Business Highlights

The Associated Press

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China faces conflict of law, business in iPad row

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese officials face a choice in Apple's dispute with a local company over the iPad trademark: side with a struggling entity that a court says owns the name or ally with a global brand that has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in China. Experts say that means Beijing's political priorities rather than the courts will settle the dispute if it escalates.

Shenzhen Proview Technology has asked regulators to seize iPads in China in a possible prelude to pressing Apple Inc. for a payout. There have been seizures in some cities but no sign of action by national-level authorities.

Proview has a strong case under Chinese trademark law, but that could quickly change if Beijing decides to intervene to avoid disrupting iPad sales or exports from factories in southern China where the popular tablet computers are made, legal experts say.

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Merkel optimistic Greek deal can be agreed Monday

BRUSSELS (AP) — Greece's hopes to finally get its bailout and dodge default next month were boosted Friday, when key European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, sounded confident a deal could be agreed.

The leaders of Germany, Italy and Greece are "optimistic" the €130 billion ($170 billion) rescue package can be cleared next week, a spokesman for Merkel said Friday after the three held a conference call. Hours earlier, the French prime minister warned against letting Greece default.

That means the euro currency union's main powers are now pushing toward resolving the uncertainty hanging over Greece at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Monday.

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Franc farewell: France bids adieu to former money

PARIS (AP) — Six centuries after the first one was minted and a decade after they went out of circulation, the last French francs were exchanged for euros, severing France's final link to its former national currency.