THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 13, 1996 TAG: 9606130515
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 54 lines
Junk mail the winner in solicitation suit
A judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by an anti-junk mail crusader who claimed U.S. News & World Report illegally profited by selling his name to other companies. Arlington Circuit Judge William T. Newman Jr. ruled Tuesday that Ram Avrahami had ``no property right'' in a fake name he used on a subscription form so he could track whether the magazine sold his name. Avrahami deliberately misspelled his name as ``Avrahani'' on the form. Avrahami said junk mail caused him anxiety and inconvenience and asked for $5,000 in punitive damages and a court order prohibiting the magazine from distributing his name. (Associated Press)
Consumer prices rise 0.3 percent in May
Consumer prices climbed 0.3 percent in May as continued increases in gasoline prices offset a moderation in food costs. The Labor Department reported today that last month's increase in the Consumer Price Index represented a slight moderation following gains of 0.4 percent in both March and April. For the first five months of this year, consumer prices are rising at an annual rate of 4.1 percent, sharply above the 2.5 percent increase turned in for all of 1995. This rise in inflation and a sharper-than-expected rebound in economic growth have spawned widespread fears that the Federal Reserve will start raising interest rates when they next meet on July 2-3. (AP)
AOL's billing practices investigated by New York
The New York state attorney general's office has begun a ``formal investigation'' into the billing practices of America Online, the world's largest on-line service. ``There is an investigation that's been going on for the past eight weeks, having to do with billing issues,'' a source said Tuesday. ``In essence, it revolves around how they break down the time that they charge for and whether it's fair. It's being investigated as a consumer issue.'' Mark Carey, a spokesman for the attorney general, said the office ``as a matter of policy would neither confirm nor deny any investigation.'' AOL's chief executive officer, Steve Case, said he was unaware of any such investigation. (Newsday)
Justice Department investigating Visa
The Justice Department apparently is investigating possible antitrust violations by Visa International. Gina Talamona, a spokeswoman for the antitrust division at the Justice Department, confirmed that the department ``recently'' began ``looking at competitive issues involving the prohibition of certain joint ventures in the credit-card industry.'' Talamona could not confirm that Visa was the target of the probe, but a person familiar with the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it is. The investigation follows complaints by American Express Co. that Visa's policy of prohibiting its United States card issuers from issuing any other brand of credit card is anti-competitive. (AP) by CNB