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NEWSWORTHY Georgia Tint Law Changes In June 2004 the Georgia State Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the state law banning window film with a visible light transmittance less than 32 percent on vehicles and the state legislature is now considering new laws to govern the application of window tint on cars in the state. Because the old law did not apply to out-of-state drivers and thus discriminated against Georgia drivers, the law, which had been in place since 1990, was overturned. However, with the new assembly session, the Georgia House of Representatives created a new bill to make driving cars with the darkest window tint a misdemeanor. Georgia State Representative and president of Gila Distributing, Calvin Hill, is one of four representatives sponsoring the new bill. Hill has been in the window film industry for 20 years (see Party Platform, Window Film magazine May/June 2004, p. 23) and is a former president of the International Window Film Association (IWFA). At press time the bill had been accepted and signed into law by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. The new law makes it illegal for motorists to add film or any other product that would reduce light transmission to less than 32 percent, plus or minus 3 percent. The law does allow for medical exemptions with a written prescription and does include language that exempts drivers of vehicles with factory tint and law enforcement vehicles. For updates to this and other stories, keep checking our website at www.windowfilmmag.com. In September 2004, a judge with the U.S. District Court of Nevada ruled that Madico’s domestic sales of FrameGARD’s GullWing™ window film attachment system infringed upon View-Plus founder Paul Poirier’s Frame/Lok™ patent and awarded damages to Poirier (see Window Film, November/ December 2004 p. 6 and January/ February 2005 p. 8). According to the news release, the three parties struck a business agreement in March that will permit each company to continue to sell its respective attachment systems. The release states that according to the settlement, Madico will pay Poirier an undisclosed sum in exchange for the rights to continue to manufacture, import, sell and install the GullWing system. These same rights are extended to UK-based FrameGARD, the GullWing patent holder in Europe. ViewPlus will continue to manufacture its Frame/Lok system, which is distributed through Glassy Business Inc. The release further states that Madico has waived its right to appeal the court’s decision and Poirier has agreed not to sue Madico, its partners or customers for patent infringement. “Today’s resolution is a large step forward for not only Madico, FrameGARD and Mr. Poirier, but more importantly for our collective customers,” said Madico president Bob Connelly. “The agreement allows all of us to continue to supply government and commercial buildings with a powerful tool for reducing glass-related hazards. In the end, safety is what truly matters.” According to Poirier, the terms of the statement will allow View-Plus to increase dramatically its visibility and reach. With the acquisition, Nippon ARC will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SDC. Operations will remain in Anageseki, Japan. Tadaho Yamagishi has been appointed president of Nippon ARC and he will report directly to William A. Gregg, president and chief executive officer of SDC. www.windowfilmmag.com/infocenter “T “Graham is pleased to have Raj Goyal lead this most vital program to provide windows that look and perform like other monumental products we make, but that add the dimension of positive protection for our ‘first responders,’ the protectors of our nation,” added Georges Thiret, president of Graham Architectural Products. Adhesives Research Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of high-performance, specialty pressure-sensitive tapes, coatings and films. Tsai will transfer from the company corporate headquarters in Glen Rock, Pa., where he has been core technologies manager for research and development since 2000. EXPANSIONS Digital optical monitoring capabilities control the consistency of metal deposition on the film and plasma treatment capability is incorporated to meet the increasing market requirements for enhanced adhesion of metal depositions to film substrates. “Adding this new metallizing line will help us continue to grow and enhance our solar control window films business, as well as take advantage of emerging new business opportunities in the precision coating segment,” said Keith Dalton, vice president of coating and laminating and vacuum coating. In addition to producing solar control window films for commercial, automotive and consumer markets, other applications now supported by the new metallizing line include packaging, graphic arts, automotive badging and specialty labels. “The company’s new capabilities can be combined with its extensive coating and laminating technologies to produce unique “hybrid” specialty film products, such as glassless mirrors used in large-screen rear projection televisions,” Dalton added. www.windowfilmmag.com/infocenter WEBSITES “I like the new look of the new forum and hope to contribute where I feel I can be relevant,” said Rob Tait, a tinter from Australia who frequents the boards. Window Film magazine also offers a free, monthly e-mail newsletter, Focus On Film. To sign up for the newsletter or access the message boards, visit www.windowfilmmag.com. |
oday, many government buildings and military barracks require blast hazard mitigation windows that maintain the architectural integrity of the structures. I am honored that Graham has selected me to head its new Blast Mitigation Products Unit, which will make special products tested to meet DOD-UFC and GSA blast protection levels, up to level ‘D,’” says Goyal. “These unique fenestration products are designed to ‘protect the protectors,’ the men and women who represent our nation’s first line of defense.”
Robert Tsai, Ph.D. has assumed the role of technical director for the research and development technical center of Adhesives Research Inc., Singapore.
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