Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!tamsun.tamu.edu!mtecv2!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Newsgroups: usa-today.law,americast.usa-today.law Subject: law Mon, Aug 31 1992 Message-ID: Date: 31 Aug 92 08:51:28 GMT Organization: American Cybercasting Lines: 110 Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com 08-31 0000 DECISIONLINE: Business Law USA TODAY Update Aug. 31, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network ADOBE, U-LEAD SETTLE SUIT: Adobe Systems Inc. and U-Lead Systems Inc. of Torrance, Calif., Friday announced they have settled their legal copyright dispute regarding U-Lead's image editing program, PhotoStyler, and Adobe's image editing program, Adobe Photoshop. The settlement comes after a year of litigation. Adobe had filed suit against U-Lead, claiming copyright infringement. NO FURTHER LITIGATION SOUGHT: Adobe Systems Inc. and U-Lead Systems Inc. said Friday they want to avoid further litigation after reaching a settlement in a copyright infringement case Friday. U-Lead denied Adobe's charges and filed a counterclaim, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets. Both companies said the settlement is mutually agreeable. BA, USAIR MAY BUY OUT TWA: British Airways and USAir are eyeing a takeover of TWA, London's Sunday Times reports. Last month, BA and USAir announced an agreement for BA to invest $750 million in USAir in exchange for a 44% equity stake and 21% voting rights. Both those percentages are under the legal ceilings for foreign ownership of domestic carriers. The buyout would create the world's largest airline. FDA WARNS OF MEDICAL PRODUCT: The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to Vital Heart Systems Inc. of Beverly, Mass., for not having appropriate FDA clearance to market its Cherne Medical Chaos Analysis Machine. Vital Heart Systems said Friday it isn't marketing any product with that name. SUIT TALK CAUSES STOCK FLUTTER: Traders overreacted Friday to news of potential damages from a pending racial discrimination lawsuit, analysts said. Shares in Shoney's Inc. closed at $17 1:2, down 1 5:8 on the New York Stock Exchange. Shoney's announced third-quarter results late last week, and said it expects settlement of the class-action suit to affect its operating results. STRIKE BRINGS PLANT SHUTDOWN: General Motors Corp. halted production at its Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant during the first shift Friday because of a shortage of body parts. The shortage was caused by a strike begun last week at a GM parts plant near Lordstown. The United Auto Workers union at the assembly plant served GM with a five-day strike notice Friday with a deadline of Sept. 4. OTS SEEKS $8.6M REPAYMENT: The Office of Thrift Supervision said Friday it has begun proceedings to get back $8.6 million from the former chairman of a failed Illinois Thrift, First Savings of America. The OTS said Roland Bonar approved real estate loans that were not adequately secured by the underlying property. Defaults on those loans cost the Illinois thrift millions of dollars, the OTS said. FORMER HUGHES CHAIR CLEARED: The Justice Department Friday cleared former Hughes Aircraft chairman Albert Wheelon of allegations that he and company executives used bribes to get satellite contracts. Earlier this year, former Hughes vice president Paul Visher pleaded guilty to making illegal payments to a satellite consortium. ALPA HEARING POSTPONED: A scheduled Monday contract hearing concerning the Air Lines Pilot Association has been postponed, an attorney for Continental Airlines said Friday. Continental wanted to ask a federal bankruptcy judge to prevent the ALPA from trying to force Continental to honor part of a contract between the union and now-defunct Eastern Air Lines. A new date has yet to be announced. DEBRIS PIT LEADS TO LAWSUIT: Toll Brothers Inc. and its Maple Point Inc. development were sued Friday over a pit for construction debris buried in homeowners' backyards. The group of 12 homeowners and their families claim decaying debris has produced methane gas, contaminated the properties and forced property values down. The family members want damages of more than $50,000 each plus damages. SYNTEX DENIES ALLEGATIONS: Syntex Corp. said Friday it denies all securities law violations alleged in a shareholder suit filed Tuesday, according to Bloomberg Business News. The suit specifically charged that the company tried to conceal declining profits and other matters regarding Naprosyn, a widely prescribed drug for the treatment of arthritic pain and inflammation. ACCOUNTING TITLE RULING STANDS: The California Supreme Court has reaffirmed an earlier decision on the use of professional accounting titles. The court denied an appeal for another hearing and said that although unlicensed people using such titles as "accountant" and "accounting" misled the public into believing they have state licenses, those terms can be used with a disclaimer. Business Law Editor: Beth Mann. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM