NetMusic Entertainment of Edmonds said Plastic Card Express, which prints and distributes gift cards for a range of retail companies, will produce gift cards for the online digital music company. That should help build NetMusic’s name recognition and expand its base of customers, said Glen Starchman, NetMusic’s chief executive officer.
Internet billing case is settled
The state Attorney General’s Office has settled with a New Jersey-based Internet billing service that was accused of charging consumers for adult Web content they never ordered. Alyon Technologies will pay Washington state $15,000, has forgiven charges it claimed were owed by consumers, and has changed its operating practices. Nearly 200 Washington residents complained that they received bills as high as $600 when they were unknowingly connected to Alyon’s service.
Ex-Boeing plant wins Airbus work
A former Boeing Co. aircraft parts factory has won a $35 million contract from Airbus, Boeing’s European competitor. The contract calls on Triumph Group Inc. of Spokane to make floor panels for the A380, the superjumbo jet being developed by Airbus. It is the first time the factory has won a contract from Airbus. “Yeah, it’s a little different for us,” said Dick Welsh, spokesman for the Triumph plant. Boeing sold the Spokane plant two years ago, saying it wanted to get out of the business of making airplane parts and concentrate on design, final assembly and sales of aircraft.
Oregon jobs show some improvement
After 41 straight months with the highest or the No. 2 jobless rate in the nation, Oregon finished 2004 with a little employment growth. The 6.8 percent unemployment rate for December was a significant improvement from the revised November rate of 7.2 percent, and pushed the Oregon jobless rate closer to the national rate of 5.4 percent. Washington hasn’t released its December jobless rate.
Prosecutor defends Stewart’s sentence
Martha Stewart’s prison term is “completely reasonable” in light of a new Supreme Court opinion on federal sentencing guidelines, a top federal prosecutor said Thursday. The high court ruled Wednesday that defendants’ rights are violated when judges impose sentences higher than basic guidelines established by Congress for their crimes. But the celebrity homemaker was sentenced to five months in prison and five months house arrest for lying about a stock sale – the lowest possible sentence under the guidelines.
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