Monday, December 24, 2012

China to crack down on "malicious" trademark registrations

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to change the law to crackdown on "malicious" trademark registrations, state media said on Monday, after a series of cases in which well-know international brands and individuals have had their names or copyright misused.

Foreign governments, including the United States, have for years urged China to take a stronger stand against intellectual property rights violations on products ranging from medicines to software to DVD movies.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is one of the latest to accuse a company of using his name without permission, and French luxury group Hermes International SCA and Apple Inc have faced trademark problems too.

The proposed amendment will offer protection to major international brands, giving copyright owners the right to ban others from registering their trademarks or from using similar ones, even if such trademarks are not registered, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

"The draft is intended to curb the malicious registration of trademarks," Xinhua said.

The country's legislature - which performs a largely rubber stamp role - will discuss the amendment this week, it said, without saying when the new rules could be put in place or providing other details.

The move comes after basketball star Michael Jordan filed a lawsuit in China in February against a Chinese sportswear company, accusing the firm of unauthorized use of his name.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recipient and former Chicago Bulls star said that Qiaodan Sports, a company located in the southern Fujian province, had built its business around his Chinese name "Qiaodan" and jersey number without his permission.

The lawsuit has yet to go to trial, Chinese media have reported.

France's Hermes International SCA has also had problems in China with its trademark, and in July Apple Inc agreed to pay $60 million to Proview Technology (Shenzhen) to end a protracted legal dispute over the iPad trademark in China.

China has insisted it is serious about tackling intellectual property violations.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-crack-down-malicious-trademark-registrations-122314365--nba.html

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Former President Bush still hospitalized

HOUSTON (AP) ? President George H.W. Bush, who has been in a Houston hospital with a lingering cough since November, needs to "build up his energy" before he can be released, doctors said Sunday.

Methodist Hospital spokesman George Kovacik said in an emailed statement that doctors are still optimistic the 88-year-old Bush will make a full recovery, but are being "extra cautious" with his care. Bush is in stable condition, he said.

Bush was hospitalized Nov. 23 for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough. Hospital officials have said Bush has been receiving physical therapy to increase his strength.

Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said on Thursday Bush could be released in time for Christmas.

However, Kovacik said Sunday a discharge date has not been set, and it remains unclear whether the 41st president will be able to spend the holiday at home. Kovacik said that could be decided Monday, Christmas Eve.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-president-bush-still-hospitalized-143304814.html

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Pagano back to coach Colts after cancer treatment

A sign welcomes back Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano to the team headquarters Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, in Indianapolis. Pagano returns to the team after undergoing successful leukemia treatment. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

A sign welcomes back Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano to the team headquarters Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, in Indianapolis. Pagano returns to the team after undergoing successful leukemia treatment. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Indianapolis Colts interim coach Bruce Arians, left, talks with Kansas City Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel after an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Kansas City, Mo. The Colts won 20-13. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Chuck Pagano was so eager to get back to work Monday, he was the first one to show up at team headquarters.

Long before meeting with his players, the Colts first-year coach drove quietly into the complex, walked into the office where the lights have remained on for nearly three months and began preparing for Sunday's game against AFC South champion Houston like it was another at the day office.

Hardly. It was the biggest milestone yet in an incredibly emotional season in which Pagano has beaten leukemia and the Colts have been a most pleasant surprise in reaching the playoffs under interim coach Bruce Arians.

"I asked him if he would ... take over the reins and what a masterful, masterful job you did Bruce," Pagano said with Arians nearby at the news conference. "You carried the torch and all you went out and did was win ballgames, you got our 10th win yesterday and you got us into the playoffs and you did it with dignity and you did it with class. I can't thank you enough."

Players, coaches and staff members had been anticipating this day from the moment they learned Pagano was taking an indefinite leave to fight cancer, Oct. 1.

So when the 52-year-old first-time head coach returned, the 24-hour rule was cast aside ? giving the Colts (10-5) another 24 hours to celebrate something far more important than reaching the playoffs.

"I know Chuck is ready for this challenge," said Colts owner Jim Irsay. " I know the time is right for him to grab the reins and get the head coaching cap on and begin the journey.

"The great thing about the National Football League is that so much attention gets paid to it, so many other things happen beside win and losses and the inspiration Chuck has shown to others and the time Chuck has spent connecting with others, it really is miraculous. It's a fairytale story, its' a Hollywood script, it's all of those things."

When Pagano arrived, he drove past an inflatable Colts player with the words "Welcome Back Chuck" printed on its chest. Normally, that spot is reserved for a message for the Colts to beat their next opponent.

When he spoke at a private team meeting, cheering could be heard in the media room.

If all goes well at practice this week, Pagano will be back on the sideline for the first time since Jacksonville scored a last-minute touchdown on an 80-yard TD pass in Week 3, handing Indy it's only home loss this season.

Pagano began the first of three rounds of chemotherapy Sept. 26, after the team completed its final practice during a bye week.

Arians, a prostate cancer survivor, immediately established the goal: Play long enough so Pagano could return to the sideline this season.

Indianapolis did better than anyone could have expected under Arians, who had spent two decades as an NFL assistant but had never been in charge of an NFL team. The Colts went 9-4 under Arians, who tied the league record for wins after a midseason coaching change, joined the 2008 Miami Dolphins as the only teams in league history to lose 14 or more games one season and win 10 or more the next and became the fourth team in league history to win only two games one season and 10 or more the next.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-24-FBN-Colts-Pagano-Returns/id-a4bd413c10ed4377ac949ffd6bd0adf3

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Get the Look: Mason and Penelope Disick?s Christmas Card Style

Get all the details on what Kourtney Kardashian's little ones are wearing in their annual holiday card.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/HSYYtYQcH7g/

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Monday, December 17, 2012

Reach Out To Your Customers: The Power Of Email Marketing ...

TIP! You can make an email have multiple parts in order to reach the biggest audience. The communications you send out should include both plain text and HTML content to properly show up in their email messages.

People are spending more time online and checking their email more often than ever, so marketing via email has increased in importance. To get started with e-mail marketing today, there are so many things you can do to get started.

TIP! One great way to follow up with customers and clients through email is to send them a free offer in one email. Include a statement in the email urging them to take advantage of your offer.

Be certain you send correspondence only to those eager to receive it. Emailing people who don?t know your nor your products can seem like spam. This will have them thinking if they know who you are or even care about what you are selling. They may just delete your message; what a waste of time!

TIP! Do not send email to anyone who has not given you permission to do so. When you send out spam, your emails won?t be effective.

Your content should speak to the reader, not just jargon to bypass the junk mail box. You can easily write your message without lots of sales talk that will attract the spam filter. Avoid keywords such as ?free? to keep your newsletters out of your customer?s spam box.

TIP! Always get permission from your customers before you correspond with them via email. Failure to do so can lead to you losing customers? trust and it will tarnish the reputation of your business.

Write an interesting subject line for your emails. An enticing or catchy subject line, increases your chances it a potential customer reading the actual email. Emails that have headlines or subjects which are suspicious will be deleted or remain unopened.

TIP! Ask permission before adding people to an email list. If you send email without consent you will come off as a spammer, and create a bad impression of your brand.

Include special promotions only in your marketing with email, like coupons or discount codes. The readers are not only more likely to eagerly read the messages themselves, but they?re also more likely to pass the info on to friends. As a matter of fact, referral programs are great ways to grow your email base at the same time you are growing your customer base.

TIP! Brevity is your greatest email campaign ally. If it is longer than two paragraphs, the excess will likely go unread.

Teach yourself what not to do by scoping out some spam. Get a free email address, put it all over the Internet, and see how much spam you receive. Take a look at those emails and learn what you don?t want yours to look like. If you see any similarities, adjust your email promoting campaign. Going the extra mile to distinguish yourself from spammers is a great way to build brand respectability.

TIP! A standard length of 60 characters or less is best for your subject line. There are many email clients that shorten the subject to reach this length.

Make sure you have a person?s full permission before adding them to your mailing list. If not, people will think of you as a spammer; they will send your mail to the junk folder, delete it or leave your list. If your ISP gets many complaints, they could block you from sending emails because you can be viewed as a spammer.

TIP! Do not send emails that use images to convey the most important information. Lots of email services, particularly web-based versions, do not necessarily enable viewing of such images.

Make your emails as personal as possible. This doesn?t just mean addressing your customers by their first names. Make use of every bit of information you have collected on the people you send emails to. Take your subscribers and group them together based on interests. Create emails that are tailored to their interests.

TIP! Use a subject line that attracts your reader?s attention. Consider what incentive would lead your reader to open your email and use it in the subject.

Make sure to create an email list that has organic numbers. This means you should not buy a list of email addresses. Most organic lists are built using sign up forms on business websites, but don?t neglect other list-building opportunities such as trade shows and offline advertising. This ensures that your emails only go to those who are interested, and you can take pride in knowing that you grew your business all on your own.

TIP! Encourage customers to leave active, as well as passive feedback, in your marketing campaigns via email. Readers should be asked to provide suggestions and opinions when offering active feedback.

Create informative and entertaining content for your email marketing campaigns, not just information about the items you sell. Send subscribers information they can?t find on your site. Make sure to add special offers and discounts for your products and services. Don?t forget to send out emails that aren?t directly marketing related. Holidays, birthdays and other special occasions also warrant emails.

TIP! Every customer on your email list should be someone who clearly opted in to your email marketing campaign. You will lose customers and possible even your website host if you engage in spam.

Make sure that you understand the information you have just read before beginning an email campaign. Read the article again if you need to or bookmark it, so that you can refer to it at any time. These tips will help you build a successful list.

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Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/kurttasche/reach-out-to-your-customers-the-power-of-email-marketing/

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