Bo Lings

Most people have heard of the $8,000 first time home buyers tax credit, which is great! If you are a first time home buyer that is… Or if you’ve not owned a home in at least 3 years you can take advantage of the tax credit… but what about those of us who do own a home? Why isn’t there any help for us? Well actually there is! Did you know that there are a number of great tax credits available right now? Things such as you can get a $1,500 tax credit for making your home more energy efficient (replacing that old furnace, re-insulating your house, getting new windows, etc.) and what about the Read the rest of this entry »

This is a sponsored guest post written by a Press Release on behalf of PBM Products. Post powered by Sponzai.

GORDONSVILLE, VA., December  2 , 2009—PBM Products, LLC, a leading infant formula company that supplies store-brand infant formulas to Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Kroger, Walgreens, and other retailers, has received a favorable jury verdict and a $13.5 million damages award in its false advertising lawsuit against Mead Johnson & Co., the operating subsidiary of   Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (NYSE: MJN) (“Mead Johnson”), the makers of the national-brand Enfamil® LIPIL® Infant Formula.  Mead Johnson is 83 percent-owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

PBM’s lawsuit claimed that Mead Johnson engaged in false and misleading campaigns against PBM’s competing store-brand of infant formulas, suggesting they do not provide the same nutrition as Mead Johnson’s brands.  PBM’s store-brand infant formulas cost up to 50 percent less than Enfamil® LIPIL®.  The $13.5 million in damages awarded by the jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of the largest damages awards ever for a false advertising case.

“This decision by a jury of the people confirms that Mead Johnson’s ads have been false in suggesting that there is a nutritional difference between our store-brand formula products and their products, when in fact the only major difference is price,” said PBM CEO Paul B. Manning.  “Despite Mead Johnson’s scare tactics, parents are assured that PBM’s formula products are as high quality and nutritious as Mead Johnson’s.”

U.S. District Court Judge James R. Spencer issued his written rulings yesterday following the November 10^th jury verdict. Judge Spencer’s written rulings permanently enjoined Mead Johnson from making any false statements concerning PBM’s infant formula, including the claims Mead Johnson previously made in Enfamil advertising that "It may be tempting to try a less expensive store brand, but only Enfamil LIPIL is clinically proven to improve brain and eye development," and "there are plenty of other ways to save on baby expenses without cutting back on nutrition."  The Court also ordered Mead Johnson to retrieve from the public domain all advertising or promotional materials containing these or any other false claims about PBM’s store brand infant formula.  

The details of the decision and the complaint are posted online in full at:

·      http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/Order_Laches.pdf

·      http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/PBM_Complaint_MJ_III_LIPIL.pdf

The nutritional supplements under examination in the case are two fats, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid), which Mead Johnson calls “LIPIL®” solely for marketing purposes and touts as promoting infant brain and eye development. PBM’s claim focused on Mead Johnson’s direct mailing to more than 1.6 million parents of an alarming blurry picture of a child’s cartoon duck next to a clear picture of the same image which suggested that anything other than the Enfamil LIPIL® blend of ingredients is inferior and will result in poor eye and brain development.  Other parts of the false advertising campaign consist of statements that only Enfamil LIPIL has been proven to confer visual and mental benefits on infants, and store-brand formulas are a “cut-back in nutrition” compared to Enfamil. 

PBM successfully argued that these advertisements were false and misleading especially since PBM store- brand infant formulas have the same nutrients at the same levels as Enfamil.  PBM infant formulas are formulated to contain DHA and ARA, and are sourced from the same supplier in amounts which equal or exceed the DHA and ARA in Mead Johnson’s Enfamil LIPIL®. 

This decision marks the third time PBM Products has sued Mead Johnson for false advertising claims. On the prior occasions Mead Johnson admitted that it made false claims about PBM’s products.  It is also the first false advertising case to focus on the issue of DHA and ARA nutritional ingredients in formula, which were introduced into the market in 2003 and have become a staple in recent years by many brands as key components for infant development.

“This jury verdict should send a significant and clear message to Mead Johnson about the way it conducts marketing and advertising for its brands,” said Manning.  “This lawsuit also demonstrates our complete commitment to defending our products and the valuable brands of our retail partners.”

“As a parent and supporter of children’s medical research, I take a personal responsibility in assuring our customers that the products we produce are healthy and nutritionally equivalent to brand names like Enfamil® LIPIL®.  It is important, especially now, for parents to know that there are lower priced yet highly nutritious store-brand formulas that will provide the same benefit to their children as any national brand name formula product,” Manning added.   

The U.S. infant formula market is estimated at $3.4 billion and the global market is estimated at $7.9 billion.

All of PBM’s formulas, and for that matter all of U.S. infant formulas, are subject to the exacting standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pursuant to the Infant Formula Act of 1980.  This legislation vested FDA with the authority to ensure that all infant formula products sold in the United States provide the necessary levels of identified nutrients required for the growth of healthy babies. For more information, visit this FDA link.

PBM Products was represented by the law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP.  Partners from the firm’s advertising practice, Harold P. Weinberger and Jonathan M. Wagner in New York, led the team.  

About PBM

PBM is privately owned and based in Gordonsville, VA.  PBM companies specialize in manufacturing, distributing, and marketing consumer food, nutritional, and pharmaceutical products. For more information, visit www.pbmproducts.com.

Enfamil® LIPIL® are registered trademarks of Mead Johnson & Co.

This is a sponsored guest post written by John Phillip on behalf of Elite Telecom. Post powered by Sponzai.

Southern Eagle Insurance, a workman compensations service for businesses in Florida, has implemented an Avaya phone system in order to make services more efficient. Due to the nature of the business that Southern Eagle Insurance run, a missed call or message can have a disastrous effect on claims that are time-sensitive. Avaya has implemented an IP Office 500 phone system which has all the hall marks of an Avaya system. Features such as voicemail, auto-attendant and call routing can make life a whole lot easier for Southern Eagle Insurance.

This is a sponsored guest post written by Cody Sortore on behalf of Petitions For Change. Post powered by Sponzai.

We are living in a time of change, will your voice be heard? We’ve just come out of a recession with some of the lowest employment ratings since the early 80’s company’s are restructuring, banks are rethinking their strategies, and governments are pushing for change in every direction. Will you have a say in the change that is to come? Stand up and let the world hear what you have to say with a free online petition. Gather support for your cause and create the change that so desperately needs to be seen in this world.

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With PetitionsForChange.com you can create a petition and collect signatures that will allow you to know exact who is for, and who is against your cause. Unlike some other petition websites Petitions For Change allows people to sign a petition in opposition. You can also link back to a page about your cause to help inform those who may be on the fence about the issue in greater detail.

First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States states: "Congress shall make no law…abridging…the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

It is because of this Amendment to the Constitution that all Americans have the right to petition against injustice, it is because of PetitionsForChange.com that all around the world you may share in this freedom! Take a stand today on whatever you are passionate about, and be heard with a free online petition. It’s very easy to get the word out about your cause, just visit PetitionsForChange.com and take a stand against any and all afflictions of this world. Stand up and be counted today before tomorrow passes you by.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous gift this Holiday season that keeps on ticking for years to come check out a seiko diamond watch from BlueDial.com! BlueDial.com has the most unbeatable prices when it comes to high quality watches, and they are certified genuine… unlike some other watch companies online that sell cheap knock offs and try to rip you off by tricking you into thinking that it is a genuine product. Blue Dial is the perfect place for your holiday shopping with beautiful Seiko Diamond Watches you can choose from many styles both men and ladies watches are available. Below you can see my favorite Seiko Diamond Watch that I’ve been keeping my eye on for my wife!

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Are you guys familiar with the Murphy bed wall bed? If not it’s a great invention that allows you to basically fold your bed up into the wall… thus saving space for cramped apartments, small homes, etc. Well someone else has perfected the Murphy Bed. If you need to save on space but don’t have the cash to throw away for a Murphy Bed check out SlideAwayBed.com it is a similar concept as the Murphy bed, but can cost hundreds less for the installation (and they are less invasive on your home or apartment)! Here’s the awesome part to me… assembly time is generally between 3 to 4 hours! It may take that long to assemble a normal bed (depending upon how mechanically inclined you are).