LAURA SLATTERYlooks back at the week in business

THE NUMBERS:

€22 billion – the cost of bailing out Anglo Irish Bank may exceed even this amount, according to chairman designate Alan Dukes

€12.7 billion – the size of the pre-tax loss recorded by Anglo Irish Bank in the 15 months to December 2009: this is the largest loss in Irish corporate history.

€2.8 billion – the sum that the Quinn Group owes Anglo Irish Bank. The State-owned bank is now setting aside money to cover potential losses.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

"I'd prefer not to be shot myself."

- Richie Boucher, chief executive of Bank of Ireland, responds to the Star's outbreak of post-Namageddon tabloid rage.

"If leaders of big companies seem to occupy a different galaxy from the rest of the community, they risk being treated as aliens."

– Richard Lambert, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), suggests another fate for overpaid executives.

GOOD WEEK

Human Life

With headlines dominated by the wreckage of Anglo, Quinn et al, it might not seem like a triumphant week for humankind. And yet, in a United States district court, a key victory has been won for campaigners against extraordinarily brazen attempts by various biotechnology companies over the past decade to patent the human genome by stealth. On Monday, a US judge by the name of Robert Sweet invalidated seven patents relating to the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 on the basis that the patents were “improperly granted” because they involved “a law of nature”. As mutations of the gene are associated with breast cancer, the company that held the patents – Myriad Genetics – also controlled access to genetic tests for the mutations.

Superman

With superheroes thin on the ground in Ireland these days (unless you count Banamaman Brian Cowen), it is heartening to see that the old reliables are still capable of raking in cash (rather than doling it out). Supermanhas soared back into the record books by reclaiming the title of the highest price paid for a single comic, a title it lost just weeks ago to a Batmancomic that fetched $1.075 million at auction. But a 1938 copy of Action ComicsNo 1, in which Superman dons his tights and cape for the first time, has edged up the price of comic memorabilia to an eye-watering $1.5 million. The auction house owner said it was bought by a "hardcore comic book fan" – a hardcore comic book fan who has a double life as a millionaire, presumably.

BAD WEEK

The Rio Tinto Four

Diplomatic relations between Australia and China have been strained after a Chinese court found four executives from mining group Rio Tinto guilty of bribery and commercial espionage. The court handed down lengthy jail terms on the four, including a 10-year sentence for Australian national Stern Hu. This prompted Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd to note that there were “serious unanswered questions” about a section of the trial that was held behind closed doors, while a spokesman for the Chinese government responded by accusing Rudd of making “irresponsible remarks”. The case has been identified as a cautionary tale for Western companies seeking to take advantage of China’s economic might.

Louis Vuitton

The luxury goods group has lost a five-year legal battle with Google, which means the all-powerful internet behemoth is not liable when trademarks are used in online advertising. Louis Vuitton was deeply unimpressed that it was being used by sellers of fake designer goods to advertise their wares, but rather than pursue the counterfeiters, they chose to hunt down profit- spinning Google. However, the European Court of Justice has ruled that Google should not be held liable for trademark misuse, nor does it have to monitor everything on Google AdWords. Louis Vuitton must now go back to chasing counterfeiters instead.