February 20 - 6:40pm EST   The UK National Consumer Council (NCC) has called for increased, regulated mitigation of what it calls practices by software companies that "mislead computer users into signing away legal rights," -- including Apple. The organization is asking the European Commission to extend the scope of the Consumer Sales and Sales Guarantees Directives to include digital contracts and license agreements. NCC says its research reveals that software rights-holders are shifting the legal burden onto consumers who buy computer software, leaving them with less protection, providing companies an "unfair advantage over consumers." [full story]

January 23 - 9:15pm EST  Apple has officially announced its annual meeting of shareholders, where stockowners will elect the company's Board of Directors and ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as Apple's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2008. Also on the agenda are considerations for two shareholder proposals, which are listed below. The meeting is scheduled to take place on March 4th at 10:00 a.m. local time in Building 4 on the company's Cupertino campus. [full story]