1. LB/LA Ports Notice on Intermodal Container Facility Board Meeting
Little-known Orinda Intellectual Properties USA Holding Group sued Sony in a U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas Aug. 20, accusing the manufacturer of infringing a patent. Orinda claimed various Sony Blu-ray products, including Blu-ray players, the PS3 and Vaio computers, infringe on its U.S. Patent No. 5,438,560 for an “apparatus and method for recording/reproducing optical information and optical disk-shaped recording medium.” The suit was filed against Sony Corp., Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment America and Sony Electronics. Orinda’s requests included a preliminary and permanent injunction to stop Sony from making and selling the infringing products, unspecified royalties, and legal fees. Sony couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday. Competitor Nintendo recently lost on a patent claim by Anascape in the district (CED July 25 p4, May 16 p7).
The International Trade Administration has issued its preliminary results of the following antidumping and countervailing administrative reviews:
The International Trade Administration has issued a notice stating that it is postponing the preliminary countervailing duty determination on certain tow-behind lawn groomers and certain parts thereof (lawn groomers) from China to no later than November 17, 2008.
The International Trade Administration has issued its final results of the antidumping duty administrative review and new shipper review of wooden bedroom furniture from China for the period of January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006.
The International Trade Administration has issued the final results of its antidumping duty changed circumstances review of certain polyester staple fiber from Korea.
The International Trade Administration frequently issues notices on antidumping and countervailing duty orders, investigations, etc. which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued, neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period, etc.
The FBI said it arrested a man who admitted uploading songs from an unreleased Guns N’ Roses album to his Web site. Nine songs from Chinese Democracy, the band’s first original album since 1991, were posted to Antiquiet.com by Kevin Cogill, 27, known online as Skwerl, according to the indictment. Cogill appeared Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles just after his arrest. He can be sentenced to as much as three years in federal prison -- five if it’s proved that he posted the songs to make money. The judge set a $10,000 “signature bond,” requiring Cogill to post that amount or stay in the L.A. area until his next court date. Prosecutors wanted $50,000 bail and Cogill’s lawyer asked for $5,000, Antiquiet.com said. The judge said he had recommended that Cogill be summoned to appear, not arrested, and he rejected prosecutors’ request to forbid Cogill to use the Internet, the post at Antiquiet.com said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17 and an arraignment Sept. 22, the post said. The RIAA, which helped the investigation into Cogill’s activities, declined to comment.
The International Trade Administration has issued AD duty orders on sodium nitrite from China and Germany.
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued a Section 15 Order to certain vessel operating common carriers (VOCCs)1 as it is concerned that the combined effect of their activities under certain U.S.-Australia/New Zealand agreements may have the effect of reducing competition in a manner that may affect prices and service to an unreasonable extent or may otherwise be violative of the Shipping Act of 1984.