I’ll Tell You What…

Here comes yet another patent infringement headline. AT&T has started threatening companies in order to license it’s MPEG-4 technology. AT&T is targeting companies such as Apple, CyberLink, DivX, InterVideo, and Sonic Solutions as having unlicensed products that use their technology.

Just what the world needs: more software patent lawsuits.

The United States buys a lot of oil from Venezuela. In fact, they are fifth in the world in oil production and our third largest supplier.

Ever hear of a little oil company called CITGO? I’m sure you have. You guessed it, owned buy the Venezuela state owned oil company PDVSA.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, it seems that the US doesn’t like the current administration in Venezuela. The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, has been saying some very nasty things and is in cahoots with Fidel Castro and Bolivian President Evo Morales (a socialist).

The tensions are rather high in Venezuela. They kicked a naval officer, whom they accused of spying, out of the country and in response to that, the US expelled the chief of staff of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington. Tit for tat, I suppose.

Who knows for sure how this will end but one thing’s for sure: if diplomatic relations break down between the two countries, gas will definitely increase to levels we have yet to see.