As part of the settlement agreement, Joltid and Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis will join the investor group, contributing Joltid software and making a significant capital investment in exchange for a 14 percent stake in Skype. As a result, Silver Lake and other investors including Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), will together hold 56 percent of Skype and eBay will retain 30 percent. As previously announced, eBay will receive approximately $1.9 billion in cash upon the completion of the sale and a note from the buyer in the principal amount of $125 million. The deal, which values Skype at $2.75 billion and is not subject to a financing condition, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2009.

'Skype will be well positioned to move forward under new owners with ownership and control over its core technology,' said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe. 'At the same time, eBay continues to retain a significant stake in Skype and will benefit from its continued growth. We look forward to closing the deal and focusing on growing our core ecommerce and payments businesses.'

Commenting on the agreement on behalf of the investor group, Silver Lake Managing Director Egon Durban said: 'We are very pleased to have the litigation resolved. We remain confident in a great future for Skype, and we look forward to working with Niklas, Janus and the other investors as partners to help the company achieve its full potential.'

The investor group will no longer include Index Ventures, which has withdrawn from participation. Commenting on its decision to withdraw, Danny Rimer of Index Ventures, said: 'We are pleased that Skype will now be able to put litigation behind it, and we wish Josh Silverman, his team and the Skype investors well in continuing to grow a great business. Although Skype has the potential to be a great investment, the deal terms changed for Index such that it no longer matches our investment criteria and thus we have decided not to participate in the transaction.'
About eBay Inc.

Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day, empowering them to explore new opportunities and innovate together. eBay does this by providing the Internet platforms of choice for global commerce, payments and communications. Since its inception, eBay has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, StubHub, Shopping.com, and others. eBay is headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit www.ebay.com.
About Skype

Skype is software that enables the world's conversations. Millions of individuals and businesses use Skype to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages and share files with other Skype users. Every day, people everywhere also use Skype to make low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles.
Forward Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements relating to eBay's future performance that are based on its current expectations, forecasts and assumptions. Those statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the receipt and timing of regulatory approval for the transaction; the possibility that the transaction may not close; the reaction of consumers and Skype's users and commercial partners to the transaction; the reaction of competitors to the transaction; the anticipated continuation of Skype's growth; and the potential longer-term value of Skype.

More information about factors that could affect eBay's operating results can be found in the company's most recent annual report on its Form 10-K and its subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q (available at http://investor.ebayinc.com). All forward-looking statements are based on information available to eBay on the date hereof, and eBay assumes no obligation to update such statements.

— WebWireID107200 —

Under the Elevator Safety Standards, Chapter 399 Florida Statutes, the most common elevator safety violations in layman's terms have to do with:

1. Car Door Restrictors that prevent the doors from opening unless they are within four inches of a floor level. Elevators without the door restrictors can open between floors and passengers are at risk of a fatal fall into the hatch.

2. Two-way, 24-hour Emergency Communication so at the touch of a button, an answering service picks up and hears a recording, which automatically indicates the location of the elevator where a passenger needs assistance. This is especially important for the hearing and/or speech impaired or in situations where there is a language barrier.

3. Electric-eye, Door Re-opening Device that protects passengers from getting hit by closing elevator doors. If any object is between the doors, they will re-open without contact on that object or person.

4. Emergency Lighting that prevents passengers from getting left in the dark. It operates the lighting and the emergency alarm bell with a back-up battery pack. The light shines over the car station button panel, phone and alarm bell.

5. Floor Numbers with Brail that are displayed on each floor on the outside of the doors on both sides.

6. 'In Case of Fire Do Not Use Elevator' Signs posted on the outside of the elevator doors on every floor.

7. Door Fire Tabs that prevent doors from popping out of the door tracks as the elevator travels. Without door tabs, doors could swing into the hatch causing injury to passengers and extensive damage to the elevator.

Any person not complying with these elevator safety requirements may be subject to fines of $1,000 per violation, in addition to any other liability to the passengers. 'I can guarantee that persons not complying with these safety codes will receive a violation notice and have to pay penalties. Inspectors are looking for these safety features, especially on older elevators,' states Renick, a 35-year elevator veteran. 'It is easier, more cost-efficient and less liability to comply, especially when Eagle Elevator offers a safety package for all these items starting at $3,000.'

Eagle Elevator has a full staff of experienced administrative and industry professionals in order to offer consumers the best products and service at prices 20 percent less than the major competitors. Eagle Elevator has extensive commercial and residential experience for: 1. New Installations / Renovations for all Makes and Models (Passenger / Freight, Remodels / Hydraulic Cylinders); 2. Refittings; 3. Maintenance / Repairs (Same Day Response, Service Agreements with 30-day cancellation notice); 4. Annual and Full-load Testing; and 5. Professional Consultation via a FREE survey. Eagle Elevator is a DBE-, SBE- and WBE-certified company.

For more information on elevator safety code violations and how to stay compliant, contact Eagle Elevator at (954) 351-0440 or http://www.eagleelevator.us.

— WebWireID107106 —

'National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations are expert investigators, and provide real value to their clients through a consultative approach which helps them achieve their desired results as quickly and directly as possible,' said Rutherford. 'The level of expertise of the investigative team is impressive, and I'm looking forward to working with them and their clients.'

Prior to joining National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations, Rutherford served as the head of marketing for CT TyMetrix, a provider of software to the legal and insurance industries, where he co-authored the industry benchmark research report, 'Cost Control in the Management of Litigated Claims.' In addition, Rutherford previously served with trademark and copyright research firm Thomson CompuMark, where he headed North American marketing communications and events.

'We are thrilled to have Scott on our team,' said Timothy Santoni, vice president of National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations. 'We look forward to leveraging his business expertise, and particularly his experience in the insurance and intellectual property arenas.'

Rutherford holds a bachelor's degree in Marketing Communications from Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, and a master's degree in business administration from the F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

About Us
National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations are affiliated investigation services firms with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County, California, and conduct investigations nationwide.

Santoni Investigations, founded in 1975, provides professional investigative services for the management of insurance fraud, including surveillance, location of persons, asset identification and process of service nationwide (www.santoni-investigations.com or 800-966-5715).

National Trademark Investigations, founded in 1980, provides trademark usage, acquisition, compliance and infringement investigations to brand owners and trademark professionals. The firm specializes in anonymous specimen acquisition for anti-counterfeiting efforts, including documented chain of custody control, and the anonymous negotiation and acquisition of Internet domain names (www.nationaltrademarkinvestigations.com or 800-498-1097).

— WebWireID107087 —

Along with describing what the new FTC rules require and may not require of businesses and bloggers, Sifleet and Yudkin discussed five reasons it makes sense to comply with the new regulations:

1. Stay out of trouble. Although it's most likely the FTC will pursue egregious violators who have deep pockets, small players are nevertheless vulnerable to legal hassles and fines if they do not comply with the new regulations.

2. Reduce other risks. Compliance with the new rules will help things go better for you if you get called before the FTC or a brother federal agency for another issue.

3. Earn credibility. As awareness of the new guidelines spreads, potential clients and customers see you in a positive light when you're clearly complying.

4. Avoid second-hand problems. By complying with the rules, you're perceived as less liable if a rogue affiliate or reviewer acts wildly on your behalf.

5. Prevent business damage. Although those based outside the US might think the FTC has no jurisdiction over them, if they have customers, affiliates, web hosting, shopping cart services, etc. based in the US, by complying they avoid those aspects of their operation being targeted by the FTC.

Massachusetts attorney Jean Sifleet of Smartfast.com, the featured expert on the FTC recording, has decades of experience advising both startup and established businesses on safeguarding intellectual property and preventing exposure to liability. She also has a distinguished record of explaining legal issues and their business implications clearly to non-lawyers. Jean Sifleet is the author of three books, including Advantage "IP": Profit From Your Great Ideas, as well as a three-time entrepreneur.

Marcia Yudkin of Yudkin.com, the interviewer on the FTC recording, is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity, now in its third edition, and 10 other books. Known world-wide as an expert in creative marketing, Yudkin helps business owners and organizational marketers reach new and existing customers powerfully and cost-effectively.

The recorded program on the new FTC guidelines may be purchased in downloadable MP3 format for $39.97 or as a CD for $42.97, including shipping.

To purchase the MP3 or CD recording on the new FTC rules and how bloggers, publishers, entrepreneurs and business owners can comply with them, go to http://www.yudkin.com/ftc.htm .

— WebWireID106998 —

Scamraiders is dedicated to fighting scams and corruption, whether in the courthouse or the corner grocery. Couri's video expose is based on his extensive experience fighting corruption in New York courts.

Couri intends to post at least two videos a week on scams, corruption and related issues. Scamraiders has urged members and viewers to stay tuned for more on these issues, which millions of Americans are faced with daily.

Learn more at www.scamraiders.com.

— WebWireID106989 —

On 30 January 2009, the Daily Mail published an article with the headline "Should Kate Winslet win an Oscar for the World's most irritating actress?", The article was published just three weeks before the famous Academy Awards 2009 Oscar evening. The article contained a defamatory and untrue allegation that Miss Winslet had publicly lied about her exercise regime.

In order to protect her reputation and defend her own integrity surrounding body/weight issues Miss Winslet took legal action by issuing libel proceedings against Associated Newspapers, the publishers of the Daily Mail.

In response to those proceedings, the Daily Mail accepted that the allegation it made was completely false and that it had no defence to the subsequent legal proceedings brought by Miss Winslet. In addition to agreeing to print an apology The Daily Mail also agreed to pay substantial damages of £25,000 to Miss Winslet and to pay her legal costs.

In apologising the Daily Mail stated "We accept that Miss Winslet was not being duplicitous in making her comments or seeking to deliberately mislead about her exercise regime. We apologise for any distress caused".

This decision clarifies that in Offer of Amends situations, claimants, in this instance Miss Winslet, have the right to appropriate vindication through the process of a Statement in Open Court.

A spokesperson for Schillings, the lawyers representing Miss Winslet, read out the Statement in Open Court.

Schillings commented: "Miss Winslet has frequently asserted the right of women to accept the way they look and by accusing her of trying to mislead the public, the Daily Mail caused her a great deal of distress. It was simply not true.

"We are pleased we have been able to achieve this result for Miss Winslet, a result which will continue to benefit clients bringing libel proceedings in the future."

Miss Winslet said: "I am delighted that the Mail have apologised for making false allegations about me. I was particularly upset to be accused of lying about my exercise regime and felt that I had a responsibility to request an apology in order to demonstrate my commitment to the views that I have always expressed about body issues, including diet and exercise. I strongly believe that women should be encouraged to accept themselves as they are, so to suggest that I was lying was an unacceptable accusation of hypocrisy."

- END -

Notes to editors
Claim number: HQ09X01191
A copy of the Statement in Open Court is available from the Schillings website

About Schillings, solicitors to Kate Winslet:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms dedicated to the reputation protection of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Schillings clients include the recording artist Madonna, supermodel Naomi Campbell, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

For further enquiries please contact:
Rachel Atkins
Schillings
41 Bedford Square
London
WC1B 3HX
Tel: +44(0)20 7034 9000
Fax: +44(0)20 7034 9200

— WebWireID106997 —

NEW YORK – A federal district court ruled today that patients and scientists can challenge patents on human genes in court, allowing a lawsuit challenging patents on two human genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to move forward.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT), a not-for-profit organization affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. The groups charge that the patents are illegal and restrict both scientific research and patients' access to medical care, and that patents on human genes violate the First Amendment and patent law because genes are "products of nature."

"We hope this challenge is the beginning of the end to patents on genes, which limit scientific research, learning and the free flow of information," said Chris Hansen, a staff attorney with the ACLU First Amendment Working Group. "No one should be able to patent a part of the human body."

The lawsuit, Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, et al., was originally filed on May 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of breast cancer and women's health groups, individual women, geneticists and scientific associations representing approximately 150,000 researchers, pathologists and laboratory professionals. The lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation, which hold the patents on the BRCA genes. The defendants asked the court to dismiss the case but today's ruling allows the lawsuit to proceed.

Because the ACLU's lawsuit challenges the whole notion of gene patenting, its outcome could have far-reaching effects beyond the patents on the BRCA genes. Approximately 20 percent of all human genes are patented, including genes associated with Alzheimer's disease, muscular dystrophy, colon cancer, asthma and many other illnesses.

The court noted the significance of this case. The court's opinion stated, "The widespread use of gene sequence information as the foundation for biomedical research means that resolution of these issues will have far-reaching implications, not only for gene-based health care and the health of millions of women facing the specter of breast cancer, but also for the future course of biomedical research… The novel circumstances presented by this action against the USPTO, the absence of any remedy provided in the Patent Act, and the important constitutional rights the Plaintiffs seek to vindicate establish subject matter jurisdiction over the Plaintiffs' claim against the USPTO."

"We look forward to proving in court that human gene patents should never have been granted in the first place," said Daniel B. Ravicher, Executive Director of PUBPAT and co-counsel in the lawsuit. "Companies should not able to own the rights to a piece of the human genome. Specific tests or drugs can be patented, but not genes themselves."

The specific patents the ACLU is challenging are on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Mutations along the BRCA1 and 2 genes are responsible for most cases of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Many women with a history of breast and ovarian cancer in their families opt to undergo genetic testing to determine if they have the mutations on their BRCA genes that put them at increased risk for these diseases. This information is critical in helping these women decide on a plan of treatment or prevention, including increased surveillance or preventive mastectomies or ovary removal.

The patents granted to Myriad give the company the exclusive right to perform diagnostic tests on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and to prevent any researcher from even looking at the genes without first getting permission from Myriad. Myriad's monopoly on the BRCA genes makes it impossible for women to access alternate tests or get a second opinion about their results and allows Myriad to charge a high rate for their tests.

"The patents on BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 restrict women's access to genetic testing and interfere with their medical care," said Sandra Park, staff attorney with the ACLU Women's Rights Project. "We hope that at the conclusion of this lawsuit, the court declares the patents unconstitutional and invalid."

Several major organizations, including the American Medical Association, the March of Dimes and the American Society for Human Genetics, filed friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the challenge to the patents on the BRCA genes.

Attorneys on the case include Hansen and Aden Fine of the ACLU First Amendment Working Group; Park and Lenora Lapidus of the ACLU Women's Rights Project; and Ravicher of PUBPAT. Tania Simoncelli, the ACLU's science advisor, provides expert guidance on the case.

More information about the case, including an ACLU video featuring breast cancer patients, plaintiff and supporter statements and declarations, today's decision and the legal complaint, can be found online at: www.aclu.org/brca

— WebWireID106966 —

The five men featured in the video were all held at Guantánamo for years without any meaningful opportunity to challenge their detention. They were denied their due process rights, which might have established the lack of evidence against them much earlier and spared them years of torture, abuse and imprisonment. The men were eventually released, and as they explain in the video, are now attempting to put their lives back together.

"I experienced sadness in a state that I have never had, cruelty in a depth that I'd never seen in my life," Omar Deghayes tells the camera. He had graduated from law school in England and was studying the legal system in Afghanistan when he was captured and sent to Guantánamo for nearly six years. "You will not leave a similar person anymore. You will leave as broken, physically broken, psychologically broken."

Ruhal Ahmed and Shafiq Rasul grew up together in England. They went to Pakistan for a friend's wedding and took a short trip to neighboring Afghanistan where they were captured. It would be two and a half years before they could go home.

"Guantánamo Bay was hell for us," Shafiq says. But Ruhal says their friendship helped them survive the brutal experience: "Anything that happened to me I could relate to somebody that was very close to me. Being friends from a young age – who else would you want in that kind of situation?"

Back home in England, Shafiq and Ruhal say the American leaders who allowed the injustices of Guantánamo should be held accountable. But they do not hold a grudge against the American people.

"The drinks we drink, Coca Cola – it's American. We still drink it," Ruhal says. "We still go to the movies. So we don't hate Americans as American people."

Omar says he feels the same way, but he wants Americans to know exactly what happened at Guantánamo: "I want the people themselves, the people in America, the good people – which I met many of – to realize what ugly things were done to others in their names."

— WebWireID106961 —

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The number of new file-sharing sites hosting unauthorized, copyrighted content skyrocketed over the last three months, according to McAfee, Inc.'s (NYSE:MFE) Third Quarter Threats Report. The report also shows that spam, malware and Web-based threat creation has reached record levels in the last quarter, and that cybercriminals are extorting site-owners with threats of DDoS attacks.

Piracy Undeterred by Pirate Bay Shutdown

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of a 300 percent jump in the creation of file-sharing sites that occurred while a famous torrent site - or a site which can host links to copyrighted content - The Pirate Bay, was prosecuted in Sweden. As users develop more sites to share content, malware writers are creating sites to trick users looking to download copyrighted material into downloading malicious programs. McAfee predicts the number of these malicious sites will increase during the fall and holiday blockbuster film seasons.

Many of these sites sprang up to scam users of The Pirate Bay who were looking for a new place to download copyrighted material.

McAfee researchers observed that users began creating their own sites to support The Pirate Bay community when the site was in the process of being shut down. When the site was back up after only 24 hours, the new torrent sites disappeared quickly.

McAfee Labs' analysis revealed peaks in the creation of these sites which correlate to major events in the film industry. During the release of the summer blockbusters McAfee observed a peak, as well as during this year's Oscar Season and 2008's holiday movie season. McAfee expects a similar peak during this year's fall release of 'Oscar-bait' films and the holiday season.

Spam, Malware and Web Threats at an All-Time High

The McAfee report also found that spam and malware levels have reached an all-time high, with threats surpassing previous records in the last quarter. Web-based attacks have also increased as cybercriminals take advantage of celebrity deaths and natural disasters.

Spam reached its highest level in history, breaking the previous record set in the second quarter of 2009 by 10 percent. Spam now comprises 92 percent of all e-mail. When compared with the third quarter of 2008, spam jumped 24 percent.

Web-based attacks are the newest hot threat vector, and have become one of the most dangerous tools cybercriminals utilize. These attacks can target anyone who visits a malicious Web page, and are delivered to users through spam, phishing, social networks and even through redirects from hijacked legitimate Web sites. Fifty-five percent of all malicious URLs are hosted in the US, and cybercriminals are getting increasingly effective at utilizing SEO techniques to drive traffic to these bad sites. Malware authors take advantage of news stories like the death of celebrities and natural disasters to hide their malicious intentions.

DDoS for Sale

In the last quarter, McAfee Labs observed many new denial-of-service attacks, including some that demand ransom. Four Australian sports betting companies were taken down during key events like the football and rugby finals, resulting in millions of dollars of losses.

DDoS as a service is growing in popularity, with many cybercriminals offering botnets comprised of thousands of zombie computers to attack sites for the highest bidder. These botnets are capable of knocking even some of the most-protected sites offline. Cybercriminals will even offer a 'demo' performance for a few minutes to prospective buyers. The Threats Report includes images of some of these offers.

The McAfee Labs Third Quarter Threats Report can be downloaded here: http://www.mcafee.com/us/local_content/reports/7315rpt_threat_1009.pdf

About McAfee, Inc.

McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world's largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee is committed to relentlessly tackling the world's toughest security challenges. The company delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems and networks around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet, browse and shop the web more securely. Backed by an award-winning research team, McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor and improve their security. http://www.mcafee.com

NOTE: McAfee and any additional McAfee marks herein are registered trademarks of McAfee, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. McAfee Red in connection with security is distinctive of McAfee brand products. All other registered and unregistered trademarks herein are the sole property of their respective owners. (C) 2009 McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved.

— WebWireID106934 —

Libel proceedings were issued against MGN Limited, the publisher of the People newspaper, following the publication of two articles. The first article, published on 25 May 2008, carried the headline "Chelsea Cheat Michael Essien: I'll Stand by my Love Child". This was followed by another article on 3 May 2009 under the headline "Sex Cheat Star Essien Gets Boot".

The articles claimed that Mr Essien had cheated on his long term partner by having numerous affairs with other women and fathered a child behind his partner's back. As a result, his partner had called off their wedding. These allegations were found to be false and grossly defamatory towards Mr Essien.

The People has accepted that these allegations are untrue, and has paid Mr Essien substantial damages as well as agreeing to pay his legal costs. The People have also undertaken not to repeat the allegations.

In its apology, the People said: "On 25 May 2008 and 3 May 2009 we reported that Michael Essien had cheated on his long term girlfriend Nadia Buari by having numerous affairs behind her back including one in which he fathered a child. On 3 May we reported that as a result of his behaviour Ms Buari called their wedding off. We now accept that these allegations are untrue. We apologise to Mr Essien for any distress or embarrassment caused."

A representative of Schillings who represented Michael Essien said: "There has been a lot of inaccurate reporting concerning Michael and he was not prepared to allow this misreporting to continue."

Schillings also said that, "these allegations were not put to Michael or his representatives prior to publication and had the People done so they would have been informed of their utter falsity."

Caroline McAteer of The Sports PR Company said on behalf of Michael Essien: "Michael is delighted to have won his case and to have set the record straight. He would have preferred not to take action, but had no alternative in this case. Michael is pleased that this matter has now been resolved."

- END -

Notes to Editors:
Case number HQ09X02164

About Schillings:
Schillings is one of Britain's top law firms specialising in reputation management for footballers, their clubs and other sports personalities. They also help protect corporate reputations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. The firm's track-record in defamation, privacy law and copyright cases, as well as commercial dispute resolution is second to none.

Defamation privacy and copyright are at the heart of the firm's work, prompting The Independent newspaper to call Schillings a "spectacularly efficient media law firm."

Schillings clients include the recording artist Madonna, supermodel Naomi Campbell, seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pharmaceuticals maker GlaxoSmithKline, steel maker Arcelor Mittal, the Harrods Group and the London Stock Exchange.

For further enquiries please:
Christopher Mills
Commercial Director
41 Bedford Square
London
WC1B 3HX
+44(0)20 7034 9000
www.schillings.co.uk

— WebWireID106916 —

HR compliance can be time consuming and difficult. HR advice can be expensive and there are few legal firms that specialize in the unique needs of auto, truck, and equipment dealers. Yet non-compliance with state and federal HR regulations all but guarantees costly fines and employment litigation. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that there has been an exponential increase in employment related lawsuits in the last ten years. According to SHRM companies are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees. HotlinkHR™ simplifies the HR compliance process and reduces the risk of litigation through a combination of forced compliance through automation and on demand HR advice.
HotlinkHR ™ includes HR advice by phone, or by an email. The request is routed to one of two of the nation's leading law firms with experience in the auto, truck and equipment dealer market, Fine, Boggs and Perkins LLP, and now Ford & Harrison LLP. Ford & Harrison is a labor and employment law firm with a national practice in all aspects of labor and employment law. More than 200 labor and employment lawyers in 18 offices across the country strive to provide clients with sound legal advice, practical counseling and excellent client service. Chambers USA 2009 ranked Ford & Harrison LLP, as one of the top labor and employment firms nationally.
'We are elated to partner with Ford & Harrison to offer our clients access to one of the foremost labor and employment firms in the country through HotlinkHR™' said Vane Clayton, President and CEO, KPA. 'Having not one but two law firms for on-demand HR advice increases the level of expertise available to clients. Ford & Harrison has more than 25 years of experience working with dealerships and many of the attorneys are members of the National Association of Dealer Counsel.'
Jim Hendricks, a partner with Ford & Harrison LLP in Chicago, and recently named one of the Top 100 Labor Attorneys in the United States for 2009 by the Labor Relations Institute, Inc. adds, 'The HotlinkHR™ system's ability to force HR compliance through automation can significantly reduce the risk of employment related litigation for clients'.
A free recorded webinar on the Essential of Wage and Hour Law for Dealerships presented by Jim Hendricks is available on the KPA website. The webinar is part of KPA's EHS and HR monthly compliance webinar series. To register for any of KPA's webinars go to http://www.kpaonline.com/webinars.

For more information please contact: Kathryn Carlson, Director Product Marketing HotlinkHR, at kcarlson@KPAonline.com or 303-228-8765
About KPA
KPA is the nation's compliance expert on safety, environmental, and human resources management, serving more than 3000 client nationwide since 1986.
For more information please visit the company's website at www.kpaonline.com
About Ford & Harrison
Ford & Harrison is a labor and employment law firm with a national practice in all aspects of labor and employment law. More than 200 labor and employment lawyers in 18 offices across the country strive to provide clients with sound legal advice, practical counseling and excellent client service.
For more information please visit the company's website at www.fordharrison.com
###

— WebWireID106887 —

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is now reviewing details of the 1,990 page House bill, but the early indications are that the legislation is extremely positive on a range of top NAMI concerns.

As the debate over health care reform moves towards its final stages, NAMI will continue to advocate for a bill that meets the needs of individuals and families affected by mental illness NAMI will continue efforts to ensure that expanded health coverage for the uninsured and underinsured integrates equitable benefits for mental illness treatment.

An initial review of the House bill (HR 3962) reveals three key components critical to people living with mental illness:

1. Medicaid expansion for childless adults up to 150% of the federal poverty level (about $16,200 in annual income for individual), including individuals living with serious mental illness who currently do not qualify for Medicaid coverage in their state. These individuals are currently more likely to be uninsured and most likely to be without any health care insurance coverage at all. The House bill would insure access to lifesaving medical care for this vulnerable group.

2. Expanded coverage for the uninsured through the new health insurance "Exchange" would be required to have mental health benefits and cover those benefits at parity. This would expand the 2008 federal parity law into the individual and small group market in many states.

3. New protections for individuals that already have insurance coverage or are at risk of losing coverage. Insurance reforms included in the House bill would ensure that people with mental illness could not be denied health insurance benefits on the basis of a preexisting condition or could not be dropped from existing coverage due to their medical condition.

NAMI is encouraging voters to contact the U.S. House of Representatives and ask their Representative to support the HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care of America Act. Representatives can be reached by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Learn more by reading NAMI's overall principles for health reform or visit www.nami.org/policy/healthreform for more information.

About NAMI:
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a non-partisan organization with 1100 state and local affiliates, dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. Dedication, steadfast commitment and unceasing belief in NAMI's mission by grassroots advocates have produced profound changes.

— WebWireID106810 —

The companies said that the FTC terminated the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and cleared the pending merger. The companies also stated that the Canadian Competition Bureau terminated the waiting period under the Canadian Competition Act and cleared the proposed transaction.

"Clearances from the FTC, the Swiss Competition Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau mark significant steps in the completion of our merger with Schering-Plough,' said Richard T. Clark, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Merck. "As we work with regulators on the remaining approvals necessary for the close, we stand ready to serve patient needs as a new global healthcare leader."

The transaction remains subject to approval from other regulators, including China and Mexico. Merck and Schering-Plough continue to expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2009.

About Merck
Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit www.merck.com.

About Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform to human prescription, animal health and consumer health care products. Schering-Plough's vision is to "Earn Trust, Every Day" with the doctors, patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its colleagues around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site is www.schering-plough.com.

Forward-Looking Statement
This news release includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the proposed merger between Merck and Schering-Plough, including future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck's and Schering-Plough's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the possibility that the expected synergies from the proposed merger of Merck and Schering-Plough will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period, due to, among other things, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and pending legislation that could affect the pharmaceutical industry; the ability to obtain governmental and self-regulatory organization approvals of the merger on the proposed terms and schedule; the failure to obtain the financing required for the merger; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the possibility that the merger does not close, including, but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions; Merck's and Schering-Plough's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck's and Schering-Plough's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the U.S. and internationally and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions. Merck and Schering-Plough undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Schering-Plough's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2009, the proxy statement filed by Merck on June 25, 2009 and each company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

— WebWireID106788 —

"To all the activists, all the organizers, all the people who helped make this day happen, thank you for your years of advocacy and activism, pushing and protesting that made this victory possible," said Obama during the ceremony. "You know, as a nation we've come far on the journey towards a more perfect union. And today, we've taken another step forward. This afternoon, I signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act."

The act, part of a defense spending bill, gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence in instances where the perpetrator has victimized a person based on his or her actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, in addition to race, color, religion, and national origin which are currently covered.

"I think God was smiling and moving with every stroke of the pen as Obama signed this legislation," Caldwell said. "I think passage of this legislation gives the country the opportunity to press the pause button to say enough is enough. No more violence."

Not long after Caldwell became bishop he was asked to preside at Shepard's funeral. Shepard had served as an acolyte in the Wyoming diocese and was a member of the University of Wyoming Canterbury Club, a Christian university group, at the time of his torture and murder in 1998.

Shepard's murder brought international attention to the limitations of U.S. hate crimes statutes at the local, state and federal levels. In 2007, Congress passed bills to reform existing hate crimes law to allow state and local governments more control and accountability over such cases. But the bill, added as an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization Bill, was dropped when former U.S. President George W. Bush said he would veto the defense bill if it included the amendment.

James Byrd, Jr., an African American, was brutally murdered in Jasper, Texas, in 1998, in what was termed a "lynching," by three white men, two of whom received the death penalty and the third was sentenced to life in prison for the crime.

In addition to including sexual and gender identity, the legislation also gives the Justice Department greater oversight of state and local criminal investigations where bias is involved, and makes grants available to fund training, prevention campaigns and to assist in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.

The FBI reported 7,624 single-bias hate crime offenses in 2007. Of those, 51% were race-based. Ranked second and third were those based on religion (18%) and sexual orientation (17%) in its most recent report on hate crimes.

— WebWireID106773 —

Also showing tempering are pricing averages in the county. The detached market's rate of decline has slowed to just 2 percent lower than that of last quarter and the attached market has shown a significant improvement. Mainly due to a marked increase in the average price of luxury high-rise condominiums the attached sector's average price increased 15 percent over last quarter.

ResidentialTrends™ Housing Market Overview reports that the weighted average attached home size increased 5 percent, resulting in a value ratio increase of 10 percent. Weighted average size in the detached sector remained virtually unchanged; however, a slight decrease in the average price resulted in a 2 percent value ratio decline.

Overall total inventory continues to plummet, dropping nearly 20 percent this quarter, the eighth consecutive quarterly drop. There are less than 18 months of total supply in both the attached and detached sectors, with more immediately available supply constituting less than ten months in the attached sector and slightly more than two months in the detached.

MarketPointe™ Realty Advisors, Inc. provides new housing market statistics throughout California via its ResidentialTrends™ new-home database and its LandTracker™ proposed development database, as well as site specific, tailored housing market research and consulting services. Comprehensive 'Housing Market Overviews' providing new home sales, pricing, housing inventory trends, future housing supply, and new and leading developments are available for regions across California by going to www.marketpointe.com/landing. Phone San Diego at 619-233-3781, Orange County at 714-528-2554 or Sacramento at 916-710-1396; url:www.marketpointe.com.

— WebWireID106745 —

Writers and artists will appear. Actors Claudia Schneider and Abigail Ramsay will present live selections from the touring performance of "Words of Choice". Author and theater critic Alexis Greene will talk about her book, "Frontlines: Political Plays by American Women" which includes "WORDS OF CHOICE" and six other plays.

In addition, selections from the "Words of Choice" DVD will be played, and Cindy Cooper, founder and creator of Words of Choice will lead the audience through creativity exercises exploring reproductive freedom at this time.

WORDS OF CHOICE has traveled to 20 states to open new conversations about reproductive freedom. The play and DVD of Words of Choice contain the works of a dozen writers on abortion, contraception, body image, pregnancy, adoption, medical services, the Right-wing and pro-choice activism. The play selections are humorous, poignant and dramatic.

One selection, "Letters to Justice Blackmun" is composed of correspondence from a series of people -- pro and con -- who wrote to the author of the decision in "Roe v. Wade". It was compiled with the help of his daughter, Sally Blackmun. Another selection, "In the Movies," by Penny Lane, who is from Troy, gives quirky reviews of films about unwanted pregnancies, dating back to the 1930s.

In recognition of Hallowe'en, the evening will include a parody performance of "Hallowe'en Hell House" (because what could be scarier than women losing their rights?)

Audiences will be invited to discuss the subjects and to engage in participatory exercises on "What Choice Means to Me". The Troy event is part of the "Words of Choice" initiative, "Artist Investigations of Reproductive Rights," or AIRR, which brings fresh air to the choice movement.

The Sanctuary for Independent Media is a telecommunications production facility dedicated to community media arts, located in an historic former church.

The event will be the first appearance of WORDS OF CHOICE in the Upper Hudson. Earlier in October, Cindy Cooper, founder, was honored with the 2009 NARAL ProChoice America Champion of Choice Award.

EVENT DETAILS:
Frontlines: Words of Choice
at the Sanctuary for Independent Media
3361 6th Avenue
Troy, New York
Cosponsored by Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood

Information:
518-272-2390
or
www.mediasanctuary.org
www.wordsofchoice.org
Related Links

— WebWireID106749 —

ResidentialTrends™ Housing Market Overview reports this quarter's total of 184 overall net sales represents a 63 percent increase over last quarter. Attached sales rose 78 percent to the second highest total in the last three years. The detached sector saw a total of 63 net sales for an increase of 40 percent this quarter.

Weighted average price in the attached sector increased nearly 5 percent this quarter as the average home size gained 1 percent. This resulted in a more than 3 percent increase in the attached value ratio. The detached sector gained 30 percent in its weighted average price while home size increased 18 percent. Mr. Martinez notes that these price and size changes resulted in an 11 percent value ratio increase this quarter.

Overall inventory dropped 7 percent this quarter to 1,198 total units according to the Housing Market Overview. Attached inventory decreased 7 percent to 800 units and detached units fell to 398, a nearly 7 percent drop. The bulk of attached inventory sits in unreleased future phases of existing developments leaving 104 unsold units available. Nearly 87 percent of detached inventory remains in unreleased future phases of existing developments, with homes that have been offered to the marketplace yet remain unsold accounting for just 52. The result is that there are slightly more than four months of available attached inventory and just over three months of detached.

MarketPointe™ Realty Advisors, Inc. provides new housing market statistics throughout California via its ResidentialTrends™ new-home database and its LandTracker™ proposed development database, as well as site specific, tailored housing market research and consulting services. Comprehensive 'Housing Market Overviews' providing new home sales, pricing, housing inventory trends, future housing supply, and new and leading developments are available for regions across California by going to www.marketpointe.com/landing. Phone San Diego at 619-233-3781, Orange County at 714-528-2554 or Sacramento at 916-710-1396; url:www.marketpointe.com.

— WebWireID106709 —

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Buenos Aires: +54 11 4730 0729
Paris: +33-647 880 555
email: latinamerica(at)outnowconsulting.com
www.OutNowConsulting.com

— WebWireID106655 —

NEW YORK – A federal appeals court today announced that it will hear the government's appeal of an earlier ruling that allowed an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit to go forward against a Boeing subsidiary, Jeppesen DataPlan Inc., for its role in the Bush administration's unlawful "extraordinary rendition" program. The government claims that allowing the case to be heard would endanger national security.

In April, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court dismissal of the lawsuit, brought on behalf of five men who were kidnapped, forcibly disappeared and secretly transferred to U.S.-run prisons or foreign intelligence agencies overseas where they were interrogated under torture. The lawsuit charged that Jeppesen knowingly participated by providing critical flight planning and logistical support services to aircraft and crews used by the CIA to forcibly disappear these men to detention and interrogation. The Bush administration had intervened, improperly asserting the "state secrets" privilege to have the case thrown out. The appeals court ruled, as the ACLU has argued, that the government must invoke the "state secrets" privilege with respect to specific evidence, not to dismiss the entire suit. The Obama administration's appeal of that decision will be heard by an "en banc" panel of 11 judges.

The following can be attributed to Ben Wizner, staff attorney with the ACLU National Security Project:

"We are disappointed by the court's decision to re-hear this case, but we hope and expect that the court's historic decision to allow the lawsuit to go forward will stand. The CIA's rendition and torture program simply is not a 'state secret.' In fact, since the court's decision in April, the government's sweeping secrecy claims have only gotten weaker, with the declassification of additional documents describing the CIA's detention and interrogation practices. The Obama administration's embrace of overbroad secrecy claims has denied torture victims their day in court and shielded perpetrators from liability or accountability. We hope that the court will reaffirm the principle that victims of torture deserve a remedy, and that no one is above the law."

— WebWireID106608 —

"After many years of experience with Costa Rican law I have come to the conclusion that anyone contemplating relocating or having a romantic relationship here needs the assistance of a licensed Costa Rican attorney from the start." Gear went on to explain: "horror story after horror story have been related to me by clients who tried to do things the way they are done in the United States, only to lose everything that they have invested. "

Gear went on to say that "no one wants to experience financial or emotional hardship, but the aftermath of entering into any type of relationship, whether business or personal can have severe consequences." As documented in several well publicized cases, the opportunity to commit fraud here is easier than in the United States. This is primarily due to the lack of administrative oversight boards that regulate professions such as real estate agents and mortgage brokers. There are no licensing requirements to do either and if one falls victim to a scam it will take a long time and a lot of money to try and recover what has been lost. In some cases all is lost with no hope of recovery.

"One thing Americans lose sight of when coming to this beautiful country is that they are no longer in the United States", Gear said. He pointed out that as Americans we expect people who come to our country to obey and respect our laws and the Costa Ricans are no less passionate about their laws being obeyed and followed. He said that the last thing Costa Ricans want to hear is "in my country this is how we do things". Gear said: "One of the most frustrating experiences in Costa Rica is the amount of time and money it takes to accomplish anything judicially." It is well known that the judicial process in Costa Rica is complicated and requires time, patience and money to traverse.

Gear added: "personal relationships present another set of problems". As in the United States, there are laws here designed to protect the rights and interests of Costa Ricans. More specifically, Costa Rican women. He related that American men who are disenfranchised with American women who come here seeking a romantic relationship, will in many cases, fair far worse in Costa Rica than in the United States. The reason for this is due to the laws of Costa Rica that allow Costa Rican women to do things that are not permitted in the United States. He cited the differences in practices at hospitals when a Costa Rican woman has a baby. In the United States both parents are required to give information as to paternity. If there is any question concerning paternity a pre-birth DNA exam can be done without much difficulty. In Costa Rica this is not the case. While in the hospital the mother is asked who is the father and she can give any name she wants. It makes no difference who she says, that is the name that will appear on the birth certificate. The man in question is never contacted or asked if he fathered the child. The law in Costa Rica will require support for that child and will not permit the father whose name appears on the birth certificate to leave the country without first posting support equivalent to 13 months of support. According to Gear it can take up to 2 years to unravel this problem and the chances of recovering the 'support' is somewhere between "nil and nonexistent. "

Another problem is the aftermath of a marriage that has wound up in divorce in the United States. If the proper steps have not been taken in Costa Rica prior to the marriage protecting assets prior to the marriage, an American man may find himself in jeopardy of losing everything, even if he has a prenuptial agreement. A Costa Rican National can return to their country and bring an action against their spouse obtain a judgment and have it executed in the United States. For this reason Gear recommends that prior to a marriage take the time to speak with a Costa Rican Attorney and learn what can be done to protect your rights and interests.

Gear said that anyone seeking information can contact him for further information through his website (www.codylgearandassociates.com) or can call him at 321-218-9209.

— WebWireID106556 —