“Apple Inc is seeking the removal of a lawyer appointed by a court to monitor its antitrust compliance following a ruling last year that the company had conspired to fix e-book prices,” Andrew Longstreth reports for Reuters.
“An attorney for the consumer technology giant on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan to disqualify Michael Bromwich from serving as an external compliance monitor, arguing he had shown a personal bias against the company,” Longstreth reports. “In a letter to Cote, Apple’s lawyer cited a ‘wholly inappropriate declaration’ filed by Bromwich last month.”
Longstreth reports, “In the declaration, Bromwich defended his work as a monitor against Apple’s complaint that he had overstepped his mandate. He also detailed his unsuccessful efforts to gain Apple’s cooperation for his assignment.”
Personally, I consider MDN to be all too polite. While castration is too good for Bromwich, it’s too bad drawing and quartering is no longer in fashion for Cote.
There are a lot of ways to have free space on the Internet. Just off the top of my head: Start a blog on Blogger (a Google service), put the picture into the blog. Post a link to the picture. All done!
No company should have to accept a private appointee into its company. Either there is agreement on the external appointee or the judge should have used a Government Employee and made the company pay their standard wages plus legitimate expenses. No Judge should be able to foist a private lawyer who can set his own fees and expenses. The system is completely screwed up. If the government is so concerned they should have an employee with the requisite knowledge to do the work
There are many good government employees. There are also a few bad ones, much the same as anywhere else. You do your country and your fellow citizens a disservice when you contribute to spreading the idea that most government employees are incompetent, lazy, and corrupt. That is simply not true. I know and have worked with quite a few government employees and many of them work much harder than you believe, contributing many hours of personal time to get the job done. I don’t know you personally but, given your attitude, I would hire them ahead of you any day of the week.
You are looking for a scapegoat – someone to blame because you are unhappy with “government.” Abraham Lincoln once expounded upon a “Government of the people, by the people, for the people…” You are one of those people – take responsibility for your portion of “government” and accept that, if a problem exists, then you are part of it.
The biggest problem that I see in government right now is the failure of Congress to do its job. In addition, Congress increasingly micromanages every aspect of government, placing onerous burdens and roadblocks on various government agencies when it cannot even adequately govern itself. The appropriations whip is used widely and frequently and appropriations language often spells out in excruciating detail what is allowed and prohibited. This is not to the advantage of the American people, since appropriations are often driven far more by political agendas and power/money arrangements than by solid technical, scientific, and practical considerations. It is very difficult for government agencies to develop and efficiently execute long term plans because Congressional agendas and budgets change from year to year, and Congress, itself, is often at a loss regarding strategic plans and priorities.
Believe what you will, but this is the unvarnished truth as I have experienced it for about twenty-five years. If you don’t like it, then work to change it. But don’t sit back and place blanket blame on the many hardworking government employees who do their best to fulfill their duties every day.
I didn’t see where Max was disrespectful of government employees.
He said the fees of the government appointee would be more appropriate.
He said there would be one more competent than the appointed private lawyer.
He said they would be bound to protecting Apple’s privacy – by nature is how I interpreted that, as opposed to the private lawyer with no privacy concerns.
His only complaint was “if the government is so concerned”, meaning that Cote should have appointed said government appointee. Cote is really the only one he was disparaging.
1
The e- book case against Apple was brought by Government. Which one hopes implies that they had government employees working on the case and not just taking lobbiests’ testimony and dressing it up. Therefore the same investigators could be appointed if necessary – but the first course of action would be to negotiate with the company to agree the appointment of someone mutually acceptable who is diligent and impartial that both parties could trust.
1
I think you have got the wrong end of the stick.
I said government employees would be bound to respect commercial secrets. Implying that no such respect of confidentiality could necessarily be forthcoming from a money grabbing private individual.
My 35 years of government service has demonstrated time and time again that Government employees in general are impartial and conciencious at carrying out their assignments. Clearly that depends on the Country / Government we are talking about.
Shysters motivated by money alone are not.
1
Alright, I give up! I am no longer able to accurately judge the sarcasm intended (or not) in MDN posts. I apologize for my misunderstanding. I have just seen so many snide comments made against government employees on this forum, including in MDN Takes, that I interpreted scorn for government employees where none was intended.
1
Good idea. Plus, a government employee wouldn’t bill $1,100 an hour. What the hell can anybody do that’s worth $1,100 an hour. That means this guy makes over a $100 for taking a bathroom break. Lawyers suck.
He outsources like this guy, except he’s hiring american! It’s literally what he’s been planning to doing, minus the parts when he’s snooping around for unrelated dirt to sell/exploit. His little activity has to be overemphasized else he couldnt justify his money demands.
I doubt she’ll do it, but then I believe they can appeal to the circuit court. Hope so, anyway.
Apple should have their security throw that asshole off their campus (if they haven’t already) while they deal with the legal crap.
That would work in his favor. Best to show him the door using the appellate court system.
Apple has actually not even allowed him onto the campus. All of the meetings between him and Apple lawyers have been at offsite locations.
Never have I agreed more with a MDN take.
Personally, I consider MDN to be all too polite. While castration is too good for Bromwich, it’s too bad drawing and quartering is no longer in fashion for Cote.
Now now. Hating the haters is just more hate. The idea is to be creative.
So what’s a creative way to kick the haters out of the way of creativity?
Ummm, a time machine…
Unborn the culprits!
I have a nice pic of Judge Cote to share, but I see know method to do so on here. Advice?
webmaster@macdailynews.com
Success!
Use a link.
There are a lot of ways to have free space on the Internet. Just off the top of my head: Start a blog on Blogger (a Google service), put the picture into the blog. Post a link to the picture. All done!
Awesome! Glad it got posted in the take!
No company should have to accept a private appointee into its company. Either there is agreement on the external appointee or the judge should have used a Government Employee and made the company pay their standard wages plus legitimate expenses. No Judge should be able to foist a private lawyer who can set his own fees and expenses. The system is completely screwed up. If the government is so concerned they should have an employee with the requisite knowledge to do the work
Oh yes, government employees would also be bound to respect commercial secrecy requirements.
There are many good government employees. There are also a few bad ones, much the same as anywhere else. You do your country and your fellow citizens a disservice when you contribute to spreading the idea that most government employees are incompetent, lazy, and corrupt. That is simply not true. I know and have worked with quite a few government employees and many of them work much harder than you believe, contributing many hours of personal time to get the job done. I don’t know you personally but, given your attitude, I would hire them ahead of you any day of the week.
You are looking for a scapegoat – someone to blame because you are unhappy with “government.” Abraham Lincoln once expounded upon a “Government of the people, by the people, for the people…” You are one of those people – take responsibility for your portion of “government” and accept that, if a problem exists, then you are part of it.
The biggest problem that I see in government right now is the failure of Congress to do its job. In addition, Congress increasingly micromanages every aspect of government, placing onerous burdens and roadblocks on various government agencies when it cannot even adequately govern itself. The appropriations whip is used widely and frequently and appropriations language often spells out in excruciating detail what is allowed and prohibited. This is not to the advantage of the American people, since appropriations are often driven far more by political agendas and power/money arrangements than by solid technical, scientific, and practical considerations. It is very difficult for government agencies to develop and efficiently execute long term plans because Congressional agendas and budgets change from year to year, and Congress, itself, is often at a loss regarding strategic plans and priorities.
Believe what you will, but this is the unvarnished truth as I have experienced it for about twenty-five years. If you don’t like it, then work to change it. But don’t sit back and place blanket blame on the many hardworking government employees who do their best to fulfill their duties every day.
I didn’t see where Max was disrespectful of government employees.
He said the fees of the government appointee would be more appropriate.
He said there would be one more competent than the appointed private lawyer.
He said they would be bound to protecting Apple’s privacy – by nature is how I interpreted that, as opposed to the private lawyer with no privacy concerns.
His only complaint was “if the government is so concerned”, meaning that Cote should have appointed said government appointee. Cote is really the only one he was disparaging.
The e- book case against Apple was brought by Government. Which one hopes implies that they had government employees working on the case and not just taking lobbiests’ testimony and dressing it up. Therefore the same investigators could be appointed if necessary – but the first course of action would be to negotiate with the company to agree the appointment of someone mutually acceptable who is diligent and impartial that both parties could trust.
I think you have got the wrong end of the stick.
I said government employees would be bound to respect commercial secrets. Implying that no such respect of confidentiality could necessarily be forthcoming from a money grabbing private individual.
My 35 years of government service has demonstrated time and time again that Government employees in general are impartial and conciencious at carrying out their assignments. Clearly that depends on the Country / Government we are talking about.
Shysters motivated by money alone are not.
Alright, I give up! I am no longer able to accurately judge the sarcasm intended (or not) in MDN posts. I apologize for my misunderstanding. I have just seen so many snide comments made against government employees on this forum, including in MDN Takes, that I interpreted scorn for government employees where none was intended.
Good idea. Plus, a government employee wouldn’t bill $1,100 an hour. What the hell can anybody do that’s worth $1,100 an hour. That means this guy makes over a $100 for taking a bathroom break. Lawyers suck.
He outsources like this guy, except he’s hiring american! It’s literally what he’s been planning to doing, minus the parts when he’s snooping around for unrelated dirt to sell/exploit. His little activity has to be overemphasized else he couldnt justify his money demands.
http://rt.com/usa/us-employee-outsourcing-china-177/
This sort of oversight appears to me to potentially be an activity which meets the legal definition of an “Inherently Governmental” function.
Granted, “IGF” is only the law for Federal Acqusition…
…but the principle should be generalizable, even if there’s not a literal Statute that mandates its application in Law.
-hh
Kind of ironic. Hmm.
Denise is overcharging for a lawyer who is looking into Apple’s alleged conspiracy to overcharge for Books in its iBookStore.
Only this time the result isn’t lower prices/fees.