By Jennifer Sherowski

February 23, 2001

On January 31 Yoshida Recreation Products, manufacturers of Premier Snowskates, informed World Industries of its intent to take legal action for what Yoshida sees as a violation of trademark laws and a confidentiality agreement.

Last year, Yoshida licensed a number of snowskates to World, allowing the boards to be sold under the World Industries name as long as they were bought from Yoshida. And according to Sales Manager Mark Miller, World Industries President Bruce Freeberg signed a confidentiality agreement that restricted World from taking Premier Snowskates technology to another manufacturer for production. But Miller says Yoshida recently learned that World has gone to Playmaker, a New Jersey based manufacturer, to have identical boards produced offshore at a lesser cost.

"World is in direct violation of their contract with Yoshida concerning snowskates," says Miller. "We want them to know we will definitely pursue this in the courts if need be."

World had no comment on situation. So far the company�s snowskate product is still in the sample stages and hasn�t yet been sold to retailers. But Miller notes that Premier has a trademark on the name "snowskates" (which he says World has carried over to its Playmaker-produced product), as well as pending design and application patents on its snowskates. "Yoshida will do what it has to protect its trademarks and pending patents," he says, "but our doors are open and we want to resolve this quickly and amicably."