China settles monopoly test cases

Two pioneering legal actions in China involving high-profile companies have been settled, with one case highlighting the fresh powers handed to consumers under the country's new anti-monopoly laws. China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone group with 500 million subscribers, has agreed to pay Rmb1,000 ($146) to settle a lawsuit filed by a customer who alleged it had abused its monopoly position to extract unfair revenue from subscribers. Zhou Ze, a Beijing-based civil rights lawyer, had demanded China Mobile refund Rmb1,200 because of the allegedly "unfair" extra monthly Rmb50 rental fee charged to high-end customers who do not use prepaid phone cards. The settlement, mediated by a Beijing court and which China Mobile agreed without accepting liability, could trigger thousands of copycat cases against Chinese companies as consumers utilize their new rights.