The US federal courts have embraced various interpretations of patent law as it applies to business methods over the years. With In re Bilski, heard 8 May, the court again took up the issue, and its ruling will have a major impact on patent law, writes Greg Reilly of Morrison & Foerster. 21 Aug 2008
Bolstered by a well-balanced and well-protected suite of compelling brands across the pricing spectrum and broader and stronger global distribution networks in developed and developing markets, Distell has once again shown its resilience to a global contraction in spending to report solid revenue and earnings growth for the year to 30 June 2008. 20 Aug 2008
Southern Africa's premier grassroots awards programme, the Jet Community Awards, has honoured four outstanding community-based organisations from Gauteng and North West in the first leg of the awards regional winner announcements. 20 Aug 2008
Adopting a customer-centric approach can be a winning business model in tough economic times. 20 Aug 2008
A 1950m2 unique Pick n Pay concept store will anchor the R280 million Morningside Shopping Centre redevelopment in Sandton, which is set to open in June 2009. 20 Aug 2008
Several incidents of iPod nanos bursting into flames have created consumer jitters in gadget-happy Japan. Apple is downplaying the problem, pointing out that no major injuries or damage have been reported. The problem is due to defective batteries, the company said, and only a tiny percentage of the devices have caught on fire. 20 Aug 2008
In my last Metrics Insider column, I wrote about the question of how advertising works. The column generated some great comments, and I got some very thoughtful responses via email. This week, I want to revisit the topic, and perhaps amplify a few points. 20 Aug 2008
Do loyal customers translate into steady sales or profits? Intuitively, the answer should be yes - and indeed, customer loyalty is a significant metric by which companies rate their performance. However, there a few problems with the concept of customer loyalty and a corporate strategy to develop it, according to Esteban Kolsky, practice leader with eVergence. 20 Aug 2008
Year-end results from several retailers this week will reflect tough trading conditions although there might be surprises on the upside, analysts say. 19 Aug 2008
How economically viable are the outlying regions of Richard's Bay and Empangeni in Zululand? The Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB) commissioned Freshly Ground Insights (FGI) to take a look at grocery shoppers in Zululand's eSikhawini, Ngwelezane, Nseleni and Macekane and found that they all travel to the centres to shop - most often to Sanlam Centre in Empangeni. The study also found that Spar is the number one grocery store for these shoppers. 19 Aug 2008
The Tshwane Street Furniture Consortium, comprising Primedia Outdoor and Street Pole Ads, has inked a R69-million, ten-year contract with the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to provide new directional street name signs. 19 Aug 2008
Mango airlines and fuel giant Total are teaming up to give away petrol in a South African aviation first. In a gesture to ease some of the pressure consumers feel when filling up their cars, the airline will, until 15 September 2008, provide each guest travelling on any of its routes with a R20 fuel voucher redeemable at any Total service station nationally. A return flight will secure R40 in fuel vouchers. 19 Aug 2008
African Bank Investments Ltd (Abil) says the reconfiguration of its Ellerines furniture business, including its financial services activities, is proceeding within expected timeframes and it remains confident of its ability to deliver value to customers and shareholders. 19 Aug 2008
Funds donated to the Western Cape Raptor Research Progamme (WCRRP) from the Eagle Crest/Aquila Game Reserve Conservation Fund, a joint venture between Swartland winery and Aquila Game Reserve, are proving their worth. 19 Aug 2008
The dance between two of the biggest players in the video games sector continues, and it's taking on a new tone. 19 Aug 2008
After losing the high-definition DVD format war to Sony's Blu-ray, Toshiba is digging in around the standard definition DVD market. The company has launched a new upscaling DVD player, the XD-E500, which promises to bring standard DVD quality closer to high-definition (HD) than ever before. 19 Aug 2008
According to a leading US-based research company, Market Data Retrieval (MDR), which carries out research into direct sales and marketing solutions, educators in the US are a market that sales executives should target. 19 Aug 2008
The new wool season kicks off on Wednesday when close on 12 000 bales will be offered at auction in Port Elizabeth, Cape Wools announced today, Monday 18 August 2008. 18 Aug 2008
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states officially launched a Free Trade Area (FTA) for the region at the weekend, ushering in a new era of economic integration. 18 Aug 2008
Moir's is adding a hot new offering to its existing range of desserts and baking goods: Volcano Desserts. 18 Aug 2008
