Armor business has banner year Costa Mesa...

Armor business

has banner year

Costa Mesa armor manufacturer Ceradyne, Inc. reported Tuesday that

the firm made a record $82 million in sales during the fourth quarter

of 2004.

Ceradyne recorded about $214 million in total sales last year,

more than double the $101.5 million recorded in 2003. The firm

reported having a close to $200-million backlog at the end 2004.

Ceradyne manufactures ceramic plate body armor and is a contractor

to the U.S. military. The company opened a new plant earlier this

month to design prototypes for military vehicles that would use

ceramic armor to protect soldiers from enemy fire.

Organization sues

club over music rights

The former Josh Slocum’s -- Dennis Rodman’s Newport Beach club,

which recently changed its name to Rodman’s -- was named in a lawsuit

filed Monday by the American Society of Composers, Authors and

Publishers. The suit alleges that 24 restaurants, bars and clubs in

15 states, including Josh Slocum’s, played copyrighted music without

permission.

The society is a nonprofit organization representing 8 million

songs that charge a licensing fee to those who want to use the music.

The society has tried to contact the clubs since 2002 to make them

aware of federal copyright laws, and filing the suit is a last

resort, said Vincent Candilora, senior vice president of licensing

for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Such

suits are common and most defendants settle out of court, he said.

Rodman’s General Manager Pat Connors said Wednesday he’s not aware

of the suit and hasn’t seen any recent requests to pay a licensing

fee to the society.

Local firm files

suit against Target

Paul Frank Industries, a closing design firm headquartered in

Costa Mesa, filed a federal suit Tuesday in Los Angeles against

Target Corp. for allegedly copying Paul Frank’s trademark character,

Julius the Monkey, an attorney said.

Paul Frank Industries attorney Allen Grodsky said his client would

seek a cease-and-desist order against Target and monetary damages.

The amount of money sought in the case depends on how much of the

alleged copycat products were sold. The suit was filed in federal

court in Los Angeles.

Target representatives did not return a phone call seeking

comment.

A mystery waiting

to happen at library

Find out whodunit today when the Newport Beach Public Library

Foundation hosts mystery authors James W. Hall and Daily Pilot

alumnus T. Jefferson Parker, who will discuss their latest novels and

how to write effective works of suspense.

The writers will speak from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Friends Meeting

Room at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave. The

event is free, and attendees can purchase books by the authors and

have them signed. For more information, call (949) 717-3890 or visit https://www.nbplfoundation.org.