Business Notes

Arlington, Va.— A new white paper, "Public Alert: Delivers Emergency All-Hazard Warnings, Everywhere, All the Time," is available from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The publication contains a brief overview of the product category and public alert devices' benefits and features. The paper also details the recent Public Alert standards work undertaken by CEA. The Public Alert special interest group, comprised of product makers and government organizations, then created a corresponding certification and logo program for products that comply with the new standard. The white paper is available for download at www.ce.org/publicalert.

St. Louis— The importation and sale into the United States of certain mercury-free alkaline batteries has been found by a U.S. International Trade Commission judge to infringe on an Energizer Holdings patent for this type of product. Following an investigation spurred by a complaint from battery maker Energizer, the federal judge ruled against 24 foreign makers and sellers of certain alkaline batteries. A full commission will rule by September on the judge's recommendation to bar these patent-infringing batteries and either accept or modify the findings.

Washington— An exchange offer for a new series of senior notes will allow full tradability of this XM Satellite Radio Holdings issue. The exchange offer is for Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due in 2009, made available in April of 2004 as part of a private placement. Each series of notes is issued by XM Satellite Radio and is guaranteed by XM Satellite Radio Holdings. Terms of the new notes are substantially identical to the terms of the existing notes, except the new ones will be freely tradable.

Jamestown, N.Y.— Rising demand for home theater and home office furniture, based on increasing popularity of a home-centered lifestyle, combined with such changing technologies as flat-panel TV, has created new opportunities for furniture makers. To accommodate this growing market, ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer Bush Industries is backing home theater/office intros with a marketing program designed to help retailers capitalize on new selling potential. Among the intros are metallic TV furniture, the top consumer choice, said Bush, and one that marries high tech to home comfort.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands— Royal Philips Electronics was honored for its authority and competence in the field of EcoDesign, an important element of the company's environmental action program, called EcoVision. Philips received the James Jackson Award, given by The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, for a program that focuses on procedures for environmentally conscious product design.