[governance] Is This An Issue for Internet Governance/Internet Human Rights?

[Roland Perry]

In message 
<75822E125BCB994F8446858C4B19F0D71750B1B916 at SUEX07-MBX-04.ad.syr.edu>, 
at 17:24:25 on Sat, 23 Jul 2011, Milton L Mueller <mueller at syr.edu> 
writes
>Let?s look at the details of the case.
>
>Taipei said it wanted Android platform users to comply with local 
>regulations regarding trial periods and refunds.
>
>Google said, if you force us to do that, we will withdraw Android 
>market service from Taipei.
>
>To me, that seems fair enough. An agreement to disagree; a failure to 
>transact. That should be the end of the story.
>
>Those who are complaining about this result seem to be either 
>disconnected from economic reality or, at worst, hypocritical believers 
>in having your cake and eating it, too. Apparently, they want to tell 
>Google: you CANNOT offer services here on terms that you find necessary 
>to meet your needs as a supplier, but if you withdraw service we will 
>whine about it and imply that you should be forced to offer service in 
>a locality you do not want to do business in.

No apologies for bringing in another telephone analogy. Very similar 
concerns were raised when the market for "ring-tones" emerged. There are 
already consumer protection laws (in Europe) about buying things 
electronically, but for some reason there was quite a slow start when it 
came to applying these laws to purchases made, by phone, for a phone.

-- 
Roland Perry
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