Regulations & Compliance

Court Halts Injunction In DuPont-Kolon Fight

September 24, 2012 2:09 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

A federal appeals court has stayed an injunction against a South Korean company that lost a trade-secrets battle with the DuPont Co. Kolon Industries says the decision means it can continue selling its Heracron fiber products while it appeals.

Apple, Samsung Battle Over $1B Verdict

September 24, 2012 2:08 pm | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | Comments

Neither side in a bitter patent battle is satisfied with Apple Inc.'s $1 billion jury verdict over Samsung Electronics after a three-week trial this summer. Samsung wants a new trial. Apple is seeking an additional $707 million in damages and interest.

Audit Suggests GA Food Manufacturers Not Testing

September 24, 2012 10:05 am | by Ray Henry, Associated Press | News | Comments

Food manufacturers in Georgia may be dodging a first-of-its-kind law requiring that they inform state food inspectors when their products test positive for contamination, according to an audit of the state's food inspection service. An audit released this summer offers a combination of anecdotal and statistical evidence suggesting the so-called "red flag law" was not strictly followed after it was implemented in 2010.

Some Tribulations Of Testing And Truthfulness

September 19, 2012 8:16 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Blogs | Comments

Most of us do some form of testing or other validation of our designs and production systems before we initiate production of our products. For some of us, especially those of us who produce products related to safety, we must prove to a regulatory agency that our products are safe and meet regulations. I’ve yet to witness an environment where testing of products is not a delicate balance.

Mamtek CEO Charged With Theft, Securities Fraud

September 18, 2012 2:12 pm | by David A. Lieb, Associated Press | News | Comments

The CEO of a failed artificial sweetener company was charged Tuesday with theft and securities fraud in Missouri for using bond revenues to avoid foreclosure on his Beverly Hills, Calif., home and for failing to tell the truth about the company's troubled operations. The charges announced by Attorney General Chris Koster cap a yearlong investigation into Bruce Cole, who was chairman and CEO of Mamtek U.S.

Fines Proposed After Moss Point Plant Death

September 18, 2012 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A federal safety agency has proposed fines of $79,200 for Omega Protein Inc. for 25 safety and health violations found after the death of a worker who got caught in a rotating screw conveyor. The Sun Herald reports the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released its findings Monday from an inspection in April after 24-year-old Christopher Hebert died from blood loss at the Moss Point plant.

China Files Trade Case Against Washington

September 17, 2012 10:22 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

China filed a World Trade Organization case Monday challenging U.S. anti-dumping measures on billions of dollars of kitchen appliances, paper and other goods, adding to worsening trade strains as global demand weakens. Beijing's move came after American officials said the Obama administration plans to file its own WTO case this week accusing China of improperly subsidizing exports of automobiles and auto parts.

House Votes To End Energy Loan Guarantee Program

September 14, 2012 2:08 pm | by Jim Abrams, Associated Press | News | Comments

Republicans on Friday pushed a bill through the House shining a campaign-season light on the most conspicuous failure of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package. The bill would phase out federal loan guarantees like those that went to the now-bankrupt solar power company Solyndra LLC and left taxpayers on the hook for more than $500 million.

Feds Demand LCD Maker Pay $1 Billion

September 13, 2012 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Federal prosecutors are seeking harsh sentences against a Taiwan company and two of its former executives, saying they participated in the most significant price-fixing "cartel" ever prosecuted in the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday demanded AU Optronics Corp. pay $1 billion and the two former executives each serve 10-year prison sentences for illegally fixing computer screen prices.

iPhone Manufacturer Faces Labor Complaints

September 12, 2012 10:25 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The company that manufactures Apple's iPhones has responded to an accusation that vocational students are forced to work in its Chinese factories by saying Wednesday its agreement with their schools allows them to leave. China Labor Watch, a Hong Kong group, said this week that Foxconn, which employs some 1.2 million people in China, employed students aged 16 to 18 in its factories.

Price Fixing and Other Horizontal Agreements

September 12, 2012 8:07 am | by Roberta F. Howell, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP | Articles | Comments

Horizontal price-fixing occurs when two or more competitors conspire to set prices, price levels, or price-related terms for their goods or services. With very limited exceptions, price-fixing is per se illegal, regardless of its reasonableness or actual effect on competition. As a result, price-fixing is serious business.

Pricing Issues And Federal Antitrust Law

September 11, 2012 8:07 am | by Roberta F. Howell, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP | Articles | Comments

Mention antitrust law to a small business (or even medium business) owner and expect to see eyes glaze over. But antitrust law is an area of law where ignorance is definitely not bliss. Antitrust laws are the “traffic laws for business”. Just like the rules of the road, antitrust law tells business what is lawful competition (“green lights”), what is unlawful competition (“red lights”), and what falls in between (“yellow lights”).

Navy Cited By OSHA For Mishandling Toxic Materials

September 7, 2012 2:17 pm | by Julie Watson, Associated Press | News | Comments

The Navy has been cited for safety violations that exposed hundreds of employees at an aircraft hangar in Coronado to toxic materials such as lead, cadmium and beryllium, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday.

S. Korean Antitrust Watchdog Probes Samsung

September 7, 2012 10:03 am | by Youkyung Lee, AP Technology Writer | News | Comments

South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Thursday it has launched an investigation into whether Samsung Electronics Co. is abusing its dominant position in the wireless market to disadvantage Apple Inc. The investigation could add a headache for Samsung in its global legal battle with Apple.

China Regrets EU's Antidumping Probe On Solar Panels

September 6, 2012 12:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

China expressed regret on Thursday over a European Union decision to launch an antidumping investigation on Chinese-made solar panels which EU manufacturers say are sold below market prices. While expressing China's dissatisfaction with the EU decision, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said the two sides should resolve the issue through talks without taking "protectionist" measures.

Ex-Porsche CFO Rejects Credit Fraud Charges

September 5, 2012 2:06 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Porsche's ex-finance chief has rejected fraud charges arising from arranging credit to help the German sports car maker's doomed attempt to take over Volkswagen AG in 2009. News agency dapd reported that Holger Haerter told the Stuttgart state court as the trial opened on Wednesday that he was "stunned" by the accusation.

Samsung In Hot Seat Over Abusing Chinese Workers

September 5, 2012 10:29 am | by Youkyung Lee, AP Technology Writer | News | Comments

Fresh off a billion-dollar loss in a patent fight with rival smartphone maker Apple, embattled Samsung Electronics Co. now finds itself accused by a labor rights group of mistreating workers in China and illegally using child labor. The New York based-China Labor Watch said its investigation into workplace conditions at eight factories in China showed some employees were working more than 100 hours per month of overtime.

MN Boat Plant Settles Sex Discrimination Claim

September 5, 2012 10:25 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Brunswick Corp. and Lund Boat Co. have agreed to pay $295,000 to settle a sex discrimination claim at a Lund boat plant in Minnesota. The agency had alleged Lund and its Lake Forest, Ill.-based parent company, Brunswick, systematically discriminated against more than 200 women who applied for entry-level jobs at the New York Mills plant.

Getting On Track With Traceability

September 5, 2012 8:06 am | Articles | Comments

With a growing focus on food safety, it is increasingly important for food manufacturers to be able to trace products effectively in the event of a recall. RedPrairie recently released a new survey uncovering traceability and recall trends and suggesting actions processors can take to stay on top of regulatory requirements.

Apple Wants More Samsung Products Added To Suit

September 4, 2012 2:08 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Fresh off its court victory over Samsung Electronics Co., iPhone maker Apple Inc. is asking a federal court to add four more of its rival's products to the list of patent-infringing products. Apple filed documents in San Jose federal district court on Friday asking a judge to end Samsung's release of "copycat products," and urged the court to pull Samsung products released after its lawsuit was filed in April.

Samsung To Audit All Of Its Suppliers In China

September 4, 2012 10:23 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Samsung said it plans to examine all of its Chinese suppliers for possible violations of labor policies. Samsung Electronics Co. said it will carry out audits of 105 Chinese companies that are its exclusive suppliers this month. The move comes after Samsung's audit of a supplier, HEG Electronics, in response to an allegation it used child labor.

DuPont Wins Injunction In Trade-Secrets Case

August 31, 2012 9:52 am | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

A federal judge in Virginia has issued an injunction against a South Korean company that lost a trade-secrets battle with the DuPont Co. At issue are high-strength synthetic fibers used in products such as Kevlar body armor. The judge on Thursday barred Kolon Industries from producing any para-aramid fibers for 20 years. He also issued a permanent injunction against Kolon's use of DuPont trade secrets.

EPA Asks For More Time To Study Taconite Plan

August 30, 2012 2:07 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency heard a plea Wednesday for more time to study a federal plan for reducing emissions from taconite plants that create haze over Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park.

Motorola Trade Secrets Thief Gets 4-Year Term

August 29, 2012 2:10 pm | by Jason Keyser, Associated Press | News | Comments

A Chinese-born American convicted of stealing trade secrets from Motorola was sentenced Wednesday to 4 years in prison in a case that prosecutors hoped would send a message to those who might be tempted to siphon vital information from U.S. companies.

Apple's Victory Means Soul-Searching For Samsung

August 29, 2012 10:05 am | by Youkyung Lee, AP Technology Writer | News | Comments

A U.S. jury's $1 billion verdict against Samsung for what rival Apple claimed was the illegal copying of its iPhone and iPad designs signals a turning point for the South Korean electronics giant known for its prowess in adapting the innovations of others and nimbly executing production.