Patent trolling bill gets House approval
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill to address patent troll litigation that had the support of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). At issue are frivolous lawsuits asserting that a company or individual is infringing a patent, SEMA said. The entity making the assertion is usually seeking licensing fees but not actually making a product or supplying services. Such lawsuits have exploded in recent years, SEMA said, costing businesses billions of dollars. Many companies typically settle a lawsuit rather than fight the cases, allowing the “patent trolls” to secure funds to pursue other parties.
Yokohama donates to help typhoon victims
TOKYO—Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. and its overseas subsidiaries donated about $125,074 to the Red Cross in their respective countries to support efforts to aid victims of the Typhoon Haiyan that struck the Philippines in November. In addition to a $47,737 donation by Yokohama Rubber to the Red Cross in Japan, donations were made by its subsidiaries in the U.S., Germany, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Australia and the Philippines.
Recycle NB campaign wins marketing award
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick—Recycle NB's tire pressure clinic campaign has won a MarCom Gold Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The campaign, on which Recycle NB collaborated with Canadian Tire Corp. and the Rubber Association of Canada, was held Oct. 21-26 during Canada's Waste Reduction Week. During the campaign, New Bruns-wick motorists were invited to any of Canadian Tire's 19 stores in the province for a free tire pressure check. Motorists also could register on the Recycle NB website to enter a drawing for a free set of winter tires donated by Goodyear. The MarCom 2013 International Awards honored Recycle NB in the Communications/Public Relations/ Special Event category, from among thousands of entries.
TIA announces dates for ATS tour in 7 cities
BOWIE, Md.—The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has set dates for seven cities on its Automotive Tire Service (ATS) Training Tour. The dates and cities are: Feb. 4-8, Charlotte, N.C.; March 4-8, Sarasota, Fla.; March 25-28, Houston; May 20-23, Minneapolis, Minn.; June 24-27, Denver; Aug. 5-7, Chicago; and Sept. 15-19, Cincinnati. To register, visit www.tireindustry.org or contact Christine Hoog-enboom at [email protected] or 800-876-8372 ext. 106.