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Law & Regulation Politics & Society Tech, Media & Telecom

Sentence reduction law spurs underground market in prisoner patents

A Chinese law granting inmates who patent new technologies eligibility for sentence reductions has provided fertile soil for the growth of an underground market selling patents to prisoners, The New York Times reported, citing local media. Reporters with the Beijing Youth Daily contacted services that claimed to procure patents for a fee, with prices at one […]

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Economics & Trade Tech, Media & Telecom

China Telecom says "preliminary study" underway after report on possible broadband bid in Mexico

A China Telecom spokesperson said the company was doing a preliminary study on investment in Mexico following a Reuters report that it is preparing a possible bid for Mexico’s new US$10 billion mobile broadband network, Reuters reported. The earlier report, which cited unnamed sources, said China Telecom was seeking Mexican partners to join it in […]

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Business Practice Investment Tech, Media & Telecom Transport & Logistics

Cab-hailing app Kuaidi to receive over $500mn in funding, sources say

The latest round of fundraising for Alibaba (BABA.NYSE) backed ride-hailing platform firm Kuaidi Group will bring in more than US$500 million, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. The firm’s new round of fundraising comes from investors including major Alibaba shareholder SoftBank (9984.TYO), Alibaba itself and investment firm Tiger Global Management. China’s major Internet companies and venture-capital investors are […]

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Investment Tech, Media & Telecom

Alibaba buys China's biggest advertising tech outfit

Alibaba (BABA.NYSE) announced on Wednesday it had purchased a controlling stake in China’s largest independent adtech company, AdChina, for an undisclosed sum, Tech in Asia reported. AdChina was integrated with more than 60,000 mobile apps and had purportedly reached over 80% of China’s mobile internet users as of the end of 2013. The digital advertising technology platform […]

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Economics & Trade Markets Tech, Media & Telecom

Alibaba to invest in Indian e-commerce outfit One97, source says

Alibaba Group Holding (BABA.NYSE) and affiliate Zhejiang Ant Small & Micro Financial Services Group have agreed to invest roughly US$575 million in the online-payment and marketplace businesses of India’s One97 Communications, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an unnamed source. If the deal goes ahead, it would give the Chiense companies a combined 30% stake […]