The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 05, 1992, Image 8

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I
£> MSC All Night Fair
COMMITTEE
KieMioe.i
72
presents
Sfieacena,
T\iesday, Oct. 6
7:30 p.m.
Rudder Theater
FOR\ THE
$3 singles + . 2 5
$5 doubles + .50
Incredible evening of illusion you will never forget!!
sponsored by
A&M
Magic Club
The B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation at Texas A&M
wishes the Jewish Community a Healthy and Happy
New Year.
Everyone is invited to services conducted by Rabbi Peter Tarlow
Yom Kippur Services at Texas A&M Hillel
Tuesday Oct. 6-8 pm
Wednesday Oct. 7-10 am
Wednesday Oct. 7 - 4:30 pm Yizcor
after sundown Break-the-Fast
B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation
(Jewish Student Center)
800 George Bush Dr.
College Station 696-7313
DESIGN YOUR CAREER
AT THE FALL
'92 CO-OP FAIR
ATTEND BOTH DAYS
Learn about the following companies and their co-op jobs,
summer jobs, and permanent jobs
Monday, October 5
Tuesday, October 6
8:30-3:30
8:30-3:30
Zachry Lobby
Zachry Lobby
ABB Vetco Gray
Alcatel
Advanced Micro Devices
Champion International
Arco Exploration
DSC
ARCO Chemical
Eastman Chemical
Army Corps of Engineers
Freese & Nichols
City of Houston
Cl’M Gas Corporation
Houston Lighting & Power
L.G. Balfour
CompuServe
Cryovac
McNeil Consumer Products
Dow
Miles
Dupont
Mobil Chemical
Enron
NASA-Johnson Space Center
Gulf Coast Chemical
Occidental Chemical
I.B.M.
Quantum
National Instruments
Rhone-Poulenc
Southwest Research Institute
Natural Gas Pipeline
Trane Company
United Parcel Service
Texas Instruments
Learn more about your career options now.
SALE • SALE
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uj (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Sola/Barnes-Hind)
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Disposable Contact Lenses Available
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FLEXIBLE WEAR Soft Contact Lenses
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+ FREE CARE KIT
*Eye exam not included
wSAME day delivery on most lenses.
-I ^^1 ^ Offer ends Sept. 30, 1992.
w . „ Offer extended to Oct. 30, 1992 . H^ia,
—^Call 846-0377 for Appointment
CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., P.C.
DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY
UJ
UJ
LU
505 University Dr.
East, Suite 101
College Station, TX 77840
4 Blks. East of Texas Ave. &
University Dr. Intersection
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Page 8
The Battalion
Monday, Octobers,
Texas court to hear disaster case p
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Some business
leaders fear a case going before
the Texas Supreme Court this
week could lead to the state's be
coming fertile ground for disaster
trials that have little connection to
Texas.
The court is scheduled Tuesday
to consider a Singapore widow's
lawsuit against Irving-based
Exxon Corp.
Chick Kam Choo and her four
daughters want $3 million in
damages from Exxon, which
owned the ship where Leong
Chong was killed March 24, 1977.
A metal spindle fell and hit
Leong, 37, as he worked about the
Esso Wilhelmshaven in drydock
in Singapore.
Texas is a long way from the
witnesses who would be called to
testify. But lawyers for the woman
say they simply want the case
tried in Exxon's backyard.
The Texas Supreme Court will
be deciding whether foreigners
should be able to sue multination
al companies in Texas courts for
damages arising from incidents
that occur outside the state.
The Singapore case already has
been rejected in the U.S. federal
courts. The question now is
whether it can be heard in a state
court.
If the state Supreme Court
rules in favor of the widow, the
case will be tried in a Texas court
under Singapore law.
What her lawyers see as simple
justice, business leaders view as
highway robbery.
One group. Jobs for Texas, says
out-of-state businesses would shy
from Texas out of fear of being
sued easily.
Jobs for Texas has filed court
papers opposing the so-called Al
faro ruling of 1990.
In the Alfaro case, justices
ruled 5-4 that Costa Rican farm
"An ill wind is blowing through the Texas
halls of justice, and its siren song is that busi
ness thinking, not the law, should dictate the
outcome of cases."
-John O'Quinn
Attorney
workers who said they wen
jured by an American-made;'
cide could sue the manufaett
in Texas.
Jobs for Texas saystheli
ruling was “wrong andisani
barrassment to Texas juris;
dence."
But Houston lawyer!
O'Quinn, representing Leo;
family, said Jobs for Texas'l
goal is to enhance corporate;!
its at the cost of safety."
In his response to theSnpn
Court, O'Quinn said, "Anill*
is blowing through the Texas!
of justice, and its siren songisj
business thinking, nottheii
should dictate the outcomerfi
es." ■
The Texas business conuit
ty, he said, is making "cynicil
guments that they will pici
their chips and leave homeini
they are given a chauvinisticiij
to injure and kill foreigners^
out redress in Texas courts."
$
Sanyo responds to U.S. patent dispute
Japanese companies adopt aggressive American practices when being sued
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO — For Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., go
ing to court to thrash out a patent dispute once
seemed like a declaration of animosity to be
avoided at almost any cost. Not anymore.
Sanyo recently abandoned its reticence and
countersued Texas Instruments Inc. after refus
ing the Dallas semiconductor maker's requests
for royalties on a disputed patent.
“In the past, Japanese companies were will
ing to spend extra money to settle patent dis
putes to avoid conflicts with other compa
nies," said Sanyo spokesman Koshiro Tamura.
“But Japanese are becoming more assertive,
and are moving toward the American way of
doing business."
In recent months, a slew of highly {publi
cized patent disputes, most initiated by U.S.
companies, has convinced many Japanese
firms to be more aggressive in defending
themselves from such lawsuits and in protect
ing their own patents.
Many are beefing up patent divisions, train
ing employees in international law and coach
ing researchers in patent issues.
And as they see U.S. companies demanding
steeper royalties, more are viewing patents as
a source of income, not just a means of limiting
competition or obtaining technologies through
cross-licensing.
With Japan now receiving 20 percent of all
U.S. patents, that could spell trouble for Amer
ican industry in the future.
The Japanese corporate offensive so far has
been most visible in Asia, said Norman Neure-
iter, a director of Texas Instruments Japan.
“They're starting to sue."
Fujitsu Ltd., Hitachi Ltd. and NEC Corp. re
cently negotiated large royalties from South
Korea's Samsung Electronics, while Dai Nip
pon Printing Co. Ltd. asked for licensing fees
from foreign and Japanese electronics makers
for its liquid crystal display manufacturing
techniques.
This is new ground for corporate citizens of
a society that tries to minimize conflict and liti
gation.
But now, says Sanyo's Tamura, ''even
smaller companies are becoming very careful
about protecting their patents and trade
marks."
Last spring, Matsushita Electric Industrial
Co. Ltd., Japan's largest consumer electronics
maker, launched a new patent program in
sponse to the increase in disputes.
Matsushita has about 310 employeesda
ing with intellectual property rights, twkei
number it had five years ago. Employeesi
trained in patent issues and receive prizesi
discoveries that result in patents, saidAli
Kokaji, director of the company's intellect:
property center.
Right now, about 1,000 claims by U.S.J
panies of patent violations by Japanesefin
are pending, a sharp rise from recentyean,i
cording to the economic journal NikkeiWec
ty- ■
One reason for the increase is that0,
courts rule much more often in favorolpati
holders than they did in the past. Withgiei
chances of winning litigation, U.S. compai
are demanding royalties more frequently
are asking for larger amounts.
“U.S. companies are systematicallygoii
through their patent portfolios," looking!
assets, said Steven Myers, an electronicsb
lyst in Tokyo for Jardine Fleming.
Many of the disputes are overbasictei
nologies, and the stakes are huge.
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Group consuls
inmates' families
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH - Relatives
of prison inmates say they can
suffer as much as victims'
families.
Many members of the
national group called Citizens
United for the Rehabilitation of
Errants held its statewide
meeting in Fort Worth over the
weekend.
They said widespread news
coverage of cases such as that
of former death row inmate
Kenneth McDuff exacerbate
their pain.
McDuff's parole and later
indictment in other deaths
triggered a statewide debate
over early release of prisoners.
“Hold your head up and
don't be afraid to say you have
a relative in prison," said Lois
Robison, whose son, Larry
Keith Robison, was convicted
of murder.
“A lot of people are shocked
when they find out two
schoolteachers have a son on
Death Row," she said.
Members of the group
founded in San Antonio in 1972
promises help for criminals'
relatives, who actually have
much in common with those of
crime victims, they say.
“If it's someone in my
family who did it. I'm hurting
twice as much," Dorothy
Bartholomew of Fort Worth, a
CURE board member, said.
The meeting of CURE
members, which ended
Sunday, marked the group's
20th anniversary and included
testimonials from relatives of
suspected and convicted
criminals. They reflect
frustration, pain and anger over
the criminal justice system.
Families of prisoners often
feel both the victims' pain and
the public shame for a crime in
which they were uninvolved,
Ms. Bartholomew said.
“We try to help the families
through a difficult situation,"
she said. “We say: 'You haven't
done anything. You're no
criminal."'
Diana Ray told the group
that when her son was charged
with sexually assaulting an 8-
year-old girl, she was forced to
deal with the anguish virtually
alone because attorneys
warned her that discussing the
case could force the trial to be
moved.
COWBOYS vs. CAGLES
Free Pizza from Domino's
$ 3 5° pitchers
$ 1 00 off ANV Drink 7-10:00
Wall street strategists
face billion dollar suit
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — The go-go ways of
the infamous Wall Street takeover
strategists Ivan Boesky and Mar
tin Siegal are the focus of a multi-
billion-dollar lawsuit that goes to
trial this week in a state court.
Maxus Energy Corp. is seeking
$2.2 billion in a case against Sie
gal, Boesky and the New York in
vestment house of Kidder,
Peabody & Co.
Maxus accuses them of de
frauding its predecessor. Dia
mond Shamrock Corp., when it
tried to buy Natomast Co. in 1983.
All the defendants have denied
any wrongdoing, and for years
Kidder tried to kill the Dallas ac
tion, giving up only after the U.S.
Supreme Court declined to inter
vene.
Pretrial hearings will begin
Monday before Judge Adolph
Canales of the 298th State District
Court. If it goes the distance with
out a settlement, the case could
take seven weeks.
In another corporate takeover
case, Pennzoil Corp. won the
biggest jury award in history from
Texaco Inc. — $10.5 billion — in
Houston in 1985. If Maxus wins
anything near what it seeks, it
would rank high on the all-time
list.
"This is a significant case," one
nationally recognized authori
on insider trading and securilia
law told The Dallas Mornini
News. “There'll never againti
anything as exciting as Texao
Pennzoil, but if that was an A
plus, this is an A."
He and several other sdiolaJ
asked the paper not to be ideit
fied because they expectlofr
called as expert witnesses.
Analysts say a large award®
settlement could be a boon!!
Maxus. The company has poslei
losses every year except one sin®
1985. And it is under pressure!!
pay down $796 million debtanl
finance an exploration program®
Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia.
A big payoff "could really ti®
the company around," says Job!
Herrlin, an analyst for Lehmai
Bros, in New York.
Among the defendants, SiegeB
wealth is thought to be limiteddf
spite a luxurious home in Florida
Boesky, even after surrender®;
$100 million in fines and illegd
profits to settle a federal civil*
tion several years ago, has W
well. But a pending divorcebai
raised questions about the size®
his fortune.
Kidder Peabody's parent com
pany. General Electric Corp'
ranks fifth in the Fortune 500 aid
annual sales exceed $60 billionJ
clearly wouldn't be ruined by! 1
adverse judgment, analysts say
Perot heads magazine's list
of wealthiest people in Texas
Texas list with $2.4 billion,lb
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dallas billionaire H. Ross Perot
heads a magazine's annual list of
richest Texans
which also in
cludes an in
vestor in the
city and a Fort
Worth family
of investors.
Forbes
magazine re
leased the
names Sunday
of the Texans
who made the
publication's annual list of richest
Americans.
Perot, who entered the presi
dential race last week as an inde
pendent candidate, heads the
magazine said.
The 62-year-old Perot is lb
founder of Dallas-based Electro!!
Data Systems. After selling ED^
General Motors in 1984 forJJ-
billion, Perot started a new com
puter service company in 15b
called Perot Systems.
Perot is also involved in real**
tate and other investme® 1
through a holding company call*
the Perot Group.
Tied for second place in lb
Texas list is 36-year-old Leebfc
shall Bass and 49-year-old &
Richardson Bass. The men, both
Fort Worth, are investors with51
billion each, according to them!;
azine.
Ray Lee Hunt, 49, and his fa®
ly in Dallas are listed nextw'i!
$1.5 billion.
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