundaries to increase sales)
Craig Smith, What's with Google's new mini icon?, BBC, 2009 Jan. 20 (what's the most recognised logo in the world?; it would probably be Google's if only they could stick to one; yet as the world's most popular search engine tries out a new favicon, the old branding rulebook is being rewritten)
Kelly Burke, Ticked off Coles to change food branding, The Age, 2009 Jan. 17 (Coles to overhaul food branding and change labelling claims after mounting criticism from consumers and health experts over alleged misleading and unethical practices)
Louise Hall, Study finds addiction risk with processed food, The Age, 2009 Jan. 13 (cornflakes, biscuits and soft drinks may be as addictive as cigarettes and could face advertising bans, strict regulations, high taxes and health warning labels, scientists say)
Jon Canter, Passion and packaging, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 5 (we must resist those who try to fool us that their faceless businesses have beliefs and personalities)

Media and Television

(see also Newspapers and in Technology)

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Christopher Goodwin, Latino TV station tops US ratings, Observer, 2009 Jan. 18 (Spanish-language TV channel topples the major networks as viewing habits reflect a cultural shift among the young)
Garry Barker, Melbourne firm to put net on road, The Age, 2009 Jan. 3 (Another internet threat to established broadcast media is on the way, carried by a deal forged between Melbourne-based audio technology firm miRoamer and major German company Blaupunkt)

Money and Banking

(see also Economics and Wealth)

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David Browne, Our strange fascination with the global gurus, The Age, 2009 Jan. 28 (despite the meltdown, business still turns first to international banks)
Larry Elliott, Banks need to go back to being boring, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 26 (it is time to rediscover the virtues of saving after years of living as spendthrifts)
Leader, The future of finance: Inside the banks, Economist, 2009 Jan. 17 (blank cheques, bankruptcy, nationalisation: the options are dire, but governments must choose between them)
Jill Treanor, Hedge fund made millions betting on Barclays crash, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 23 (betting on fall in the bank's share price heightens controversy over so-called short-selling strategies)
Seumas Milne, Our banks are too important to be left in private hands, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 22 (the case for public ownership has grown overwhelming—but Brown is hamstrung by ideological baggage)
Freefall: Dangers of a collapse, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 21 (what happens if bank share prices keep falling?)
Rescue package: The measures, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 20 (a look at the tactics the government will use to help troubled banks out of their current financial predicaments)
Counting the cost of toxic debts, flawed fundraising and government bail-outs, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 20 (a look into how the country's leading banks are shaping up as recession begins to increase its grip)
George Monbiot, If the state can't save us, we need a licence to print our own money, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 20 (it bypasses greedy banks; it recharges local economies; it's time to think seriously about an alternative currency)
AFP, New notes for trillions, The Age, 2009 Jan. 17 (Zimbabwe will introduce 100 trillion-dollar note in an attempt to keep pace with hyperinflation that has left its once-vibrant economy in tatters)
William Keegan, When there's no cashflow, Mr Cameron, saving won't save us, Observer, 2009 Jan. 11 (a capitalist economy runs on debt; banks and consumers need to regain a sense of proportion)
Simon Caulkin, It's got so horrible that we ought to be revolting, Observer, 2009 Jan. 11 (banks, jobs and money in colossal quantities have disappeared with barely a murmur of dissent)
Anna Tims, 'Fast-track' payment took Lloyds four days to process, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 9 (it's a curious technological perversity: while banks can debit money from an account overnight, they require several days to process a credit)
Max Hastings, With all these trillions, how can we keep hold of the meaning of money?, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 5 (we lack the slightest idea of the significance of the vast sums being pledged, lent, spent or squandered in our name)
Bank strategy: Return to wealth, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (UBS has had a terrible crisis; that may help it have a better aftermath)
Fixing finance: A slice of Danish, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (an ancient Scandinavian model may help modern mortgage markets)
Banking in China: Needed, a strategy, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (with Western finance in disrepute and local markets moribund, international banks are groping for a role in China)
The euro at ten: Demonstrably durable, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (Europe's single currency has been a haven in recent financial storms; but as capital markets become more discriminating, it no longer affords shelter from reform)
Xan Rice, Three million customers and still counting: the bank getting rich by helping the poor, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 2 (homegrown Kenyan lender draws in lowest earning customers shunned for decades by multinationals)

Outsourcing and Consulting

(see also Pay and in Computing and Social)

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The Satyam scandal: Offshore inmates, Economist, 2009 Jan. 17 (India struggles to get to grips with a bewildering corporate fraud)
Infosys thrives despite slowdown, BBC, 2009 Jan. 13 (quarterly profits at Indian outsourcing giant Infosys jump by a third and the firm says the accounting fraud at rival Satyam has had little impact)
Satyam rebounds on rescue hopes, BBC, 2009 Jan. 12 (shares in Indian software firm Satyam jump 44% on hopes of a rescue plan for the scandal-hit firm)
Matt Wade, India acts to ease IT pain, The Age, 2009 Jan. 13 (Indian Government intervenes to shore up confidence in the country's crucial IT sector, which has been rocked by one of India's biggest corporate frauds)
Dan Oakes, Indian IT company scandal threatens jobs, The Age, 2009 Jan. 9 (hundreds of Australian jobs could be at risk after the chairman of Indian outsourcing company, Satyam, confesses to committing a massive fraud)

Pay and Wealth

(see also Outsourcing and in Computing and Social)

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Jill Treanor, Pay packet envy: the greed that drove the City's bonus culture, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 28 (the relationship between bonus culture and the banking crisis)
Simon Bowers, How top financiers paid themselves £1bn before the wheels fell off, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 28 (although seemingly profitable during the boom, these same banks revealed losses of more than £300bn)

Privatisation and Private Equity

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Clay Lucas, Kosky stands by privatised trains, The Age, 2009 Jan. 24 (returning Melbourne's beleaguered public transport system to full government ownership would not cost taxpayers one extra cent, Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky says)
Nils Pratley, Smoke clears around private equity, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 15 (if you thought private equity was a game played with smoke and mirrors, you would be roughly right)
Banks and private equity: What does the smart money see in the carcass of IndyMac?, Economist, 2009 Jan. 10 (the failure of IndyMac Bank in July was a pivotal moment in the credit crunch, with images of anxious depositors outside its branches sparking bank runs across America; now the money is flowing the other way)

Publishing and Newspapers

(see also Media)

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Asher Moses, 'Tony Soprano' of bloggers faces death threats, The Age, 2009 Jan. 29 (Silicon Valley's most influential power broker is taking a leave of absence from his popular publishing empire after being spat on and receiving death threats)
Angelique Chrisafis, Vive la presse!, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 26 (French newspapers will begin reviewing their distribution and business structures)
Robert McCrum, Don't you just love those marketing men?, Observer, 2009 Jan. 25 (Everyman are reporting a 30% rise in their annual sales, which they claim to be a vindication of old-style book publishing)
Andrew Currah, Don't go with the flow—take control of it, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 19 (how can news publishers maintain their values while maximising web traffic?)
Caroline Davies, A farewell to lunch as book world cuts back, Observer, 2009 Jan. 18 (publishing houses cease footing the bill for launch parties except for all but the biggest titles)
Jeff Jarvis, History in the making in LA as online ads hit target, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 12 (the editor of the Los Angeles Times says the paper's online advertising revenue is now sufficient to cover the Times's entire editorial payroll, print and online)
Paul Harris, America's most revered newspaper is latest to be hit by financial woes, Observer, 2009 Jan. 11 (the New York Times is beseiged by both the credit crunch and an online media revolution)
Leslie Cannold, All's fair in battle of ideas, The Age, 2009 Jan. 8 (Keith Windschuttle paid the price for not applying the standards that he demanded of others)
Dewi Cooke, Conservative bible falls for furphy, The Age, 2009 Jan. 7 (historian Keith Windschuttle—who has previously derided left-wing academics for sloppy fact-checking and fabrication—has been caught in a hoax involving fake CSIRO research, genetic modification and a non-existent biotechnologist)
Roy Greenslade, Online is the future and the future is now, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 5 (with bosses focused on commerce and ratings, papers are falling behind where it really matters: creating online material and innovations people are prepared to pay for)

(see also in Climate)

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Maggie Shiels, Campaigners highlight 'toxic TVs', BBC, 2009 Jan. 9 (campaigners are warning of a flood of toxic waste from old TVs and computer equipment and have called on manufacturers to do more to recycle them)
Tania Branigan, From east to west, a chain collapses, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 9 (millions to lose their jobs as world's largest importer of waste hit by collapse in demand for packaging)

Social and Property

(see also Consumerism)

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Tony Wright, Out of service, The Age, 2009 Jan. 17 (in this time of economic uncertainty, maybe businesses should turn to old-fashioned principles and invest in people)
Jayati Ghosh, The outcry is muted, but the food crisis is getting worse, Guardian, 2009 Jan. 9 (the financial debacle has drowned out coverage of food shortages. Where are the billion-dollar bailouts for the hungry?)
The sea: Saline solutions, Economist, 2009 Jan. 3 (the sea needs research, management, property rights—and political action; part of a special report)