Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, praised the Bush administration Friday for a new accord with China to help stop piracy of computer software, records, videos and other "intellectual property," but he says it still has far to go.
For example, he said the Utah-based WordPerfect computer software company estimates the "total losses U.S. software publishers due to copyright pirating in Taiwan, Korea and Thailand alone to be in the neighborhood of almost $1 billion."This does not include (losses from piracy of) literature, motion pictures, videos and pharmaceuticals," he said. He told the Deseret News, "Each of those industries are big in Utah, and I'm concerned."
Hatch made the comments before the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, of which he is a member, during a review Friday of administration trade steps with China to prevent copyright piracy.
"Coming from a state where some of the world's leaders in software products are headquartered, including WordPerfect and Novell, I can assure you that the agreement with China on intellectual property protection is a significant positive step," he said.
Former workers get Trade Act benefits ROOSEVELT - Former workers of Baroid Corp. Drilling Fluids Division, Dowell Schlumberger, Grace Drilling and Halliburton Logging Services, Inc., are eligible for Federal Trade Act benefits.
Roosevelt Job Service Manager Tom Nordstrom said benefits are available to Baroid workers laid off on or after July 5, 1991, and before January 31, 1994; to Dowell Schlumberger workers laid off on or after Feb. 15, 1991, and before Dec. 16, 1993; to Grace Drilling workers laid off on or after April 17, 1991, and before Feb. 7, 1994; and to Halliburton workers laid off on or after Jan. 1, 1991, and before Jan. 8, 1994.
"These benefits include payment of Trade Act unemployment insurance payments, job search and relocation allowances, and payment of approved training," said Nordstrom.
Trade affected workers filing for weekly Trade Act unemployment insurance payments must be enrolled in training or have a waiver of the training enrollment required in order to receive the payments.
Nordstrom advises workers separated from these firms within the certification periods to report to the Roosevelt Job Service Office to apply for their benefits.
Richfield Valley Central Bank gets president
Richard Persons, who has 24 years experience in the banking industry, has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Valley Central Bank in Richfield, a unit bank of Valley Bank & Trust Co.
He joined Valley Bank in 1989 as vice president of the business finance group where he was responsible for business development.
Persons is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in business and finance, holds a master's degree in finance from the University of Utah and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
Owens offers tax write-off bill to aid industry WASHINGTON - Rep. Wayne Owens, D-Utah, introduced a bill this week designed to encourage revitalizing industry by allowing costs of new plants and equipment to be written off for tax purposes more quickly.
"For new companies created with venture capital, this accelerated write-off can help to ease high start-up costs and act as a just reward for their entrepreneurship," Owens said.
It would allow a new company a five-year write-off of the costs of constructing and starting up new manufacturing facilities.
Owens told the House, "Many companies must relocate in order to remain productive. Relocation often requires construction of a new plant and investment in new or different equipment. We must enable those companies to relocate, but give them incentive to keep operations within our country."
He added, "The initial, fixed costs of construction and equipment are often an entrepreneur's greatest obstacle to success, as well as an existing company's greatest obstacle to expansion."
Gentner to buy MacroMedia assets Gentner Communications Corp., 1825 Research Way, has signed a letter of intent to purchase all products and technology of MacroMedia Inc., Northfield, Minn., a company involved with digital audio storage technology.
The acquisition will be accounted for as an asset purchase involving a nominal sum of stock and cash. As part of the agreement, Gentner will not assume any MacroMedia liabilities.
Russell D. Gentner, Gentner's chief executive officer, said the purchase not only will provide additional revenues and earnings to his company, but will firmly place Gentner as the leader in the new digital audio storage evolution in radio broadcast.
He said Gentner also will be gaining 20 years of technological and radio industry experience with the addition of Tim Valley, MacroMedia president. Valley will enter into non-competition and employment agreements, Gentner said.
Evans and Sutherland official to speak Jeff Edwards, director of communications at Evans and Sutherland, will speak to the Salt Lake Chapter of the Public Relations Society of American on Wednesday, March 11, at noon in the Doubletree Hotel. Reservations can be made by calling Robin Wagge at 355-0522.