HP Settles in Spy Scandal
California's Attorney General's Office has decided that Hewlett-Packard will pay $14.5 million to settle civil charges related to the company's pretexting scandal. As a part of the settlement, HP will "finance a new law enforcement fund to fight violations of privacy and intellectual property rights," said the Attorney General's office in a statement. Attorney General Bill Lockyer said that the scandal was important for having "shone a national spotlight on a major privacy protection problem."
Lockyer said that the new fund will help in holding businesses accountable for their actions. This case is separate from the felony criminal charges that have been brought against 5 former HP employees. As a part of this deal, no civil charges will be filed against HP, or against its current or former officers and directors.
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