WSJ. AOL to avoid selling broadband. Why? Other cable companies don't want to partner with AOL. >>>The most sensitive issue of all may be the cable sector's desire to retain its customers. Cable executives worry that if consumers can jump between high-speed America Online on either cable or telephone companies' DSL high-speed services, they will have no loyalty to cable -- much as satellite TV's ability to offer cable programming has enabled satellite operators to skim off roughly 17 million households in the past few years.<<<
Privacy Class Action Against Chase Manhattan Rejected. A New York appellate court has dismissed a class action against Chase Manhattan Bank in a ruling that lays out strict standards for seeking damages against companies that sell personal information to telemarketers. The decision said that the suit, brought by holders of credit cards and mortgages issued by Chase, had to be dismissed because the plaintiffs didn't sustain actual injury. [Law.com]
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Dismissal of Doctors' Suit Against HMO Upheld. In a major victory for the insurance industry, the Pennsylvania Superior Court upheld the dismissal of a class action brought by doctors who claim that Aetna and its HMO subsidiary, U.S. Healthcare, routinely delay paying them for "months or even years." The court rejected the argument that since agreements with Aetna are silent on the timing of payments, the courts should infer a duty to make payment within a "reasonable time." [Law.com]
