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Ally Financial entered 2020 with big plans to continue fueling its five-year sponsorship deal with Hendrick Motorsports and its Nascar star, Jimmie Johnson. The pact, which began last year, has given Ally closer access to racing fans. In- person events have included carting Johnson around to surprise fans camping out during race weekends and hosting bourbon tastings while giving out cupcakes decorated with an image of the driver’s face—at which consumer data is collected to use for marketing purposes.
But then the coronavirus hit, forcing Nascar into a two-month pause before restarting racing without fans on May 17. “All of that stuff is just gone—all the trackside stuff that we normally do is just stuff we are not able to do,” says Ally Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer Andrea Brimmer.
Ally is among countless brands whose sponsorship plans have been upended by the pandemic, which has forced the cancellations, suspension or significant alteration of just about every major music or sporting event across the globe.
Global spending on sports sponsorship rights fees will fall from $46.1 billion in 2019 to $28.9 billion in 2020, according to projections from Two Circles, a sports agency that provides data management and analytics to more than 300 clients, including the National Football League, Wimbledon and Premier League. “The COVID-19 pandemic has seen most new sponsorship agreements put on hold, and many existing agreements will be ended as a result of companies implementing major cost-cutting measures or going out of business,” Two Circles reports, adding that sponsors will “given ‘make good’ sponsorship collateral and cash rebates due to the postponement and cancellation of live sport, significantly reducing their financial outlay in 2020.”
|Sector||2018||2019||2020 (projected)||% decrease (year-on-year, projected)|
But getting out of deals is not as easy as it sounds. So-called force majeure clauses in contracts—which allow brands or rights-holders to exit deals in the wake of unforeseeable events—are in some cases not ironclad enough to provide an escape hatch for something as unprecedented as the coronavirus, according to sponsorship experts. It often depends on the specific language in the contract—like, for instance, if a pandemic is referenced—and the jurisdiction, should a case go to litigation, says Linda Goldstein, an advertising lawyer and partner at BakerHostetler. “Different courts take different approaches to the enforceability of force majeure clauses,” she says.
For events that were canceled, such as South by Southwest, “I would imagine that in most of these cases there is a negotiation happening of rolling your sponsorship dollars over to the following year,” says Goldstein. But things get complicated for sporting events that might eventually proceed, but without fans for the foreseeable future—which is the most likely scenario for major pro sports.
Nascar’s revised schedule does not allow fans through at least June 21. The PGA Tour will get back to action on June 8, but at least the first four tournaments are closed to the general public. The National Basketball Association, which indefinitely suspended its season on March 11, has been mulling restarting but playing all games in just two cities, Orlando and Las Vegas, according to multiple reports. Major League Baseball has proposed starting an 82-game season in July that would begin without fans. The National Football League has announced its full schedule of games starting in September, but plenty of unknowns persist on how that might happen.
No fans means no beer, soda or food sales, and branded seating areas—including the “Budweiser Terrace” at Busch Stadium in St. Louis—are essentially worthless. “If I am the brand I am going to argue I contracted for a live event with ‘x’ thousands of anticipated people and that is not what you delivered,” Goldstein says. But other parts of a sponsorship, like access to TV highlights or the use of trademarked team logos, would presumably retain value if games are played in empty arenas and stadiums.
But with so many unknowns, finding the right sponsorship price is proving tougher than hitting a 100 mph fastball. COVID-19 has put more than 120,000 active sponsorships in limbo in the U.S., forcing more than 5,000 brands to figure out how to recoup lost value, according to sponsorship consultancy IEG. And an industry survey conducted by IEG suggests brands and properties are not seeing eye-to-eye on how to get there. It found 64 percent of properties—which refers to the teams, leagues or music event owners selling the sponsorships—believed they could make up all lost exposure, while only 45 percent of sponsors took that view. Further, only 11 percent of properties expected prorated agreements and refunds, while 31 percent of sponsors expect to receive them. Still, about one-fifth of each group agreed that the lengths of sponsorship agreements would be extended.
Brian Gordon, CEO of Engine Shop, the marketing agency that owns IEG, is advising clients to have candid conversations and recognize that “this isn’t about a quick make-good.” Properties are going to have to work a lot harder to maintain the current levels of investment and are at risk of losing significant sponsorship dollars if they can’t figure out new ways to help brands engage with their property and their community, says Gordon. And clients are frustrated to have dollars tied up in sponsorships that aren’t activating right now, and can’t move that money to another medium, he says.
Molly Arbogast, president and CEO of POV Sports Marketing, an agency that represents brands in sponsorship deals, says “some teams are coming forward and saying ‘We need to give your money back’” because they are not able to provide benefits spelled out in contracts. “I think teams and leagues are doing the right thing now [but] whether or not that continues in four months remains to be seen.”
An executive at a marketer with major sponsorship spending told Ad Age that the company has been able to get refunds from NBA and National Hockey League teams it sponsors by simply pro-rating the portion of home games that likely won’t be played and getting that money back. But this person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, says that for the NFL, “everybody is just kind of waiting to see what happens,” adding, “I don’t think they want to go out and have this tough conversion with partners proactively.” An NFL spokesman said: “We are having conversations with our partners. We are preparing to play the 2020 NFL season as scheduled and with increased protocols and safety measures for all players, personnel and attendees.” But he added that “we will be prepared to make adjustments as necessary.”
Virtual solutions fill the void
Amid the uncertainty, properties are trying to appease sponsors with stopgap virtual solutions. Nascar during its shutdown launched an iRacing series that had drivers racing virtually using simulation equipment. Fox Sports broadcast the races on TV. Ally gained awareness by outfitting Johnson in branded gear. It also arranged Zoom calls with the driver for fans who were randomly selected from the marketer’s social media channels. When Nascar started live racing again, Ally organized virtual Zoom meet-and-greets with Johnson.
“Nothing matches the experience of tens of thousands of people at a track,” Brimmer says. But with Nascar “being the first sport to go back live, I think they are going to pick up a lot of casual fans...and I think that is going to be a net-new add for us.” She says Ally has not pressed to get refunds from its sponsors, including Nascar, because “our feeling is it’s just not a good thing to do as a long-term partner.”
The NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers have also offered sponsors virtual solutions. Firstrust Bank has put its name on a virtual town hall that gives season ticket holders a chance to have questions answered by the team’s General Manager Elton Brand and head coach Brett Brown.
Music festival promoters have been especially aggressive with virtual activities, as they try to salvage deals with sponsors of events that have either already been canceled or are in serious limbo. There was an immediate flurry of activity with online concerts, live Instagram interviews and other at-home events, often with fundraising elements, as brands and promoters tried to stay in touch with fans and show support during the early days of the crisis. Massive ad spender Procter & Gamble has backed several virtual events, including Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home; Twitch Stream Aid; Fox/iHeart Living Room Concert for America; BET’s Saving Our Selves; and Altisimo Live.
Organizers of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival postponed the event from April to October—and on the day it was originally supposed to be held released an online documentary about the history of the desert fest. Cupcake Vineyards, the festival’s wine sponsor, seized on what became known as “Couchella” by running paid and organic media to both promote the livestream, while touting Cupcake cocktail recipes for watch parties. L’Oréal USA’s NYX Professional Makeup, the official makeup partner of Coachella, moved quickly to set up its own virtual music festival via its Instagram account that was dubbed #EpicTogether Virtual Music Festival. It included livestream performances by Jessie Reyez, Kim Petras and Princess Nokia, while helping to market the brand’s new Epic Wear Liquid Liners.
Drive-in concerts and contactless food sponsors
Claudia Cahill, chief content officer, Omnicom Media Group, who handles branded entertainment deals for clients ranging from McDonald’s to Pepsi, says event promoters are offering virtual integrations as a “short-term fix” as a way to hold onto some of the brand money “until some of these events come back.” But, she adds, “there is not going to be any more normal. It’s not like somebody is going to flip a switch and we are all going to go back to concerts.” She envisions a hybrid of smaller versions of live events, plus online offerings. Younger generations enjoy the “up-close and virtual nature of being close to these artists. They are in their home environment, you are getting to see them strip down in a way that a lot of these millennials respond well to because it’s very real.”
Among those preparing for the new normal is Live Nation, whose portfolio includes Bonnaroo, the camping music festival in Tennessee that was delayed from June to September; Governors Ball, a music festival in New York that was supposed to be held in June and was canceled for 2020; and Lollapalooza, a multi-day music festival in Chicago which as of late May was still scheduled for July 30-Aug. 2. A Live Nation representative says it has granted refunds to a limited number of brand partners at their request for events that were canceled or postponed. Overwhelmingly, though, brands have shown interest in coming back when events return, according to the rep.
“As things start opening up a bit, what does a live experience mean in a world of social distancing?” Russell Wallach, president for Live Nation’s media and sponsorship division, asks rhetorically in an interview. The company, which owns more than 200 venues globally, is exploring events like drive-in concerts and camping events—“based on what’s permissible by the local municipality,” says Wallach. It has already held drive-in shows in Denmark. “I have 15-plus brands that want to move forward with some type of ... drive-in concert, tailgate, [or] camping experience,” he says.
Possible brand integrations include sponsoring contactless food and drink deliveries to people’s cars, or providing things such as hand sanitizer, says Wallach. There would also be opportunities to livestream such events, giving brands another way to participate and reach the fans who are watching from home. “We’ll be able to find ways for brands to integrate into these experiences as we develop them,” he says.
But for now, promoters are focusing on satisfying sponsors with virtual events. Consider the Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC, a major electronic dance music festival that was originally slated for May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Insomniac, a partner of Live Nation that produces the event, held a virtual Rave-A-Thon to fill the void that was left in the spring, and also to raise funds for Rave Recovery, a relief fund created for dance music fans impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Adobe, which sponsors EDC, gave people access to the festival’s visual assets to create digital posters, which could serve as invitations to the livestream, says Monte Lutz, Adobe’s global VP of marketing and digital media. Then, Adobe selected one of those posters as a winner. The artist, Amelia Kohr, gets VIP access for four people, including travel and tickets, when the show returns to Las Vegas in the coming year, and a 12-month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud. Her poster’s slogan summed up the situation: “Rave together. Even when apart.”


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Whataburger, the iconic fast-food chain that began as a roadside stand in Corpus Christi, Texas, has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 1,000th restaurant. This achievement will be celebrated at two locations – one in Atlanta, Georgia, and the other in Yukon, Oklahoma – both scheduled to open on Tuesday, January 16.
To mark this historic moment, Whataburger is offering exciting rewards and prizes for its guests. The first two guests at each location will receive Whataburger-for-a-Year, while the first 100 guests will be given branded merchandise.
Expressing gratitude to loyal customers and dedicated staff, Whataburger President and CEO Ed Nelson credited their unwavering support for the brand’s enduring success. He also acknowledged the role of franchise partners in the company’s remarkable growth.
The Yukon location, owned by Vibe Restaurants, marks their second in Oklahoma and is a symbolic recognition of all franchise partners contributing to the brand’s expansion. The 1,000th restaurant milestone will not only celebrate success but also give back to communities.
Whataburger is donating $100,000 to local food banks through the Whataburger Feeding Student Success program. Ten $10,000 donations will be made to food banks across Whataburger’s 14-state footprint, including locations in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas.
The Atlanta and Yukon restaurants will initially offer 24/7 drive-thru service, with dining room service to follow in the coming weeks. Both locations plan to expand services to include mobile ordering, curbside pickup, and delivery in the following weeks.
Whataburger’s 1,000th restaurant represents a significant achievement in its more than seven decades of existence, and the brand looks ahead to the future with planned expansions in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Greenville, South Carolina.

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announced that its board approved several moves designed to make shareholders smile, including
spinning off its automotive components and systems unit
, whereby Ford will distribute its 100% interest in Visteon to Ford common and Class B shareholders. Shareholders will receive a distribution of Visteon stock based on the number of Ford shares they own and the total number of Ford shares outstanding on the distribution record date. Ford said Visteon generates $19 billion in annual revenue.
Ford's board also approved a plan under which Ford stockholders will exchange their current Ford common and Class B shares for new Ford common and Class B shares, and shareholders will have the right to receive either $20 in cash per share or new Ford shares of equivalent value. Ford said the total cash distribution will be limited to $10 billion.
was beaming after it
posted third-quarter earnings of 26 cents a share, topping the 20-analyst estimate of 23 cents and the year-ago report of an 18-cent profit. CEO Scott McNealy attributed the strong results to a boost in market share after cruising through Y2K woes to see an rise in business during its second quarter.
During the quarter, Sun saw revenue shoot up 35% to hit $4 billion. According to CFO Michael Lehman, the company holds more than $5 billion in cash and securities.
raised its earnings estimate for fiscal 2000 on Sun to 96 cents from 91 cents, and
upgraded shares of Sun.
reported first-quarter earnings of 41 cents a share, in line with the 22-analyst estimate and up from the year-ago 31-cent profit. The PC seller said that a 27% increase sales in its consumer computer unit made up for a slowdown in its business division, which suffered a 19% loss in sales.
According to CFO John Todd, the business division's sales have shown progress every month since its January low. Todd told investors that he sees a seasonal drop in sales during the second quarter but assured that the Gateway is on track to post second-quarter earnings in line with the 21-analyst estimate of 36 cents a share and the fiscal 2000 22-analyst estimate of $1.83 a share.
upgraded Gateway to intermediate-term accumulate from intermediate-term neutral and maintained its long-term accumulate rating on the computer maker.
, the world's largest car rental company, reported first-quarter earnings of 52 cents a share, 4 cents ahead of the nine-analyst estimate and up from the year-ago 45 cents. Hertz's revenue for the quarter totaled $1.135 billion in the first quarter, a jump of 9.9% from the year-ago $1.033 billion.
Mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures
business enterprise is buying Britain's
Serck Heat Transfer
for an undisclosed amount. Serck is a supplier of heat transfer equipment for cooling engines, transmissions, turbines, compressors and processes in the marine, power generation, construction and automotive industries. Lehman Brothers raised Honeywell's 12-month price target to 100 from 80.
, a playground equipment maker, is being bought out by an investment group for $10.10 a share in cash.
Earnings/revenue reports and previews
Earnings estimates from First Call/Thomson Financial; earnings reported on a diluted basis unless otherwise specified.
Boise Cascade Office Products
posted first-quarter earnings of 31 cents, two cents shy of the two-analyst estimate of 33 cents.
Hudson United Bancorp
reported first-quarter earnings of 58 cents a share, below the single-analyst estimate of 60 cents but up from the year-ago 53 cents a share.
posted earnings of 53 cents a share, below the 20-analyst estimate of 50 cents and in line with the year-ago earnings.
, the newspaper and media giant that is buying
, posted first-quarter earnings, excluding items, of 32 cents a share, in line with the 10-analyst estimate and up from the year-ago 27 cents.
Offerings and stock actions
, citing poor market conditions, has withdrawn a planned common share offering.
said an offering of 3.8 million shares was priced at $14 each.
said it priced a 2-million share offering at $10 a share.
: UP to strong buy from buy at
: NEW strong buy at
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
acknowledged that some of its Internet software carried a secret password that could be used to gain unlawful access to hundreds of thousands of Internet sites worldwide,
The Wall Street Journal
reported. The password is a "phrase deriding their rivals at Netscape as 'weenies,'" according to the story. A Microsoft security manager said the backdoor password goes against its policy and said it is a firing offense for the as-yet unidentified employees.
The Heard on the Street column in the
Salomon Smith Barney
analyst Colin Devine, who took heat for his downgrade of insurance company
in early 1999, including flak from the Conseco chairman himself. Since the downgrade, Conseco has plunged 77% and Devine no longer has to justify his call. The story says his predicament is a reminder of the challenges analysts face when it comes to making unfavorable calls on companies they cover. Salomon is a unit of
In the Inside Wall Street column in
, penned as usual by Gene Marcial, the columnist offers up bullish stories on
Level 8 Systems
, a provider of e-commerce business-integration software, and
, the largest U.S. recreational boat dealer. Marcial, in the MarineMax story, cites Annie Erner of Salomon Smith Barney as saying that the shares are "significantly undervalued." Also, Marcial positively highlights
, a maker of printed-circuit memory products.
For analysis of the market's preopen tone and trends, see the Wake-Up Call, published separately.


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Apple is reportedly taking a slow and steady approach when it comes to marketing its new TV subscription service, according to advertising insights from the New York Times.
The NYT has gathered together figures from television and online advertising to show how much Apple has been spending on promoting its new Apple TV+ originals so far, and it’s less than you might have expected, considering Apple has spent billions creating its original content.
Compared with Disney+, which has seen millions of dollars of advertising across every possible medium, Apple has spent twice as much advertising the new iPhone 11 range than it has Apple TV+, despite the service launching on November 1 with little fanfare.
Indeed, in September, Apple spent approximately $28.6 million on television ads for the iPhone 11 range.
In comparison, just $14.9 million was spent teasing Apple TV+.
Naturally, those figures increased in October as Apple drew closer to launching its new platform on November 1, but the proportions remained similar.
In October, $19.9 million was spent on advertising Apple TV+ on televisions, compared with $38.6 million for iPhone ads.
Online advertising was slightly different, with Apple spending around $3.8 million to promote Apple TV+ on social media and sites like YouTube in September.
The Cupertino firm spent $2.4 million on iPhone ads in the same month, despite releasing the iPhone 11 that month.
In October, Apple spent $2.3 million on iPhone ads and just $1.7 million on Apple TV+ ads.
According to Dan Rayburn from Frost & Sullivan, “consumers are just drowning in content right now, and all of these services are competing for our time.
“But they’re all approaching the market differently. This isn’t some race for Apple. It’s a slow roll.”
Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities spoke to the New York Times, too, and said that Apple has been unusually “aggressive.”
“This is a pivotal juncture for Apple to be successful,” he said in his interview
“They cannot trip over their shoelace. They were late to the game, they’ve underinvested in content, and they have a lot of room to make up.”
Are you watching Apple TV+? Has the company has done enough to promote its new service? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter via @AppleMagazine and check back for more.


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Avengers Campus Opening July 18, 2020 at Disney California Adventure
Disney today announced that the highly anticipated Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure will open on July 18, 2020. In addition, the park announced the name and new details about the new area’s flagship attraction.
The Avengers Campus will invite Disney California Adventure guests to “team up with the Avengers and their allies in a fully immersive land at Disney California Adventure park.” The area will include several locations hosted by a different Avenger.
The superheroes will share their powers, technology and knowledge with guests, who are acting as “recruits.”
New details were released about the land’s flagship attraction as well as dining and other entertainment offerings:
WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Inside the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (WEB for short) is Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, Disney’s first ride-through attraction to feature Spider-Man.
The indoor ride will feature a “seamless blend” of 3D and physical sets. Guests will have the opportunity to experience their own superpowers and sling webs with Spider-Man.
Spider-Man actor Tom Holland is reprising his role for the Web Slingers attraction:
WEB is all about how bright young innovators like Peter Parker are inventing new technologies that let all of us become Super Heroes. Being able to authentically represent Peter’s character was a critical element to our story, and thanks to our Studio partners, I’m excited to share that Tom Holland will reprise his role as part of this attraction experience.
Shopping at Avengers Campus
Near Web Slingers, the Web Suppliers store will offer guests the chance to find the latest WEB inventions such as Spider-Bots, which are featured in the ride itself.
Guests will be able to customize their Spider-Bots:
Each Spider-Bot has a remote control, and all eight articulated legs move forward and backward. Best of all, you can tap into your inner WEB inventor by customizing your Spider-Bot with tactical upgrades to harness the powers and styles of favorite Super Heroes, including Black Panther, Iron Man and Black Widow, as well as Ant-Man and The Wasp.
Additional items at WEB Suppliers include:
- a specially-designed backpack to carry Spider-Bots when they are not in action
- Spider-Man light goggles
- a take-home spider web kit
- Funko Pop! vinyl figurines of Spider-Man and Iron Man
The nearby Campus Supply Pod features official Avengers Campus gear, apparel, headwear, drinkware and other supplies.
Food at Avengers Campus
Avengers Campus will be home to three new dining experiences.
- Pym Test Kitchen — a food innovation science lab where “food and drinks tell a story.” Offerings include shareable bites, inventive-sized entrees and sweet treats. These include plant-based large and micro meatballs with pasta and the “Pym-ini,” a panini served by the slice or as a long, multi-portion sandwich.
- Pym Tasting Lab — an oversized beer can with craft beer and specialty cocktails
- Shawarma Palace — a food cart featuring a menu of shawarma-inspired snacks and intergalactic eats
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!, formerly known as Tower of Terror, will be incorporated into the Avengers Campus.
Avengers characters will be found throughout the new area, offering guests encounters with popular superheroes such as Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, the Dora Milaje, Thor and villains such as Loki.
What are your thoughts on the Avengers Campus attractions? Let us know in the comments section below.


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The US House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill designed to encourage electronic commerce by recognising digital signatures as having the same legally binding status as a handwritten signature.
The bill, approved by the committee yesterday, is an effort to take the least intrusive course in trying to get states to establish the same standard for the use of digital signatures, said a spokesman for US Representative Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California. It borrows some provisions from a similar bill passed by the Senate, the spokesman said.
Under the bill, if two parties agree to use digital signatures to seal their transaction, the signature cannot be ruled invalid by a state legislature or other lawmaking body. The spokesman said the bill does not affect states that have passed laws based on the standards of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act and would be an interim measure for states that have not passed UETA.
The bill does not go as far as another digital signature bill in the House passed by the Commerce Committee, which would preempt state laws that do not allow a contract to be made with a digital signature.
The two bills will be taken up by the Rules Committee, which sends legislation to the House floor.
The House Judiciary Committee can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.house.gov/judiciary.


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On 15 October 2021, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that the Dutch government has revised its licensing policy for exports of military-related items to Turkey. This policy covers both military items within the meaning of the EU Common Military List and dual-use items in case of a military end-use. The changes were announced in a letter to Dutch Parliament.
Following the entry into force of the new EU Dual-Use Regulation 2021/821 last month (see also our recent post), the EU has introduced new document codes that need to be used on EU customs export declarations for exports and transits of dual-use items.
Notably, specific codes now apply depending on the relevant (type of) authorisation/licence. The old code “X002” (which was previously valid for all dual-use authorisations) has been replaced and cannot be used anymore.


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2020-01-26 07:57:08| The Economic Times
Learning Assamese till 10th must for Assam govt jobsAssam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that Assamese will be made a compulsory subject in all schools of the state and only those who have studied the language till Class 10 will be eligible for its government jobs.
2020-01-22 10:00:43| Fast Company
A decade after he first said, “Hello Ladies,” Isaiah Mustafa is back in a different world. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the original Old Spice Guy campaign launch, the brand has brought back Isaiah Mustafa as its iconic spokesman, now a doting-yet-impeccably-scented dad to a Gen Z son.Read Full Story
2020-01-14 16:05:00| Engadget
Final Fantasy fans who've been eagerly anticipating Final Fantasy VII Remake will have to bide their time a tad more. The game had been scheduled to arrive on March 3rd, but Square Enix has pushed back the release date by over a month to April 10th.
2020-01-14 06:26:06| Mondaq.Com
News TV host Samira Ahmed win her equal pay case against the BBC. Samira claimed that she had been underpaid for presenting Newswatch
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Coinbase wants to be Facebook Connect for crypto. The blockchain giant plans to develop “Login with Coinbase” or a similar identity platform for decentralized app developers to make it much easier for users to sign up and connect their crypto wallets. To fuel that platform, today Coinbase announced it has acquired Distributed Systems, a startup founded in 2015 that was building an identity standard for dApps called the Clear Protocol.
The five-person Distributed Systems team and its technology will join Coinbase. Three of the team members will work with Coinbase’s Toshi decentralized mobile browser team, while CEO Nikhil Srinivasan and his co-founder Alex Kern are forming the new decentralized identity team that will work on the Login with Coinbase product. They’ll be building it atop the “know your customer” anti-money laundering data Coinbase has on its 20 million customers. Srinivasan tells me the goal is to figure out “How can we allow that really rich identity data to enable a new class of applications?”
Distributed Systems had raised a $1.7 million seed round last year led by Floodgate and was considering raising a $4 million to $8 million round this summer. But Srinivasan says, “No one really understood what we’re building,” and it wanted a partner with KYC data. It began talking to Coinbase Ventures about an investment, but after they saw Distributed Systems’ progress and vision, “they quickly tried to move to find a way to acquire us.”
Distributed Systems began to hold acquisition talks with multiple major players in the blockchain space, and the CEO tells me it was deciding between going to “Facebook, or Robinhood, or Binance, or Coinbase,” having been in formal talks with at least one of the first three. Of Coinbase the CEO said, they “were able to convince us they were making big bets, weaving identity across their products.” The financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Coinbase’s plan to roll out the Login with Coinbase-style platform is an SDK that others apps could integrate, though that won’t necessarily be the feature’s name. That mimics the way Facebook colonized the web with its SDK and login buttons that splashed its brand in front of tons of new and existing users. This turned Facebook into a fundamental identity utility beyond its social network.
Developers eager to improve conversions on their signup flow could turn to Coinbase instead of requiring users to set up whole new accounts and deal with crypto-specific headaches of complicated keys and procedures for connecting their wallet to make payments. One prominent dApp developer told me yesterday that forcing users to set up the MetaMask browser extension for identity was the part of their signup flow where they’re losing the most people.
This morning Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed these plans to work on an identity SDK. When Coinbase investor Garry Tan of Initialized Capital wrote that “The main issue preventing dApp adoption is lack of native SDK so you can just download a mobile app and a clean fiat to crypto in one clean UX. Still have to download a browser plugin and transfer Eth to Metamask for now Too much friction,” Armstrong replied “On it :)”
In effect, Coinbase and Distributed Systems could build a safer version of identity than we get offline. As soon as you give your Social Security number to someone or it gets stolen, it can be used anywhere without your consent, and that leads to identity theft. Coinbase wants to build a vision of identity where you can connect to decentralized apps while retaining control. “Decentralized identity will let you prove that you own an identity, or that you have a relationship with the Social Security Administration, without making a copy of that identity,” writes Coinbase’s PM for identity B. Byrne, who’ll oversee Srinivasan’s new decentralized identity team. “If you stretch your imagination a little further, you can imagine this applying to your photos, social media posts, and maybe one day your passport too.”
Considering Distributed Systems and Coinbase are following the Facebook playbook, they may soon have competition from the social network. It’s spun up its own blockchain team and an identity and single sign-on platform for dApps is one of the products I think Facebook is most likely to build. But given Coinbase’s strong reputation in the blockchain industry and its massive head start in terms of registered crypto users, today’s acquisition well position it to be how we connect our offline identity with the rising decentralized economy.


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One company thinks you need a small phone that hitches a ride on your larger phone -- and the idea actually might not be as crazy as it sounds.
Commentary: The design of Apple's long-anticipated smartwatch is sharp, but the company has been known to switch gears after a product launches.
Google just released a new way to keep your email organized so you can spend more time being productive. Read on to learn how to use all the new features of Inbox by Gmail.
The Annotate Attachments in Gmail extension lets you annotate attachments right in Gmail and creates cloud-based files for easier collaboration.
You can now share a file directly from your Drive account using the Gmail app on an Android device.
For people who like dropping big bucks on phone accessories, the iPhone 5 Astronomical Telescope will turn your smartphone into a window on the universe.
Vulnerability in latest versions of iOS 7 allows attachments to be read by hackers, a security researcher warns.
The iPad already houses magnets that can hold smart covers and cases. Now, a newly-published Apple patent filing envisions a greater attraction for the technology.
Microsoft is a step closer to ditching the Nokia name from its Lumia Windows Phones, but will keep the name for entry-level devices.
This Chrome extension lets you encrypt and track Gmail attachments, set permissions for them, and remotely destroy them like an evil villain.


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By millyjshoes, Apr 12 2019 12:15PM
Milly J was visited in the shop and studio by University of East Anglia, International Development students. As part of their thesis, they research the changing social perspectives towards environmental issues, including recycling and landfill. How we start to do things in different ways, in which to help the implications. Is this a changing model in that we are more aware of what happens to our waste and is this a permanent change?
Here at Milly J Shoes, I am pushing the move for the public to bring in their old shoes in order to help reduce the footwear footprint. They in turn have their shoes revitalised and turned into a new design. Most of the UK's landfill is tranferred to China or Poland and this simply isn't economically sustainable! The footwear industry is one of the biggest culprits for poor landfill management.


text: The new Luxury Defender / LR5 won't be enough to save JLR. Defender sales were already 'disappointing' (highly impacted by covid) but also now having to compete with Bronco and Grenadier. As several articles have highlighted $8B in debt, stagnant to declining sales, comatose Jaguar and a parent company Tata that is literally worth zero without JLR will drive them to a partnership and 'rationalization' which is code words for downsizing models and scale. In addition the automotive industry product delivery model is changing rapidly and will be impacting the local dealer/s. We will see if Ineos can take advantage of the disruption.


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February 20, 2020
The "Ferrari Grand Tour: A journey through beauty and passion" exhibition at the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, Italy. Image courtesy of Ferrari
By Luxury Daily News Service
Timed around its founder’s Feb. 18 birth anniversary, Italian sports car maker Ferrari has launched a new exhibition paying tribute to its most elegant Grand Tourers.
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Nigel has been in the regulated financial services industry for nearly a decade, has previously owned a financial brokerage and has written many times for sites relating to personal finance and trading.
Shares of Philips (AMS: PHIA) gained over 4% today after the Dutch giant reported its third-quarter core profit surged 32%.
The COVID-19 outbreak increased demand for hospital equipment, helping Philips increase their sales by 10% to 4.98 billion euros. The health unit recorded a 42% jump in sales of the connected care division, which, among other things, produces intensive care devices needed for COVID-19 patients.
The firm posted EBITA profits of 769 million euros ($900.1 million) for the quarter ending September 30. Analysts expected core earnings of 630 million euros on 4.82 billion euros of sales.
“It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and our teams remain fully focused on delivering against our triple duty of care: meeting critical customer needs, safeguarding the health and safety of our employees, and ensuring business continuity.
“Driven by the successful conversion of the Connected Care order book for patient monitors and ventilators, and a robust rebound of demand for our Personal Health portfolio, Philips recorded a strong 10% comparable sales growth and delivered an Adjusted EBITA margin improvement of 300 basis points to 15.4%,” the company said in a statement.
Philips said it now expects to record average sales growth between 5% to 6% annually in the next five years starting 2021.
Philips share price rose more than 4% to hit €43.48, a new 2-month high for the stock.
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Due to the new manufacturing facility, the Company will increase the manufacturing of sterile liquid medicinal products, the demand for which has significantly grown during the pandemic.
The new manufacturing facility is a seven-storey building with over 20 units of main technological equipment and about 100 engineering equipment. It was built from the ground up. The overall investment of this three-year project amounts to EUR 50 million.
The new manufacturing facility is equipped with high-performance lines to manufacture up to 36,000 ampoules, 12,000 vials, 7,500 nebules and 3,600 plastic vials per hour.
The technology of three-dimensional modelling and visualization of building architecture and landscaping applied by Farmak in design for the first time, made it possible to achieve the effect of presence, to objectively assess the advantages of the project and eliminate shortcomings during the design process, as well as to reduce the risk of errors during the project implementation.
“This year Farmak celebrates its 95th anniversary. This is a significant date. Few Ukrainian enterprises can boast of such a history. And we have not only preserved the strategic manufacturing facilities in the most difficult times for the country, but also made the enterprise one of the market leaders, products of which are bought all over the world. Today, Farmak reflects the capabilities of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical industry in the global market as a mirror. We export products to over 25 countries. The Company has succeeded due to hard work and constant development. Over the past five years, manufacturing output has grown by 59%. During this time, we have set up the new API production unit in Shostka, suppositories manufacturing facility, production unit of solid dosage forms, have launched the new packaging lines for solid dosage forms and sachets, and started manufacturing eye suspensions. Realizing that the complex developments are key for the future of pharmaceutical industry, we have launched an innovative R&D complex and research and industrial site for biotechnology. And today, on the occasion of our anniversary, we launch a new manufacturing facility which has already become a tradition. EUR 50 million have been invested in this project. This is an ultra-modern workshop for manufacturing of sterile medicinal products. This manufacturing facility allows us to double the manufacturing capacity for aseptic products. Such medicinal products as Propofol and Dexamethasone, which have recently undergone WHO prequalification, and dozens of other vital medicines that are essential today to overcome the effects of COVID-19 will be manufactured at this facility. We have overcome a lot in 95 years, made a drastic breakthrough in the Company and in the industry in 25 years. The dynamics of our development may be observed in five years, and now the planning horizon at Farmak is 7-10 years. The new challenges, new opportunities, new directions are ahead. Launching of a modern complex is a step into the future, because medicines for a modern person should be manufactured using state-of-the-art high-tech equipment. Ukrainians deserve the best technologies and the best quality, exactly what Farmak offers, creating innovative opportunities for manufacturing of high-quality medicines,” said Filya Zhebrovska, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of JSC Farmak.
Background information about the project:
Investment in the project amounted to EUR 50 million
The project implementation period was three years
Having set up a new manufacturing facility, Farmak doubled its aseptic capacity
It is planned to manufacture the following at new sites:
solutions, emulsions, suspensions for injection in ampoules 1 mL, 2 mL, 3 mL, 5 mL, 20 mL
solutions, emulsions, suspensions for injection in vials 20 mL, 50 mL, 100 mL
inhalation solutions in nebules 2 mL, 4 mL
eye drops in plastic bottles 10 mL
Up to 36,000 pcs/hour in ampoules
Up to 12,000 pcs/hour in vials
Up to 7,500 pcs/hour in nebules (2nd stage)
Up to 3,600 pcs/hour in plastic bottles (2nd stage)
The new workshop will comprise:
total number of personnel – 136 persons (123 employees, 13 engineers and technicians)
Two sites are expected to start operating next year, the third one in 2022.
3D modelling in which the project was received by Farmak for the first time to speed up the works in general made it possible to quickly eliminate collisions in the tracing of engineering networks, strapping of technological equipment, as well as many controversial issues during installation works.
The new manufacturing facility is equipped with the innovative equipment of the leading global brands
The authoritative Forbes publication included Farmak Supervisory Board Chairman Filya Zhebrovska in its global “50 Over 50” list: EMEA 2022. The businesswoman was joined by actress Judi Dench, designer Donatella Versace, president of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde and other prominent figures. However, Filya Zhebrovska is the only Ukrainian woman...
Farmak, along with JTI, SoftServe, Fozzy Group and others, has been included in the list of 50 best employers of Ukraine compiled by the authoritative Forbes magazine and the Work.ua job search website. The companies have been evaluated by the jury according to 23 indicators falling under the following 8 criteria: Reputation and loyalty – the willingness of ...
Yevheniia Piddubna, Director for Corporate Communications of Farmak, was included in the list of the country’s best GR* managers compiled by the prestigious magazine “TOP-100. Ratings of the Largest”. GR specialists should primarily focus on establishing communication between business and the authorities for the joint and mutually beneficial development of t...


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Adding to a string of recent thefts at two south Brooklyn Rite Aids, two unidentified perps hit up the 86th Street pharmacy last month and left with over $1,100 worth of merchandise that included candy and headphones, surveillance footage showed.
According to police, two unknown perps — described by cops as black men in their mid-20s — walked into the Rite Aid at around 1:34 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, placed various items into black laundry bags and left.
The total value of items stolen was $1,176.08 and the property listed included candy and headphones, specifically Sony earbuds.
A robbery at the same location — involving a 52-year-old man stealing $300 worth of Aveeno lotion — occurred on Friday, September 16 while a Kings Highway Rite Aid was the target of thieves on Sunday, September 25 and saw an unidentified black man take off with Dove body washes.
It is unclear at this time whether the thefts are connected.


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As we know in the last month the CitiBank analyst had given its prediction that Samsung would sell 50 million units of its both flagship devices including Galaxy S6 and S6 edge in the current year .But Samsung shows full of confidence and hopes that it’s both the product will do magnificent business above the prediction.
According to The Korea Times, a Samsung executive shows lots of expectation and confirmed that the sales of both the devices will be more than 70 million in coming days .
The company doesn’t confirm whether it is the target of the company for 2015 or not. It doesn’t matter as both the flagship devices showed magnificent sale after its availability from 10TH April.
So Samsung has to manage properly to meet the high demand from the users.
This is the time for celebration for Samsung as in the last year its global smartphone market share was dropped to a 3-year low, and also the Apple snatched the crown from it as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer.
So the year 2015 is better for Samsung than 2014 and there is chance that it may regain its lost position in the market share.
For more information stay with us.


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High 5 Games ready to launch Vault in Europe
Wednesday January 29,2014 : NEW REMOTE GAMING SERVER READY FOR EUROPEAN LAUNCH
High 5 Games ready to launch 'Vault' in Europe.
High 5 Games will be using the ICE show in London next week to stage the European launch of its "Vault" remote gaming server, which comes packaged with nearly 100 of H5G's most successful slot games from all mediums.
Anthony Singer, CEO of High 5 Games, said Tuesday: "Vault will only carry H5G's top hits – the premium games that have been top-performing titles at all of the major casinos around the world."
High 5 Games has been around for the past two decades, creating games for land-based firms like International Game Technology, Bally Technologies, WMS Industries, and Konami Gaming. The company is now applying that experience and creativity through Vault and offering games for real-money online play, along with specialised new games suitable for both conventional online casinos and social casino activity.
"Our social platform has become a test bed to see which themes and features best resonate with players," says Med Nadooshan, COO of High 5 Games. "With over 5 billion slot spins played each month on High 5 Casino, we have the unique ability to determine which brands will successfully translate to the online environment."
H5G games have been strong performers on every platform. According to IGT CEO Patti Hart during the company's quarterly earnings call earlier this month, H5G's Golden Goddess slot became "the most successful game ever launched at DoubleDown."
That distinction has previously been held by Da Vinci Diamonds – another H5G game which "outperformed any slot [DoubleDown] had by 5-6x," according to DoubleDown executives.
The highest rated social casino on Facebook, High 5 Casino features more casino games than any other application on the social network, premiering top casino brands like Shadow Diamond, Ocean's Glory, and Miss Universe Crowning Moment before releasing these top sellers to land-based casinos.
"Just as we delivered an enthusiastic fan base to our land-based partners, we look forward to sharing our successes with our new online partners," said Singer. "We hope to make Vault a critical component of any premiere online casino destination."
Singer revealed that Vault will launch in New Jersey during Q1-2014, initially as part of Caesars Interactive Entertainment's offerings in the state before being expanded to additional NJ casinos.
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Gambling News :
Phil Ivey Loses Borgata Casino -
Phil Ivey has lost in his four-year legal tussle with the Borgata over baccarat winnings; on Friday a US federal judge ruled that he and a companion violated New Jersey state gambling regulations in the manner in which they won nearly $10 million playing at the Atlantic City casino.
NYX Gaming in deal with Endemol -
"Endemol Shine’s IP will be a strong addition to the NYX portfolio of content and we look forward to working together to bring additional instantly recognizable brands to market.”
NEW CAMBODIAN GAMBLING LAWS -
After more than two years of debate and drafting, Cambodia may be closing in on final agreement regarding its proposed gambling law changes.
Playtech Acquires ECM Systems -
Online gambling soiftware provider Playtech plc has announced the acquisition of a ninety percent stake in UK bingo software developer ECM Systems for a consideration of GBP 14.9 million.
Marks and Spencer store Manager steals to Gamblie Online -
The Cambridge News reports that a 28-year-old manager of a Marks and Spencer store, Martin Trenor, has been jailed for three years for stealing GBP 254,538.11 in shop takings over the course of a year and spending it almost immediately at online gambling websites.
Chinese Gambling crackdown could damage high roller revenue -
Fast-moving events this week have seen Australian media reports quoting hundreds of millions of dollars wagered by Chinese high rollers in Aussie land casinos, offset to some extent by Crown claims that this whale gambler" demographic generates only 12 percent of turnover.
EvenBet Open Face Chinese Poker -
Open Face Chinese Poker online games provider EvenBet has reported that its Open Face Chinese Poker product is gaining traction with games recently integrated for desktop action at the Malta-licensed operational site Poker Grant.
2016 EPT Malta -
The European Poker Tour is off to a good start in Malta, with German pro Dietrich Fast claiming a well-earned Euro 174,000 main prize in the Euro 10,000 buy-in Single-Entry Rebuy event.
Please Note : Gambing might not be legal in your area. We bring you www.recentpoker.com as an information and gambling news site only. We hope that you find all the information and gambling news found in www.recentpoker.com to your liking. Please tell your friends about us and visit us again soon.


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Vyyo reported its financial results for the third-quarter that ended Sept. 20 today, which included sales of $2.6 million compared to $1.1 million in the same quarter a year ago.
The Norcross, Ga.-based company posted a loss of $8.7 million, or 47 cents a share, in this year’s third quarter, compared to a loss of $7.7 million, or 43 cents a share, in last year’s third quarter.
During the third quarter, cable revenues were $1 million, up from $326,000 in the second quarter of this year. In April, Vyyo announced that Cox Communications was deploying its spectrum overlay product in several areas to provision business services.
Vyyo ended the third quarter of this year with $19.2 million of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, which was down from $26.2 million at the end of this year’s second quarter.


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Last night we got our first official glance at Canon’s vision for their future in the R5 development announcement, and it looks to finally be an example of full-frame mirrorless taken seriously. In a morning discussion here at PetaPixel, the question was raised: why did Canon just now decide to wake up?
I have a theory on that matter.
Late last year, I published a State of RF Mount editorial that looked at what Canon did in their first year with the new mount. I encourage you to read that here, but in short, I said they did a very good job focusing on a strategy that was very clearly optics first, cameras second. I think Canon chose this route because they have the flexibility to do so, while other companies may not.
Canon has a strongly diversified business model as well as a huge entrenchment in entry-level DSLRs. Even with Sony’s explosion in popularity over the past five years, they have not yet overtaken Canon’s mammoth market share in all digital cameras. Sure, they’re winning in full-frame and certainly ahead in mirrorless, but if you look at total digital camera sales, Canon is still king.
That’s a hell of a cushion to sit back on, and even with their slow start into mirrorless, Canon has been able to continue to make profits based on what we, folks who pay the closest attention to this market, would consider to be old and outdated technology. The fact of the matter is, Canon has huge brand power and desirability among the general population, even if their technology hasn’t been top of the industry for several years.
That popularity is waning, of course, but the amount of time Canon had to decide on a strategy and implement it was much longer than it was for a brand like Nikon, who had a major hiccup with their Key Mission action cameras that set them back financially and who isn’t as diversified in product nearly to the degree Canon is. So while Nikon came out with what they thought would be two “professional level” mirrorless cameras at the end of 2018, Canon didn’t.
Canon didn’t even hype the EOS R as a great camera, only as a stepping stone towards what they saw as the real value: the RF mount.
So for an entire year, Canon was able to focus entirely on making high-quality lenses for a system that hasn’t been popular among high-end enthusiasts and pros, biding their time so that when they did choose to release a powerful camera like the R5 is shaping up to be, there would be a robust lens lineup there immediately to back it up.
Since the RF mount is still a closed system, there is no reliance on third-party manufacturers to help make that transition easier. Canon decided to do it all on their own, and I argue have done an excellent job setting up that system for success once there was a camera body there to take advantage of it.
Another reason Canon did not move more swiftly in general camera prowess is more of a hunch based on various conversations with industry folks over the last several years. I haven’t been able to get a 100% verification of what I’m about to say because very few like to talk about it, but it’s something to think about.
Canon hasn’t had the best processors in their cameras for a while. They haven’t been capable of doing full-frame readout in 4K, for example, until the 1D X Mark III while multiple other companies have managed it and more for far longer. I only mention video because aside from dealing with heat, the stress of doing something like a full-frame readout of 4K video is extremely hard on a processor — if yours is not up to the task, it simply isn’t possible.
Even the 1D X Mark II only had the ability to do 4K in a crop format, and it had two processors working together in that body to make that happen.
I will cite a conversation I had with a Canon representative at the EOS R launch in Maui, where I asked him why the EOS R seemed to be underpowered compared to the market and certainly to the much older 1D X Mark II. He said to remember that the 1D X Mark II had two processors and that is “what makes that possible” for that camera. Meanwhile, across the aisle, Sony was putting full-frame readout in its a7 Mark III, a camera with a much lower price point ($1,800 vs $2,300).
I think Canon had an internal issue in their processor department that set them back years, and I think it happened well before the launch of the 5D Mark IV, a camera viewed to have been a weak and incremental update over the predecessor. Whether it was a stunted research and development team or something as simple as losing a leader or chief mind in that department, they’ve been behind. Until the 1D X Mark III and now with the R5, there have been minimal changes to their cameras’ features that could be done with a single processor.
Just look at what the 5D Mark IV and the EOS R can do with their single processor: not a lot. But now we’re jumping to 8Kp30 in the R5? You don’t completely overhaul an entire system across the board in one year like that. I think Canon’s sensors have been capable of more strain for some time, but their processors have not. Now that they have finally solved that processor problem, the possibilities with their cameras have seemingly skyrocketed.
Overall, I think that the reason Canon has taken so long to “wake up” is a mixture of decision-making choices driven by complete knowledge of their limitations. Canon executives move slowly to begin with, but coupled with a lackluster processor division, they slowed even further. Their goal was to give that team enough time to catch up with the competition while making the right decisions to stay relevant enough so that when the time came, they could act swiftly and with flair.
The R5 is what I believe to be the second camera in just the beginning of what Canon is capable of. Now that I think Canon’s entire business operation is producing top-tier parts, we can expect them to give Sony a run for their money in nearly every regard.


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SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) will host the Illinois Product Expo March 2 and 3 in the Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The Illinois Product Expo has brought Illinois food companies and consumers together for 25 years. Explore Illinois through your taste buds by sampling products, relaxing in the Illinois Wine Garden and stocking up on your long-time favorites.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Expo, the first 25 attendees will receive a special commemorative cup. The first 250 people to buy apple cider slushies will also receive an anniversary cup.
“The 25th Illinois Product Expo is a fun and family-friendly way to showcase Illinois food and agriculture-based companies,” said Jackie Sambursky, IDOA Bureau Chief of Marketing. “We’re anticipating the biggest Expo yet as we celebrate this milestone anniversary, and we’re so grateful for the support of the community.”
More than 70 vendors will offer samples and sell products including The Homestead Bakery, ReMARKable Caramels, Rolling Lawns Farm, Ropp Jersey Cheese, Jon Ellis Woodworking, Peter’s Produce Smoked Cheese and Goods, Turasky Meats, Uncle Joe’s Sauces, Engrained Brewing Company, and Creekstone Kettle Works among many others. The Illinois Wine Experience will feature 16 Illinois wineries.
Shoppers can take advantage of the popular $5 for 5 promotion: buy 5 products and IDOA will give you $5 Expo Cash in appreciation for supporting Illinois agriculture. Learn more about this incentive at www.illinoisproductexpo.com.
The Illinois Product Expo is sponsored by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Farm Bureau, HyVee, Illinois Wine, Harvest Market, FFA, Prairie Farms and Turasky Meats. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. Admission is $5 per person; children 10 and younger will be admitted free of charge.
The Illinois Product Expo vendor space is sold out for 2024, but Illinois food companies can learn about participating in other programs offered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture by calling the Bureau of Marketing, Promotion and Grants at 217-782-2581 or visiting the website at email@example.com.


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On September 6, 2023, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced that it will extend 352 reinstated exclusions and 77 COVID-related exclusions to duties imposed on goods from China pursuantContinue Reading USTR EXTENDS REINSTATED SECTION 301 EXCLUSIONS AND COVID-RELATED SECTION 301 EXCLUSIONS
On August 18, 2023, the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) announced its final determination that certain solar cells and modules exported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are circumventing the antidumping…Continue Reading Commerce Issues Final Determination on Circumvention of Solar Cells and Modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam
Check out the latest episode of The Justice Insiders—a podcast hosted by Husch Blackwell partner Gregg Sofer—where we explore the intersection of international trade law and government investigations…Continue Reading Podcast: The Latest on Russia Sanctions
We are pleased to announce that our team’s fourth-annual international trade law year-in-review report was published just before the New Year. In it, we take a detailed look at how…Continue Reading International Trade Law: 2022 Year in Review & Outlook for 2023
On February 7, 2022, the United States and Japan announced that both countries had agreed to a tariff-rate quote (TRQ) for steel imports from Japan. The agreement will eliminate the…
Continue Reading U.S. and Japan Agree to Eliminate Section 232 Tariffs on Steel Imports
Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops at the Ukrainian border, leading the White House to issue a warning on January 25 that the U.S. is “prepared to implement sanctions…
Continue Reading U.S. Government Signals that Increased Sanctions and Export Controls Will Likely Follow if Russia Invades Ukraine
Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) issued a request for comments to assist the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (“FLETF”) with implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”). The UFLPA, signed by President Biden on December 23, 2021, creates a rebuttable presumption that goods manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (“Xinjiang”) or produced by an entity on a number of lists to be produced, will be denied entry into the U.S. under section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307). The UFLPA was passed in response to the alleged use of forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, and other persecuted groups in China. Readers can learn more about the UFLPA and the rebuttable presumption, which goes into effect on June 21, 2022, in our previous post following the UFLPA’s enactment.
Continue Reading DHS Requests Comments to Inform Implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
Last week a decision was released in a dispute between the US and Canada related to Canada’s dairy tariff-rate quotas (TRQ) under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The dispute settlement panel found that certain Canadian restrictions on use of the TRQs are in violations of its obligations under the free trade agreement. Specifically, the Panel found that Canada has breached its USMCA Article 3.A.2.11(b) commitments by “reserving TRQ pools exclusively for the use of processors.”
Continue Reading USMCA Panel Announces Win for US in Dairy TRQ Dispute with Canada
Husch Blackwell’s third-annual international trade law year-in-review report provides a detailed look at how 2021 played out and takes a peek at how 2022 might develop. As companies begin to strategize on what a second year of the Biden administration will bring, we hope the framework presented in our report will help your business maximize potential cost savings and minimize potential risks as enforcement activity continues to rise and supply chains remain under pressure well into the coming year.
Continue Reading Download Report | International Trade Law: 2021 Year in Review & Outlook for 2022
On December 23, 2021 President Biden signed H.R. 6256, wide-reaching legislation aimed at preventing the importation of goods “mined, produced or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor” from China, in particular the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (the “XUAR”). See Text – H.R.6256 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): To ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China do not enter the United States market, and for other purposes. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. The bill specifically references cotton, tomatoes and polysilicon, but in fact covers all types of products as well as manufacturers and even companies involved in the recruitment and transport of workers.
Continue Reading President Biden Signs Wide-Reaching Legislation Targeting Goods Allegedly Involving Forced Labor from China


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Ag groups largely positive about TPP text — Too bad Ag groups don’t represent farmers and ranchers like R-CALF does
On Thu, Nov 5, 2015 at 8:34 PM,
Ag groups largely positive about TPP text
By Helena Bottemiller Evich and Jenny Hopkinson
11/05/2015 09:01 PM EDT
The transpacific trade deal released Thursday continues to unfold as a goody bag for agriculture interests, including new tools to tackle disputes over animal and plant product safety, clearer biotechnology policies and better market access for beef and pork.
So far, commodity groups are either praising what they’re seeing in the agreement’s 1,000-plus pages or, at least for now, holding their peace.
"Before the text of the dealwas released, most of the ag folks were leaning in to a ‘yes,’ " said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway. "[A]t this point I haven’t seen any specific push-back from any of the ag groups."
With thousands of product tariffs to examine, farm groups are still poring over the finalized Trans-Pacific Partnership text. Conaway said he’s leaning toward voting for the deal when it comes up for congressional approval as soon as next spring, but he’s consulting with his constituents for their take.
However, happiness over the deal isn’t universal. The National Farmers Union, a group that represents smaller farms, panned the agreement, saying it will hurt ranchers because of increased competition from beef imports and doesn’t include enforcement mechanisms on currency manipulation.
"This agreement has been peddled to farmers and ranchers as a potential goldmine for farm exports," NFU President Roger Johnson said in a statement. "But as with other trade deals, these benefits are likely to be overshadowed by increased competition from abroad, paired with an uneven playing field that will not only reduce revenues for farmers and ranchers, but will also speed the loss of U.S. jobs."
U.S. rice and dairy groups have long been lukewarm on the deal because of provisions that they say hinder full market access for exports. The industries have raised concerns about policies that still limit exports to Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, and dairy groups have taken issue with Canada’s refusal to open its market fully. The National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council and USA Rice, as well as the American Farm Bureau Federation, all said Thursday that they’re waiting to review the agreement before commenting.
U.S. sugar producers, meanwhile, criticized the small increase in sugar imports from Australia, and meat groups are worried that opening the United States up to more lamb will hurt domestic producers.
SPS, friend or foe?
The sanitary and phytosanitary, or SPS, chapter, which sets new rules aimed at reducing unfair trade barriers raised under the guise of safety or pest concerns, is almost universally liked by industry groups.
The chapter sets rules requiring countries to base food safety and related regulations in science and outlining how to manage risks. It also sets up a TPP-specific SPS committee and encourages countries to move toward establishing equivalency between one another’s regulatory systems.
The chapter allows countries to question each other’s import checks to make sure requirements are based on real risks. The deal also requires nations to notify importers or exporters within seven days if they’re blocking shipments because of an SPS issue.
If countries disagree about such things as blocked shipments or drug residue sampling and can’t solve the problem bilaterally through the usual channels, then they can use what the chapter calls cooperative technical consultations, or CTC – basically a consultation process with related agencies to help resolve the dispute. Once an issue is raised, the two parties have to meet within 30 days, with the aim of resolving the disagreement within 180 days.
The consultation system creates another avenue for arbitration beyond the often drawn-out and high-profile dispute-settlement system under the World Trade Organization, although the 180-day goal for resolving disputes is hardly a quick turnaround.
The additional tools to resolve SPS disputes are of great interest to an array of commodity groups, whether pork producers that have struggled with ractopamine restrictions, chicken exporters that have gone up against Russia’s ban on antimicrobial chlorine wash, or produce companies facing concerns over pesticides and pests.
Western Growers President Tom Nassif said the SPS chapter was one of the most important for the produce industry.
"The effectiveness of new mechanisms TPP provides for producer recourse when unfair SPS measures are imposed will be the greatest indication of TPP’s long-term success for the fresh produce industry," Nassif said in a statement Thursday.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in its summary of the chapter that it in no way weakens food safety in the U.S.
"On the contrary, it will help TPP partners better ensure the health and safety of their food," the agency contends.
Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), a strong supporter of the trade deal, emphasized to POLITICO that it goes further than any trade agreement in making sure that food-safety standards are based on science – a key point of interest for U.S. agricultural exporters.
But consumer groups are railing against the chapter, calling it worse than expected — and they have been slamming the deal for deal for months over concerns about what would be in the final text.
Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, blasted the deal, saying it would lead to a "flood of unsafe imported food."
"When the administration says it used the TPP to renegotiate [NAFTA], few expected that meant doubling down on the worst job-killing, wage-suppressing NAFTA terms, expanding limits on food safety and rolling back past reforms on environmental standards and access to affordable drugs," she said.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) toed a similar line, saying the TPP was worse than he thought it would be.
"The agreement would threaten American laws that protect the safety of the drugs we take, the seafood we feed our families and the toys our kids play with every day," Sanders said in a statement Thursday.
In a 17-page take-down of the deal, Public Citizen eviscerated the SPS chapter as a threat to the very basis of U.S. food-safety protections.
The group takes issue with, among other things, a provision that gives companies a right to challenge trade-enforcement actions, including things like import alerts, detentions and even lab analyses, which they say "second-guesses U.S. inspectors and creates a chilling effect that would deter rigorous oversight of imported foods."
Patrick Woodall, research director at Food and Water Watch, said the SPS chapter gives the industry just what it wanted, providing "a more powerful weapon to use against food-safety rules than the WTO. That’s what the industry asked for, they wanted stronger, more binding SPS rules to attack food-safety regulations they thought were restrictive trade barriers."
Woodall also takes issue with the way the No. 1 objective of the chapter is worded: to "protect human, animal or plant life or health in the territories of the parties while facilitating and expanding trade by [utilizing] a variety of means to address and seek to resolve sanitary and phytosanitary issues."
"It really puts the commercial piece on par the food safety piece," he said, arguing that the WTO’s SPS provisions treat food safety and consumer protection with greater importance and make providing a level playing field being a secondary objective.
Seafood is one of the biggest concerns for consumer and food-safety advocates wary of the lower sanitation and production standards in developing countries like Vietnam, a major player in the global aquaculture market.
"I’m especially worried about this related to antibiotics and fungicide residues on fish from Vietnam or Malaysia," Woodall added. "The U.S. position on unapproved antibiotics being illegal [a reason for a large portion of import actions against seafood] … Vietnam could conceivably challenge that."
The TPP marks the first time that biotechnology has been given a mention in a trade agreement, something agriculture groups say is an important step in harmonizing international approval standards and ensuring market access for new products.
The deal calls for countries to try as much as possible to align regulations for approving and importing biotech crops and make approval documents publicly available. Member countries also have agreed to communicate when low levels of unapproved GE crops are detected in imports and to work to reduce those occurrences.
While the provisions are largely voluntary, crop groups are optimistic that they will help align the countries’ rules, set a precedent to address biotech issues in future trade deals and put pressure on nearby countries, including China, to fall in line with the policies if they want easier access to TPP member economies.
"For these 12 member countries, we really are not having a lot of challenges with biotechnology, but if you’ve got another country like China that has expressed some interest" in joining the deal, "they will have to agree to those principles on biotechnology," Floyd Gaibler, the U.S. Grains Council’s director of trade policy and biotechnology.
Increased market access
Expanding market access remains among the most important outcomes for ag groups. The United States is highly efficient at producing food, feed and fiber and already exports huge quantities, making it one of the few U.S. sectors with a trade surplus.
Dave Warner, spokesman for the National Pork Producers Council, called the text a 99.9 percent win for the U.S. pork industry.
Under the agreement, tariff and non-tariff barriers will be eliminated for pork products in almostevery TPP country, but they will be phased out differently depending on the country, Warner said. For Japan – where pork is highly sensitive but is the biggest market by value for U.S. pork producers – most tariffs will vanish after 10 years.
For Malaysia, tariffs will drop the moment TPP is enacted. And in New Zealand, tariffs on hams and shoulders will phase out in three years, Warner said.
"No free-trade agreement is perfect, but this is pretty darn close," Warner said. "This is going to be huge for the U.S. pork industry and big for the U.S. agriculture economy."
Agriculture commodity groups are largely happy with the deal, at least at first glance. The TPP will eliminate the few remaining tariffs in the region on things like corn and expand the market for commodities used in animal feed and fuel.
"Trade agreements are essential for us …," Gaibler said. "And I think TPP is probably the most comprehensive agreement that we have."
But not all groups are pleased with the outcome.
R-CALF USA President Bill Bullard said TPP would hurt several agricultural sectors, one of them being sheep. "Our sheep industry has been absolutely decimated by huge volumes of cheaper Australian imports, and because the TPP adds New Zealand, which also is a major lamb exporter, the TPP is sure to further decimate our commercial sheep industry," he said in a statement.
But by and large, agriculture groups are preparing to make the case to lawmakers that, while there may be some problems with the deal, its approval will be a boon to farmers.
"We always know this agreement is coming awfully close to presidential politics and things like that, so I have to think the grumbling you are seeing right now is the posturing they have to do," a corn industry source said. "Lawmakers have to ask themselves what’s the alternative here if we don’t do this. What is our world going to look like …? While not perfect, we are a lot better off with this type of agreement in place."
Adam Behsudi, Chase Purdy and Victoria Guida contributed to this report.


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BTCJam, a startup in San Francisco, is using Bitcoin to provide peer-to-peer lending to customers around the world. The company says that by avoiding the restrictions on fiat currency, the company can allow anyone in the world to get loans through their platform.
However, traditional wire transfer is expensive and not easy to operate. Bitcoin allows BTCJam-based borrowers to receive funds almost instantly, no matter where they live or whether they have a bank account.From bankers to bitcoin companies
Pitta from Brazil worked in the financial industry before creating BTCJam. “I work at Citi. I understand the working mechanism inside the bank. I think I can do better: peer-to-peer lending websites.”
However, Pitta encountered the first obstacle when he found that he was punished for launching an unlicensed lending service in Brazil.
This may sound ridiculous for some people. The potential obstacle is to make Pitta determined to carry out the company’s business in digital currency, rather than trying to become a bank authorized by the family, which is costly.
Pitta said BTCJam has provided more than $5,000,000 in loans to people in more than 100 countries around the world.
In peer-to-peer lending, the investor team does not need to provide loans to individuals through traditional financial entities such as banks.
In the past 10 years, this concept has developed into an industry. Last year, in the United States alone, the largest two legal currency P2P platforms, Lending Club and Proper loans, exceeded $3 billion. To find out more about the finest P2P cryptocurrency exchanges with low costs and high security, visit this website:
BTCJam believes that P2P lending has a market of at least $100 billion worldwide, and the concept is valuable for Bitcoin holders who are beginning to lend their funds.
Pitta told Coindesk that the BTCJam marketing department usually has 20 investors with a loan, with an average annual return of 19.19.
This sounds high, but, like any loan, the profit is based on a loan that can be recycled, Pitta said, and explains:
“If the credit is not good, then the loan rate is significantly higher.”
Aside from this, bitcoin borrowing at this rate is a good thing for many people, Pitta pointed out. In Brazil, these lenders charge 10% of the monthly fee.
Moreover, he said that bitcoin scattered around the world can better promote the use of digital currency through different exchanges and wallets, even if the borrower is vague about this fact.
Global credit score
BTCJam has also solved another problem, which is the restriction of geographical areas by many other P2P lending websites. By establishing his own credit score system using the “machine learning” artificial intelligence approach, the company can rate debit credits around the world.
“People don’t have credit scores, which is very common.” Pitta said, “This makes it difficult for us to lend out loans. Our technology allows us to do a credit score evaluation by collecting a lot of data from users.”
When a user registers on the BTCJam website, the credit score can be evaluated through a number of confirmation questions. Confirmation verification is needed, but there are other options to create a reputation file.
Users can link their social media accounts, proof of income, verify phone numbers, and even upload personal information to prove his credit without historical credit, as the system is still not established in many countries.
Bitcoin and French currency exchange
Many companies use Bitcoin to provide remittances or other financial services often encounter the so-called “final road” problem. The problem is that although Bitcoin can quickly transfer money around the world, it is almost impossible to transfer money every day for daily expenses.
Although BTCJam has his own bitcoin wallet, the company understands that lenders need to convert digital currency to French currency locally. Therefore, the company thought of a way.
Pitta said, “We are now integrating exchanges around the world. This allows customers to convert them into French currency once they receive the loan.”
For example, in the United States, users can link their BTCJam wallet to Coinbase, which makes it easy to transfer funds to a bank account.
Moreover, BTCJam has been integrated in Brazil and exchanges, and in Mexico and China and elsewhere, it has also reached partnerships with plans and exchanges. Pitta said.
Coin desk price
Although the advantage of Bitcoin is that it is easy to transfer money, BTCJam still has to calculate the value of the loan in local currency, which makes it easier for the borrower to understand the amount of money.
“We allow people to use the exchange rate of the local currency when borrowing,” Pitta explained. But its solvable about who accepts bitcoin?
At the moment when the loan was issued, BTCJam used CoinDesk’s Bitcoin Price Index API, which can obtain price data from many exchanges and calculate the local currency of Bitcoin. Therefore, if the customer is in India, the system will use the exchange rate of rupees and bitcoin and calculate the number of rupees.
“When we borrowed, we kept an eye on the exchange rate between French and Bitcoin. CoinDesk BPI is very good, because it is very timely and trustworthy compared to the API of other websites,” Pitta said.
BTCJam was founded in 2013 at the 500 Entrepreneurship Acceleration Center in California, and earlier this year the company received a $1,200,000 investment led by Ribbit Capital.
In fact, they borrowed millions of dollars through thousands of transactions, which clearly shows that global P2P lending is a viable business. At the same time, BTCJam is also fulfilling the role of a financial company, and supervision is also in the company’s attention.
“We have spent a lot of time thinking about regulation. We have a legal company that is working on this and we want to follow regulation.”
Even so, Pitta is not too concerned about regulation and stifles innovations in the digital currency economy. From the recent news of the German Central Bank, this shows that BTCJam’s startups have already had an impact on the banking industry.


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Government confirms tariff-free ambitions
Britain’s car manufacturing industry will avoid trading tariffs post-Brexit if the government is successful in its negotiations with the EU.
Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, business secretary Greg Clark said that the government’s desire to negotiate tariff-free access to Europe for the car sector was one of the reasons for Nissan’s continued investment in its Sunderland plant.
He said, ‘Our objective would be to ensure that we have continued access to the markets in Europe, and vice versa, without tariffs or bureaucratic impediments. Good negotiations are about finding the common ground. They export a lot to us and we export a lot to them.’
The business secretary also said that he’d spelled out the government’s commitment to see the entire car industry prosper with funding for training and skills, research into electric vehicles and greater use of British companies in the industry’s supply chain.
He said, ‘In the motor industry we’ve had a very long track record of investment in skills, in innovation, in research and development. We want to see the whole industry prosper. You need to build on your strengths. The automotive sector is one of our great strengths in this country. Part of our strategy is to keep it competitive.’
The business secretary added that similar assurances had been given to other manufacturers.


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The call is out for artisans for the Boundary Artisan Christmas Faire.
The sixth annual juried Boundary Artisan Christmas Faire will be held at Gallery 2 in the Art and Heritage Centre from Nov. 29-30.
Artisans throughout the Boundary and beyond are asked to share their wares and set up shop in one of the Boundary’s most beautiful historic buildings.
This centrally located “charmer” will be illuminated from floor-to-floor in festive Christmas decor, a beautiful backdrop to showcase the crafts.
The faire will take place on Friday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Vendors are asked to reserve a space by Oct. 18. Limited space is available. Note: Choice of space is on a first come, first served basis. Set up is Thursday, Nov. 28 from 5-7 p.m.
Price is $75 for vending space with a guaranteed minimum of 12-foot frontage.
Please contact Gallery 2 at 250-442-2211 to register, or email email@example.com.


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December 7, 2016
SJF Invests in LeadGenius
SJF Ventures III has invested $3 million in LeadGenius. The Berkeley, CA-based company delivers a marketing and sales platform powered by best-in-class data that is continually refined through a unique combination of machine learning technology and skilled human researchers. Serving over 200 customers, from rapidly-scaling tech startups such as Weebly, to Fortune 500 businesses such as Google and eBay, LeadGenius is a fast-growing SaaS company with a mission to provide meaningful opportunities to underemployed individuals. LeadGenius is a charter member and signer of the Good Work Code.
SJF joins existing investors Bee Partners, Better Ventures, Fuel Capital, FundersClub, Initialized Capital, Javelin Venture Partners, Kapor Capital, Lumia Capital, Sierra Ventures, Scrum Ventures and Y Combinator’s Continuity Fund.
LeadGenius was recently named one of the fastest-growing companies in the Bay Area by BusinessInsider and was cited as a leader in establishing positive worker standards in the digital economy by Yes! Magazine.
Alan Kelley and Dan Geballe led the investment for SJF Ventures.


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Exhibition Marks Newly Reopened Museum’s First-Ever Brand Partnership
As Louis Vuitton marks its 20th anniversary in mainland China, the French luxury giant is set to team up with the National Museum of China in Beijing to present “Voyages,” the museum’s second major exhibition since the completion of its three-year-long renovation. Marking the National Museum’s first partnership with any brand, “Voyages” — which runs from May 29 to August 30 — focuses on Louis Vuitton’s historical association with travel, with the show heavy on luggage and handbags.
Along with the rare bags on show, “Voyages” features work by Chinese contemporary artist Zhan Wang (展望). Renowned for his chrome re-interpretations of traditional Taihu (太湖) stones, Zhan contributes to the exhibition his work “Initial,” as well as excerpts from his new video art piece “My Universe,” which centers on creation and destruction. Shot with a high-speed video camera, “My Universe” portrays the explosion of a five-meter-long rock from six different angles. According to Zhan Wang, “My Universe” will debut in its entirety by the end of the year at Beijing’s Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA).
Louis Vuitton’s “Voyages” exhibition is just the latest in a series of luxury/art partnerships we’ve seen in China over the past few years, which are only becoming more frequent as brands seek out creative ways to entice consumers to shop locally rather than overseas or in Hong Kong. With “Voyages” taking place in Beijing, the Lady Dior multimedia exhibition now at Plaza 66 in Shanghai, and high-end retailer Lane Crawford partnering up with emerging artists at ART HK, it looks like China’s more art-inclined luxury fans have plenty of opportunities to get their culture fix this weekend.


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5 ways Covid-19 will change the way we eat out
5 May 2020
Author: Linzi McGuire
As lockdown grips half the planet’s population at least to some extent, a lot is changing in the way we live our lives day-to-day.
The way we eat out may be changing forever as we see new habits adopted during lockdown, new health and safety concerns from consumers, and a number of new industry trends emerging. Based on recent trends, research and expert opinion, here’s 5 ways we think that covid-19 will change the way we eat out.
1. Many food service outlets will never reopen their doors, while some will have the brand strength and consumer volume to sustain success
The hit that the foodservice sector has taken because of Covid-19 is clear. In fact, the damage may be worse than first predicted as Caterlyst’s latest survey reports that 42% of outlets claim they won’t survive or aren’t sure if they’ll survive covid-19, meaning nearly half are at risk of remaining closed forever.
The long-term pain is likely to be felt in the middle-market as financial pressure makes consumers rethink what’s important to them. Fast food chains who offer cheap eats will thrive, and the top of the market (think Michelin-starred restaurants and fine dining) will bounce back.
With queues forming across Europe where consumers eagerly await the likes of McDonalds to reopen their doors, the same is likely to be seen in the UK and Ireland.
At the top end, these consumers less likely to be as heavily financially affected as the masses. Combine that with a sector that is used to less frequent covers, more exclusive opening times, high average spend per table and it’s clear to see that these establishments aren’t going anywhere.
2. The way food service outlets operate will be forced to change, but how?
Long gone may be the days for packed restaurants and bustling cafes 7 days a week, but it’s unlikely that a meal out for special occasions with groups of friends and family will go away entirely, so how will it change post covid?
Socially distanced tables? Limiting numbers of people in venues? Reduced server interaction? Mandatory cashless payment methods? Stricter H&S measures? Advanced booking becoming essential? Expect all of these to feature in the new normal.
Helen Sheridan, McCurrach Customer Development Director comments “I see app technology that allows consumers to place their orders remotely, particularly in cafes and food-to-go, becoming more common. Consumers will demand more efficiency and less server interaction to limit germ exposure. We’re already seeing these being used in places like Pret a Manger and it’s likely that other outlets will adopt the same approach.”
3. Increase on delivery for outlets who never offered this service before
Delivery is on the rise with more pubs and restaurants signing up to the likes of Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats where they have never offered delivery before. Gone are the days when pizza, Indian or Chinese were your only choices. And we’ve also seen an increase of licensed venues offering alcohol delivery services.
For many, this could be the safe alternative to dining out, and for food service outlets it’s a good adaptation to make some money when lockdown rules are in force. Now to get the delivery menu just right
4. Fine dining delivered to your home
A trend that has emerged in some of the bigger UK and Ire cities is that there has been a surge in top restaurants offering consumers the opportunity to fine dine in style from the comfort of their own homes, including Michelin star establishments.
As an example, in London, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of restaurants subscribing to SUPPER, a high-end food delivery app, while some are offering direct delivery from the restaurant. It’s not exclusive to London though, in Glasgow and Edinburgh, experimental and experiential restaurant Six by Nico has launched “Nico at Home”, selling out their last registration for ready to bake meals paired with exquisite wines in just 10 minutes. And in Dublin, there's a similar trend with local restaurants offering DIY meals kits on a subscription basis instead of takeaway options.
These meals are best enjoyed in your fineries but can also be devoured in your pyjamas if you don’t feel likely getting your glad rags on.
5. Home cooking will make a resurgence
Home cooking is on the rise as consumers focus on their health, are at home more, pass the time with home cooking and work within constrained spending.
And, we can see the effect of this in the supermarkets. Some items that are becoming increasingly difficult to find. At first it was pasta; now it’s flour.
“Food preparation at home will stick – people are searching for more and adventurous recipes on the internet as well as getting back to basics on raw ingredients. This transition to home cooking could also result in an increase in sales of cooking staples and gadgets.” says Lindsay Hey, McCurrach Technology Director.
Is homemade banana bread the new normal? While that particular trend might not be here to stay, in the wake of a recession, cooking at home for the vast majority is.
In conclusion, Covid-19 will change we way we eat out forever, from eating in becoming the new eating out to social distancing in a highly social environments. There’s a lot that businesses in this sector can do to succeed, but one thing that’s not an option is change will need to happen fast to survive, and thrive.
ABOUT THE EXPERTS:
For more information on Helen Sheridan, Customer Development Director, visit her LinkedIn page.
For more information on Lindsay Hey, Technology Director, visit her LinkedIn page.


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Imagine receiving a text message from what appears to be a trusted source - your telecom provider or a motor vehicle office - claiming your rewards points are about to expire or you owe toll fees. You click the link, enter your credit card information, and just like that, you've fallen victim to a sophisticated phishing scheme. This scenario became a reality for countless individuals across Taiwan and 44 other countries, leading to a significant crackdown by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) in central Taiwan.
A Web of Deception Unraveled
The operation, masterminded by a Taiwanese individual named Tu, involved sending deceptive text messages that impersonated credible organizations such as telecom companies, the Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co., and motor vehicle offices. Victims were duped into believing they faced urgent financial obligations or were about to lose their accrued points, pushing them to click on links that led to fraudulent websites. Here, they were asked to input their credit card details, which the scammers then used to make unauthorized purchases. High on the shopping list were luxury items, iPhones, and online game points, all bought through mobile payment platforms like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
The Scope of the Scam
The scale of this operation was truly international, with an accomplice of Tu, known only as Liao, managing to collect an astounding 12,000 credit card numbers from individuals not just in Taiwan but from 44 other countries as well. Utilizing 35 of these Taiwanese credit cards, the group succeeded in purchasing goods valued at over NT$2 million (approximately US$63,391). This extensive network of deceit not only highlights the sophisticated methods employed by modern-day scammers but also underscores the vulnerability of digital transactions in a globally connected world.
Law Enforcement Strikes Back
In a decisive move against this criminal enterprise, Taiwanese authorities have taken action, arresting 17 individuals involved in the scheme. The investigation, which is still ongoing, is examining potential violations of several serious laws, including the Organized Crime Prevention Act, the Money Laundering Control Act, and the Personal Data Protection Act. With key suspects Tu and Hsu currently detained, the message from Taiwan's law enforcement is clear: cybercrime will not be tolerated.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the ever-evolving landscape of cybercrime and the importance of vigilance in the digital age. As we continue to embrace the convenience of online transactions, the risk of falling prey to such scams remains ever-present. However, through swift and decisive action, authorities worldwide are sending a strong signal to cybercriminals: their days are numbered.