In The Courts
Stopping Rampant Intellectual Property Theft With NAJI
March 7, 2013 9:00 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Articles | CommentsAccording to Drew Greenblatt, President of Marlin Steel, IP theft — both in terms of software piracy and blatant theft of his engineers’ hard work — is directly hurting his business. And he, along with NAJI, wants the American public to be outraged, and to force their government to fight for equality around the globe.
Shell, BASF To Pay Workers Compensation
March 6, 2013 7:57 am | News | CommentsThe court says Tuesday on its website the companies agreed to a pay compensation of close to 180,000 reals ($90,000) to each of the 1,068 workers who were allegedly contaminated. They also agreed to provide workers with lifelong health plans valued at 200 million reals ($100 million).
Court Rejects Tesla Lawsuit Against BBC
March 5, 2013 8:23 am | News | CommentsThe company sued the broadcaster for libel over a 2008 episode of the popular "Top Gear" show. Host Jeremy Clarkson claimed the car would only run for 55 miles between chargings, far less than billed. He called the car "an astonishing technical achievement ... It's just a shame that in the real world it doesn't seem to work."
Bombardier Sued Over Alleged Train Defects In Germany
March 4, 2013 2:02 pm | News | CommentsThe organization in charge of Berlin's commuter rail service is suing Bombardier Transport (TSE: BBD) for $460 million over allegedly defective trains. Deutsche Bahn is suing the German-based Bombardier subsidiary in regional court because of what it describes as serious errors.
Monster Hits Back At Lawsuit Over Teen's Death
March 4, 2013 12:32 pm | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsMonster Beverage is hitting back at a lawsuit alleging its energy drinks were responsible for the death of a 14-year-old Maryland girl, saying that no blood test was performed to confirm that the girl died of "caffeine toxicity." The disclosures come amid intensifying scrutiny of energy drinks and their caffeine levels.
Rig Owner Cites BP's Low Flow Estimates
March 4, 2013 8:32 am | by Kevin McGill, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe owner of the oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says BP hampered efforts to stop the resulting gusher of oil by misleading government officials about how many barrels of oil were flowing each day from the damaged well on the Gulf floor.
Splashy A-B Ads Tackle Lawsuit Over Watery Beer
March 4, 2013 7:58 am | News | CommentsThe maker of Budweiser is using splashy newspaper ads to poke fun at a lawsuit that alleges its beer is watered down. In full-page ads in U.S. newspapers nationwide Sunday, Anheuser-Busch InBev shows one of the 71 million cans of drinking water it has sent to the American Red Cross and other relief organizations in disasters.
Samsung's $1B Bill In Apple Case Reduced
March 4, 2013 7:47 am | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe two biggest — and bitterest — rivals in the smartphone market will have to endure another bruising trial after a federal judge ruled that jurors miscalculated nearly half the $1 billion in damages it found Samsung Electronics owed Apple Inc. for patent infringement.
BP Exec Outlines Internal Probe Of Gulf Spill
February 28, 2013 11:20 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsOnce the object of ridicule and focus of outrage after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, former BP chief executive Tony Hayward made a cameo appearance Wednesday in a trial to decide how much blame the company must shoulder for the disaster.
Court Rejects $1B In 'Phony Tax Deductions' By Dow
February 28, 2013 8:26 am | News | CommentsJustice said Chief Judge Brian Jackson ruled correctly in saying that the tax benefits created by the scheme were artificial and that the corporate structure was created to exploit weaknesses in the tax code, not for legitimate business reasons. The judge also imposed unspecified penalties.
NC Poultry Plant Fined For Wastewater Violations
February 27, 2013 8:28 am | News | CommentsA federal judge has ordered a poultry processor to pay a $150,000 fine for sending untreated wastewater containing blood and turkey parts directly to a city treatment plant. The judge also sentenced House of Raeford Farms Inc. to two years' probation and ordered the company to pay a special assessment of $4,000 for 10 counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act.
Ala. Looks To Limit Lawsuits For Airbus Suppliers
February 27, 2013 7:27 am | by Phillip Rawls, Associated Press | News | CommentsGov. Robert Bentley recruited Airbus to Mobile last year with $158 million in cash, tax breaks and other incentives. Airbus America Chairman Allan McArtor said groundbreaking is set for April. When fully operational, the plant is expected to create 1,000 jobs.
Suits: More Water, Less Buzz In Bud, Michelob Beer
February 27, 2013 7:21 am | by MaryClaire Dale, Associated Press | News | CommentsBeer lovers across the U.S. have accused Anheuser-Busch of watering down its Budweiser, Michelob and other brands, in class-action suits seeking millions in damages. The suits, filed in Pennsylvania, California and other states, claim consumers have been cheated out of the alcohol content stated on labels.
Jury Awards Woman $3.35M In J&J Implant Suit
February 26, 2013 7:52 am | by Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsIt's the first verdict in about 4,000 lawsuits filed against the giant health products maker based in New Brunswick, N.J. At least one plaintiff has won a lawsuit against one of the other 30-plus makers of the once-popular implants, used to lift sagging pelvic organs back into place.
Judge Blocks Shareholder Vote On Apple Proposal
February 25, 2013 8:24 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsU.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan in New York ruled Friday that Apple Inc. was wrong to bundle four amendments to its corporate charter into one proposal for a vote at next Wednesday's annual meeting. Shareholders should get to vote on the amendments separately, he said.
Billions At Stake For BP In Gulf Oil Spill Trial
February 25, 2013 8:12 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsBarring a last-minute settlement, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier will hear several hours of opening statements Monday by lawyers for the companies involved in the 2010 spill and the plaintiffs who sued them. And the judge, not a jury, ultimately could decide how much more money BP and its partners owe for their roles in the catastrophe.
Feds Indict 4 In Salmonella Outbreak
February 21, 2013 11:12 am | by Kate Brumback, Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal grand jury has indicted four people in a 2009 salmonella outbreak linked to a Georgia peanut processing plant. The indictment unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Georgia charges four employees with Virginia-based Peanut Corp. of America. The charges include conspiracy, wire fraud, obstruction of justice and others related to contaminated or misbranded food.
Lockheed Paying $19.5M To Settle Lawsuit
February 20, 2013 2:16 pm | News | CommentsLockheed Martin Corp. will pay $19.5 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that the defense contractor misled investors. The company disclosed the settlement in a filing Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in New York. Lockheed denied violating any securities laws or misleading investors but said it settled because of the cost and uncertainty of going to trial.
BP Civil Settlement Remains Elusive
February 20, 2013 2:03 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsMonths of negotiations have failed to resolve lingering differences — not just with the London-based oil giant, but among themselves. A meeting convened in Washington late last week ended with no agreement, said a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were confidential.
Gilead, Teva Reach Settlement Over Viread Patent
February 20, 2013 1:41 pm | News | CommentsGilead Sciences will allow Teva Pharmaceuticals to launch a generic version of its HIV and hepatitis B treatment in December 2017 under a new patent settlement between the two companies. The fight over a generic version of Viread was due to head to federal court this week.
Judge Approves Transocean's $1B Spill Settlement
February 19, 2013 2:16 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal judge has approved Transocean Ltd.'s agreement with the Justice Department to pay $1 billion in civil penalties for its role in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said in his ruling Tuesday that he found "no just reason for delay" in approving the civil settlement.
BP Ready For Trial In Deepwater Horizon Case
February 19, 2013 8:10 am | by Danica Kirka, Associated Press | News | CommentsBP acknowledged Tuesday it had failed to reach a settlement in advance of next week's civil trial on the Deepwater Horizon accident and is ready to defend itself vigorously against allegations of gross negligence in the U.S.'s biggest environmental disaster. Rupert Bondy, the group's general counsel, said in a statement that settlement demands were "not based on reality or the merits of the case."
Shell, BASF Offer Millions In Class Action Suit
February 15, 2013 10:04 am | News | CommentsBrazil's top labor court says Shell Brasil SA and BASF SA have offered more than $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit with former workers allegedly contaminated at a pesticide plant in the state of Sao Paulo. The court says on its website Friday that the two companies have offered to provide 884 workers with lifelong health plans.
Toyota Pays $29M To Settle Safety Suit
February 15, 2013 8:14 am | News | CommentsToyota says it will pay $29 million to 29 states and American Samoa as part of a settlement related to its safety recalls. State attorneys general sued Toyota after it recalled 14 million vehicles globally in 2009 and 2010 for accelerating without warning. The lawsuit accused Toyota of failing to notify customers promptly about the problems.
U.S. Unaware Of Fraud As It Gives Egypt Co Tax Break
February 15, 2013 7:41 am | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | News | CommentsState and local officials promised an Egyptian company $200 million in tax breaks to build a fertilizer plant in southeast Iowa without knowledge of a pending lawsuit alleging one of the company's subsidiaries defrauded U.S. taxpayers out of millions of dollars, officials told The Associated Press.
