MISSEDLINK

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn quits over Diesel Emissions Scandal - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

 

• "Volkswagen has announced the resignation of its chief executive, Martin Winterkorn"

 

 

 

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• "and said the fallout from the diesel emissions test scandal would result in further executive scalps and a likely criminal investigation"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Winterkorn said he took full responsibility for the scandal, in which the company admitted that 11m cars were installed"

 

 

 

 

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• "with a defeat device that reduced emissions under test conditions only"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "as he resigned, Winterkorn described the situation facing the carmaker as a "grave crisis""

 

 

 

 

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• "Volkswagen faces up to US$ 18bn in fines and is the subject of multiple investigations after the US Environmental Protection Agency accused it of manipulating tests"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the German government was also dragged in after it admitted that it already knew about "defeat devices" that can cheat emissions tests"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN

 

• "the chief executive has quit after the firm admitted diesel cars were designed to cheat in tests"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "how did the "defeat device" work and what damage was done ?"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Volkswagen has been cheating in emission tests by making its cars appear far less polluting than they are"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the US Environmental Protection Agency discovered that 482,000 VW diesel cars on American roads"

 

 

 

 

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• "were emitting up to 40 times more toxic fumes than permitted"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "and VW has since admitted the cheat affects 11m cars worldwide"

 

 

 

 

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• "this means far more harmful NOx emissions, including nitrogen dioxide, have been pumped into the air than was thought"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "VW’s "defeat device" is not a physical device but a programme in the engine software that lets the car perceive if is being driven under test conditions"

 

 

 

 

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• "and only then pull out all the anti-pollution stops"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "VW has issued a recall for its 482,000 cars in the US and halted sales of its affected Audi A3, and VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat diesel models"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the corporation faces investigation in the US, a possible US$ 18bn fine"

 

 

 

 

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• "and expects to spend € 6.5bn on fixes and compensation. Criminal charges and civil actions could follow"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• what does it mean for the car industry ? - "consumers and governments will want to see all manufacturers’ claims reviewed"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "this particular cheat highlights how few test results match real-life emissions"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VOLKSWAGEN - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ VOLKSWAGEN

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• "Volkswagen Group is a German company: automotives"

 

 

 

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[ revenue € 213.29 billion (2015) - profit € -1.58 billion (2015) ]

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• "Volkswagen bought a 49.9% stake in Porsche AG"

 

 

 

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• "2012 Volkswagen announced they would wrap up the remaining half of Porsche shares for 4.46 billion euros (US$ 5.58 billion)"

 

 

 

 

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• "to avoid taxes of as much as 1.5 billion euros"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOYOTA - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ TOYOTA

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• "Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese company: automotives"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 227.00 billion (2015) - profit US$ 18.10 billion (2015) ]

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• "Toyota's philosophy is reflected in the terms "lean manufacturing" and "just in time production""

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GENERAL MOTORS - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ GENERAL MOTORS

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• "General Motors Company, GM, is an American company: automotives"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 152.35 billion (2015) - net income US$ 9.68 billion (2015) ]

• "a failure to obtain government loans caused GM to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2009"

 

 

 

 

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• "the final cost of GM's bailout cost the US taxpayer US$ 12 billion"

 

 

 

 

 

• "the company carries forward previous losses to reduce tax liability on future earnings"

 

 

 

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• "the tax break, including credits for costs related to pensions and other expenses"

 

 

 

 

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• "is worth as much as US$ 45 billion over the next 20 years"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• "General Motors has often been plagued by controversy for its labor practices"

 

 

 

 

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• "its steady outsourcing of production from the US"

 

 

 

 

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• "and its demands for concessions from its workers"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GM-Rettung kostete zehn Milliarden Dollar - der Standard: LINK ¤ der STANDARD

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• "mehr als vier Jahre nach der staatlichen Rettungsaktion haben die USA ihre letzten Anteile am Autobauer General Motors verkauft"

 

 

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• "die Beteiligung hat den Steuerzahler am Ende insgesamt 10 Milliarden Dollar gekostet"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FORD - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ FORD

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• "Ford Motor Company is an American company: automotives"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 149.50 billion (2015) - net income US$ 7.37 billion (2015) ]
















DAIMLER - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ DAIMLER

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• "Daimler AG is a German company: automotives"

 

 

 

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[ revenue € 149.46 billion (2015) - profit € 8.71 billion (2015) ]

• "US prosecutors accused key executives of Daimler, Daimler subsidiaries, and Daimler affiliates of illegally showering foreign officials with money and gifts between 1998 and 2008"

 

 

 

 

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• "to secure government contracts around the world"

 

 

 

 

 

• "Daimler improperly paid some US$ 56 million in bribes related to more than 200 transactions in at least 22 countries"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WAL-MART - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ WAL-MART

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• "Wal-Mart Stores Inc, is an American company: discount department stores"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 482.13 billion (2014) - net income US$ 14.69 billion (2015) ]

• "the company's business model is based on selling a wide variety of general merchandise"

 

 

 

 

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• "at always low prices"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "as it grew rapidly into the world's largest corporation, many critics worried about the effect of its stores on local communities"

 

 

 

 

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• "particularly small towns with many "mom and pop" stores"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "there have been several studies on the economic impact of Walmart on small towns and local businesses, jobs, and taxpayers"

 

 

 

 

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• "Kenneth Stone, Professor of Economics at Iowa State University:"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "small towns can lose almost half of their retail trade within ten years of a Walmart store opening"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "with 2.2 million employees worldwide, Walmart has faced a torrent of lawsuits and issues with regards to its workforce"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "these issues involve low wages"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "poor working conditions"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "inadequate health care"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "as well as issues involving the company's strong anti-union policies"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "70% of its employees leave within the first year"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PROCTER & GAMBLE - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ PROCTER&GAMBLE

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• "Procter & Gamble Co, P&G, is an American company: pet food, cleaning agents"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 76.27 billion (2015) - net income US$ 7.03 billion (2015) ]

• "26 brands"

 

 

 

 

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• "have more than a billion dollars in net annual sales"

 

 

 

 

 

 

• "2011, P&G was fined 211.2m euros by the European Commission"

 

 

 

 

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• "for establishing a price-fixing cartel in Europe"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "along with Unilever, who was fined 104m euros, and Henkel"

 

 

 

 

• "though the fine was set higher at first, it was discounted by 10% after P&G and Unilever admitted running the cartel"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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NESTLE - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ NESTLE

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• "Nestlé SA is a Swiss company: ice cream, snacks"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 95.65 billion (2014) - profit US$ 15.14 billion (2014) ]

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• "29 brands have annual sales of over US$ 1 billion"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "at the second World Water Forum, Nestlé and other corporations tried to change its statement"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "so as to reduce access to drinking water from a "right" to a "need""

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "in a move trying to defend its profits (at the expense of the public)"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TESCO - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ TESCO

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• "Tesco PLC is a British company: retailer"

 

 

 

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[ revenue £ 62.284 billion (2015) - net income £ -5.77 billion (2015) ]

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CARREFOUR - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ CARREFOUR

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• "Carrefour SA is a French company: retailer"

 

 

 

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[ revenue € 104.40 billion (2015) - profit € 1.24 billion (2014) ]

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UNILEVER - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ UNILEVER

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• "Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch company: cleaning agents, care products"

 

 

 

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[ revenue € 53.30 billion (2015) - net income € 5.30 billion (2015) ]

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• "it focuses on 14 brands with sales of over 1 billion euros"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "advertising: € 6 billion (US$ 8 billion)"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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IKEA - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ IKEA

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• "IKEA is a Swedish company: furniture"

 

 

 

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[ revenue € 29.29 billion (2014) - net income € 3.32 billion (2014) ]

• "household products and furniture are largely manufactured in developing countries"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the net profit of IKEA Group (after paying franchise fees to Inter IKEA systems) was € 2.538 billion on sales of € 21.846 billion"

 

 

 

 

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• "INGKA Holding is owned by a nonprofit INGKA Foundation"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "none of this profit is taxed"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GENERAL ELECTRIC - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ GENERAL ELECTRIC

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• "General Electric, GE, is an American company: energy"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 117.38 billion (2015) - net income US$ -6.12 billion (2015) ]

• "GE spent US$ 84.35 million on lobbying in 2011, payed no taxes during 2008 - 2010"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "got US$ 4.7 billion in tax rebates, despite making a profit of US$ 10.4 billion"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• "layed off 4,168 workers since 2008, and increased executive pay by 27% to US$ 75.9 million in 2010 for the top 5 executives"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• "in the 1950s GE sponsored Ronald Reagan's TV career"

 

 

 

 

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• "and launched him on the lecture circuit as a crusader against big government"

 

 

 

 

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• "General Electric traditionally supports republicanism"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARCELOR MITTAL - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ ARCELOR MITTAL

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• "ArcelorMittal SA is an Indian company: steel"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 63.57 billion (2015) - profit US$ -7.94 billion (2015) ]

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• "the European Commission fined 17 steel producers a total of € 518 million"

 

 

 

 

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• "for running a price-fixing cartel"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "with ArcelorMittal being fined over € 270 million"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SIEMENS - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ SIEMENS

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• "Siemens AG is a German company: engineering"

 

 

 

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[ revenue € 75.63 billion (2014) - net income € 7.28 billion (2015) ]

• "Siemens was fined € 396 million by the European Commission for price fixing in EU electricity markets through a cartel"

 

 

 

 

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• "including ABB, Alstom, Fuji, Hitachi Japan, AE Power Systems, Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Schneider, Areva, Toshiba and VA Tech"

 

 

 

 

 

 

• "the companies rigged bids for procurement contracts, fixed prices, allocated projects to each other"

 

 

 

 

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• "shared markets and exchanged commercially important and confidential information"

 

 

 

 

 

• "Siemens agreed to pay a record US$ 1.34 billion in fines"

 

 

 

 

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• "after being investigated for serious bribery"

 

 

 

 

 

 

• "the investigation found questionable payments of roughly € 1.3 billion"

 

 

 

 

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• "that triggered a broad range of inquiries in Germany, the US and many other countries"

 

 

 

 

 

 

• "Siemens had bribed the two main political parties of Greece for approximately 10 years"

 

 

 

 

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• "to be the sole provider of mechanical and electrical equipment of the Greek state"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BOEING - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ BOEING

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• "Boeing Company is an American company: aircraft"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 96.11 billion (2015) - net income US$ 5.17 billion (2015) ]

• "the US air force announced it would lease 100 KC-767 tankers to replace the oldest 136 of its KC-135s"

 

 

 

 

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• "the Pentagon announced the project was to be frozen while an investigation of allegations"

 

 

 

 

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• "of corruption by one of its former procurement staffers, Darleen Druyun was begun"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Druyun pleaded guilty to inflating the price of the contract to favor her future employer"

 

 

 

 

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• "and to passing information on the competing Airbus A330 MRTT bid"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Lockheed Martin sued Boeing, that the company had resorted to industrial espionage"

 

 

 

 

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• "Lockheed Martin claimed that the former employee Kenneth Branch, who went to work for McDonnell Douglas and Boeing"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "passed 30,000 pages of proprietary documents to his new employers"

 

 

 

 

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• "these documents allowed Boeing to win 19 of the 28 tendered military satellite launches"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Boeing was penalized, with the Pentagon stripping seven launches away from the company"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "2010, the WTO ruled that Boeing had received billions of dollars"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "in illegal government subsidies"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "2009 and 2008 Boeing was second on the list of top US federal contractors"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "with contracts totalling US$ 22 billion and US$ 23 billion"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "a series of US diplomatic cables show, how US diplomats and senior politicians"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "intervene on behalf of Boeing"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "to help boost the company's sales"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US Diplomats help push Sales of Jetliners - New York Times: LINK ¤ NEW YORK TIMES

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• "United States diplomats were acting like marketing agents"

 

 

 

 

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• "offering deals to heads of state and airline executives"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "this is the high-stakes, international bazaar for large commercial jets, where tens of billions of dollars are on the line"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "to a greater degree than previously known, diplomats are a big part of the sales force"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the US cables describe letters from presidents, state visits as bargaining chips"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "and a number of leaders making big purchases based, on how much the companies will dress up private planes"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the documents also show that demands for bribes"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "or at least payment to suspicious intermediaries"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "who offer to serve as "agents," took place"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "Boeing earns about 70 percent of its commercial plane sales from foreign buyers"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "one example of the horse-trading involved Saudi Arabia"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "which announced a deal with Boeing to buy 12 777-300ER airliners"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "with options for 10 more, a transaction worth more than US$ 3.3 billion"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "that announcement was preceded by years of intense lobbying by American officials"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOCKHEED MARTIN - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ LOCKHEED MARTIN

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• "Lockheed Martin is an American company: aircraft"

 

 

 

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[ revenue US$ 46.13 billion (2015) - profit US$ 3.60 billion (2015) ]

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• "US government contracts accounted for US$ 38.4 billion ( 85% )"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• "the company topped the list of US federal contractors"

 

 

 

 

 

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• "it received 7.1% of the funds paid out by the Pentagon"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AIRBUS Group - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ AIRBUS

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• "the Airbus Group is a European company: aircraft"

 

 

 

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[ revenue € 64.45 billion (2015) - profit € 2.35 billion (2014) ]

 

CORPORATION - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ CORPORATION