HALO TAKES AN AGGRESSIVE STANCE AGAINST TRADEMARK INFRINGERS

American E-liquid Brand Fights to Protect Intellectual Property on a Global Scale

Tampa, Florida, Dec. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pure Labs takes action to protect the intellectual property of its flagship E-liquid brand, Halo, relentlessly prosecuting multiple trademark infringers.

Pure Labs recently brought civil action and successfully defended its intellectual property rights against US-based vape company, The Blinc Group, Inc. It was discovered that Blinc was illegally using the Halo mark in the branding of its vaping device kit and accessories, marketed as the “Halo System”, “TipHalo”, and “BaseHalo”. Akerman LLP represented Pure Labs against Blinc by negotiating a substantial settlement payment, as well as Blinc’s agreement to immediately cease the use of the infringing branding, destroy or rebrand all infringing packaging and inventory, and abandon numerous trademark applications similar to Pure Labs Halo trademarks.

An ongoing lawsuit between Pure Labs and French company, So Smoke, is progressing through the French Judicial System. Pure Labs asserted that So Smoke has been illegally using Halo’s logo, trademarks, and flavoring in E-liquid products under the Reservoir Freaks brand. Pure Labs has been working diligently with French counsel to pursue legal action, resulting in a search and seizure of the product in question and forcing So Smoke to repackage the litigious products.

Pure Labs employs a dedicated in-house team to continually monitor and thwart intellectual property theft involving any of its trademarks. “Ensuring that Halo customers around the world can confidently vape Halo’s award-winning tobacco and menthol e-liquids as they complete their journey of ending their addiction to combustible cigarettes has always been a top company initiative.”, stated Jeffrey Stamler, Co-Founder of Pure Labs.  

About Pure Laboratories

Operating since 2009, Pure Laboratories (Pure Labs) is a state-of-the-art 110,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility located in Gainesville, Florida. Nicopure Labs, a subsidiary of Pure Labs, is an industry-leading tobacco and menthol e-liquid manufacturer, globally recognized for the production of its American-made, award-winning vaporization products. With a 10,000-sq. ft. ISO 7 cleanroom, Pure Labs is synonymous with quality manufacturing. Pure Labs’ corporate headquarters are based in Tampa Florida, with additional operations located in Europe.

For additional information about carrying Halo’s premium American-made E-liquid and innovative line of vaporizer devices, please email Halo’s principal distribution partner, Syndicate Distribution at sales@syndicatedistribution.com.

For additional information on Pure Laboratories’ full capabilities visit www.PureLabs.com.

For media inquiries, please email press@purelabs.com.

Samantha Knight
Pure Labs
press@purelabs.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8706279

TRADE X Opens New Automotive Trading Facilities in Kenya

The TRADE X global automotive trading platform creates a strategic hub in Kenya, which will serve automotive dealers within key East African countries

TORONTO, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — TRADE X, a B2B cross-border automotive trading platform based in Ontario, Canada, today announced that it has opened a new Kenyan trading corridor, which includes both a shared bonded warehouse in Mombasa and an office in Nairobi, as the company expands its reach across the African continent.

TRADE X provides auto dealers, car rental companies, fleet owners and mobility solution providers with a seamless end-to-end process for the sourcing and distribution of cross-border vehicle inventory. With the highest GDP in East Africa, Kenya serves as a strategic location, providing a direct-access route to trade with landlocked countries such as South Sudan and Uganda, where it is legal to drive vehicles registered in neighboring countries.

Over the past few months, TRADE X has focused on developing a presence in Kenya and building broader trust within the automotive industry. In May, TRADE X began buying and shipping inventory to Kenya as the company works toward making right-hand drive vehicles available on its platform.

“Our focus is on building trust with dealers and helping them to understand the process and pricing structure,” said Andrew Agbro, Vice President for Trade and Business Development at TRADE X. “Every dealer we work with has applauded us not just for our prices but for the quality of our vehicles. For example, we don’t accept vehicles that have been in accidents — and we are still more cost efficient than our competitors.”

In Kenya, the bulk of automobiles originate in Japan. Unlike other African markets, Kenya has strict import requirements. Vehicles must not be older than seven years, and cars must pass an inspection process before being shipped into the country. Vehicles that are shipped to Kenya without first passing an inspection are destroyed.

TRADE X is focused not only on tapping into the supply coming out of Japan, but to opening new trade routes between Kenya and countries such as the U.K, Australia, Thailand, South Africa, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

“Kenya is a high-quality and discerning market,” said TRADE X SVP of Global Business Development Eric Gosselin. “Because the inspection process in Kenya is so rigorous, Kenyans prefer to purchase foreign pre-owned vehicles rather than buy locally. We are excited to set up our East African base in Kenya as we move closer to adding right-hand-drive vehicles to our platform.”

In Kenya, popular automotive brands include Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Subaru. TRADE X is looking to further expand the variety of makes and models available to Kenyan car buyers.

Interested automotive dealers in West Africa can sign up at tradexport.com to begin procuring vehicles, accelerating inventory turnover and driving revenues.

The company’s AI-driven ‘Brain’ software provides dealers, fleet owners, and mobility solutions providers first-ever support in all aspects of vehicle trading. This includes trade financing, compliance, customs requirements, international payments processing, vehicle inspections, digital trade documentation, and homologation. TRADE X provides peace of mind and security for users, whether they are trading within their own continent or overseas. TRADE X simplifies the experience and ensures each transaction is transparent, compliant, insured, and monitored from start to finish.

About TRADE X

With headquarters in Ontario, Canada, TRADE X is the first global vehicle marketplace to aggregate cross-border supply and demand for car dealers, fleet owners, rental companies, mobility solution providers, importers, and exporters, opening new trading corridors to buy and sell vehicles. The TRADE X ‘Brain’ platform is a machine-learning, AI-driven technology that connects buyers and sellers through a transparent marketplace that aids sellers in finding the world’s highest bidders and gives buyers access to the best vehicle source markets and price arbitrage opportunities. Users can quickly and seamlessly transact online in a secure environment with all the complexities of international trade – compliance, anti-money laundering regulations, vehicle inspection, currency exchange, digital trade documentation, payments, and financing – all managed by TRADE X. The company serves authorized buyers and sellers everywhere with a user-friendly app available 24/7 via mobile, tablet, or desktop. TRADE X’s largest investors include Aimia Inc., a publicly traded holding company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: AIM). To learn more, please visit www.tradexport.com.

Media Contact:                      
Siobhan Nolan                         
JConnelly                                                   
(862) 217 9585                          
snolan@jconnelly.com

TRADE X Contact:
Shelley Keller
Director, Corporate Communications + Brand
shelley.keller@tradexport.com

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Vantage introduces Social Trading to make trading more interactive

Vantage App is also available on more phone models

PORT VILA, Vanuatu, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Vantage (or “Vantage Markets”), the multi-asset broker, has launched social trading on the Vantage App, making it an all-in-one trading app that supports both regular trading and social trading.

Lian Jie, Assistant App Marketing Director, Vantage

Social trading is an innovative feature that turns trading into a social event. Experienced traders can share their trading strategies as signal providers. Novice traders will be able to follow numerous signal providers, gain insights from experienced investors, and trade their strategies by mirroring the trades of others.

The Vantage App offers access to over 1000 trading instruments including CFDs on Forex, Commodities, Indices, Energy, Shares, ETFs and Bonds.

It has an intuitive in-app navigation and provides a comprehensive range of charts, technical tools, order types, personalised trading reports and alerts. Available in 14 languages, the Vantage App also offers market analysis and market news powered by Trading Central and FX Street.

With the growing demand for mobile trading in mobile-centric markets, the Vantage App is now supported on OPPO, VIVO, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Samsung devices, on top of iOS and Android devices.Vantage introduces Social Trading to make trading more interactive

Lian Jie, Assistant App Marketing Director at Vantage explains how the new feature is revolutionizing the traditional CFD industry. “As our active investor profile gets younger, our clients have been more willing to explore and adopt innovative trading methods like social trading, going beyond traditional trading methods. At Vantage, we understand how technology and innovation can transcend boundaries, so we have utilized the power of technology in our Vantage App to meet the needs of the next generation and provide a seamless and convenient experience for all our clients.”

About Vantage

Vantage  (Vantage Global Limited (VFSC 700271) ) is a global, multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading CFDs on Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs and Bonds.

With more than 13 years of market experience, Vantage now has over 1,000 employees across more than 30 global offices.

Vantage is more than a broker. It provides a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that enables clients to take advantage of trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play.

trade smarter @vantage

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ICANN Launches Initiative to Advance Africa’s Digital Transformation

Coalition for Digital Africa to Collaborate for Greater Internet Access, Connectivity

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today launched the Coalition for Digital Africa, an initiative aimed at expanding the Internet in Africa. Conceived by ICANN, the Coalition is an alliance of like-minded organizations committed to building a robust and secure Internet infrastructure to bring more Africans online.

ICANN logo

Home to the youngest population on the planet, 70 percent of whom are under age 30, Africa has one of the fastest-growing Internet penetration rates in the world. Internet connectivity is growing by leaps and bounds – from 1.2 percent in 2000 to 43 percent in 2021 – driven by a digitally savvy, young, and educated urban workforce for whom adopting and using online services is second nature.

“The Coalition for Digital Africa provides an opportunity for new ways of cooperating and collaborating among diverse stakeholders,” said ICANN President and CEO Gӧran Marby. “Though the Coalition was initiated by ICANN, its success is dependent on synergistic work with other organizations – be they local, regional, or international – who are united in their aim to enhance Africa’s Internet infrastructure, increase the rate of Internet access, bolster Internet security, and raise the level of participation from Africa in multistakeholder policymaking development.”

The Coalition will further promote innovation aimed at building technical capacity and encourage entrepreneurialism by enabling people to access the Internet using their own languages and scripts. While its official launch took place during a press conference at the 17th annual Internet Governance Forum, the Coalition already has rolled out activities in pursuit of its goals.

To make the Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure in Africa more robust so that it can cater to the rapid growth, the Coalition announced the installation of an ICANN Managed Root Server (IMRS) cluster in Kenya last month. Another cluster is planned for a second location in Africa next year. These clusters enable regional Internet queries to be answered within the region, rather than being dependent on networks and servers in other parts of the world. The IMRS clusters will also reduce the impact of potential cyberattacks in Africa.

“The launch of the Coalition brings us one step closer to strengthening the Internet infrastructure in Africa. The Coalition provides an important vehicle to enable a better protected DNS and more secure Internet infrastructure in Africa,” said Mr. John Omo, Secretary General, African Telecommunications Union. Further noting that the establishment of the Coalition will play the important role of enhancing confidence in many online systems that are now being mainstreamed, even as the continent looks forward to growing Internet penetration in Africa from the current 43% to globally competitive levels.

The Coalition’s focus is on creating meaningful connectivity throughout Africa. The Coalition will begin by working to better adapt the Internet in Africa to enable digital inclusivity and creating opportunities to spur the growth of local content and businesses. Key to that effort is Universal Acceptance, or UA, which ensures that all valid domain names and email addresses, regardless of length or script, can be used by all Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems. With UA, people who are already connected, and those who will be connected in the future, can communicate over the Internet and access local content in their preferred languages and scripts.

One way the Coalition will tackle this is through a project led by the Association of African Universities aimed at making email and other systems within higher education UA-ready. This is an essential step toward ensuring an Internet that is both useful and empowering for all people.

“This is an important and welcome initiative for Africa. Improving the technical capacity of higher education institutions across the continent is imperative for a digital Africa,” said Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General of the Association of African Universities. “We are happy to take part in this journey to give African Internet users the opportunity to be part of a truly global, inclusive, and multilingual Internet.”

The Coalition for Digital Africa comprises governments, regional and international organizations, and the local Internet community. Inaugural partners of the Coalition also include the African Information Network Centre, AfRegistrar Association, Africa Top Level Domain, Africa Telecommunications Union, Association African Universities, Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération, International Telecommunication Union-Development Sector, and Network Startup Resource Center.

More information is available at www.coalitionfordigitalafrica.africa.

About ICANN

ICANN’s mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you have to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation and a community with participants from all over the world.

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l’ICANN lance une initiative pour favoriser la transformation numérique de l’Afrique

La Coalition pour l’Afrique numérique travaillera à l’amélioration de l’accès et de la connectivité à Internet

ADDIS-ABEBA, Éthiopie, 1er décembre 2022 /PRNewswire/ — La Société pour l’attribution des noms de domaine et des numéros sur Internet (ICANN) a lancé aujourd’hui la Coalition pour l’Afrique numérique, une initiative destinée à développer l’Internet en Afrique. Conçue par l’ICANN, la Coalition est une alliance d’organisations animées par les mêmes idées et engagées à développer une infrastructure Internet robuste et sécurisée, capable de permettre la connexion d’un plus grand nombre d’Africains.

ICANN logo

Avec une population qui compte 70 % de jeunes de moins de 30 ans, l’Afrique a l’un des taux de pénétration de l’Internet les plus élevés au monde. La connectivité à Internet y progresse à pas de géant – de 1,2 % en 2000 à 43 % en 2021 – portée par une force de travail urbaine jeune, éduquée et férue de numérique, pour qui l’adoption et la consommation de services en ligne sont devenus une seconde nature.

« La Coalition pour l’Afrique numérique est l’occasion de mettre en place de nouveaux modes de coopération et de collaboration entre différentes parties prenantes », a déclaré Gӧran Marby, président-directeur général de l’ICANN. « Si la Coalition a été lancée par l’ICANN, son succès dépend toutefois du travail en synergie avec d’autres organisations – locales, régionales ou internationales – qui œuvrent ensemble au renforcement de l’infrastructure Internet de l’Afrique, à l’augmentation du taux d’accès, au renforcement de la sécurité en ligne et à l’amélioration du niveau de participation de l’Afrique à l’élaboration de politiques multipartites. »

La Coalition favorisera en outre l’innovation en matière de renforcement des capacités techniques et encouragera l’entrepreneuriat en permettant aux utilisateurs d’accéder à Internet dans leurs propres langues et écritures. Même si son lancement officiel a eu lieu lors d’une conférence de presse à l’occasion du 17e Forum annuel sur la gouvernance de l’Internet, la Coalition a déjà entrepris des activités en vue d’atteindre ses objectifs.

Pour consolider l’infrastructure du système des noms de domaine (DNS) en Afrique et lui permettre de répondre à une forte croissance, la Coalition a annoncé le mois dernier l’installation d’une grappe d’instances du serveur racine géré par l’ICANN (IMRS) au Kenya. Une autre grappe est prévue l’année prochaine sur un autre site en Afrique. Grâce à ces grappes, les requêtes Internet peuvent être traitées dans la région, sans qu’il y ait besoin d’avoir recours à des réseaux et à des serveurs situés dans d’autres parties du monde. Les grappes IMRS réduiront l’impact d’éventuelles cyberattaques dans toute l’Afrique.

« Le lancement de la Coalition représente un pas de plus vers le renforcement de l’infrastructure Internet en Afrique. La Coalition constitue un excellent moyen de mettre en place un DNS mieux protégé et une infrastructure Internet plus sûre en Afrique », a indiqué M. John Omo, secrétaire général de l’Union africaine des télécommunications. Il a également fait remarquer que la création de la Coalition jouera un rôle important dans le renforcement de la confiance à l’égard de nombreux systèmes en ligne qui sont en cours de diffusion, alors même que le continent africain envisage de faire passer le taux actuel de pénétration d’Internet de 43 % à des niveaux mondialement compétitifs.

L’objectif de la Coalition est de garantir une connectivité significative dans toute l’Afrique. Dans un premier temps, la Coalition s’attachera à adapter l’Internet en Afrique afin de favoriser l’inclusion numérique et de créer des opportunités pour stimuler la croissance des entreprises et la création de contenus locaux. Un élément déterminant de cet effort est l’acceptation universelle (UA), qui garantit que tous les noms de domaine et les adresses électroniques valides, sans distinction de longueur ou d’écriture, puissent être utilisés par toutes les applications, tous les dispositifs et tous les systèmes connectés à Internet. L’UA permet aux personnes déjà connectées et à celles qui le seront à l’avenir de communiquer sur Internet et d’accéder à des contenus locaux dans la langue et l’écriture de leur choix.

Pour y parvenir, la Coalition s’appuiera entre autres sur un projet mené par l’Association des universités africaines, qui vise à rendre le courrier électronique et les autres systèmes de l’enseignement supérieur compatibles avec l’UA. Il s’agit d’une avancée majeure pour garantir un Internet qui soit à la fois utile et porteur d’autonomie pour tous.

« Cette initiative est importante et positive pour l’Afrique. Renforcer les capacités techniques des établissements d’enseignement supérieur du continent est un impératif pour l’Afrique numérique », a déclaré Olusola Bandele Oyewole, secrétaire général de l’Association des universités africaines. « Nous sommes heureux de contribuer à ce projet qui permettra aux internautes africains de faire partie d’un Internet véritablement mondial, inclusif et multilingue. »

La Coalition pour l’Afrique numérique regroupe des gouvernements, des organisations régionales et internationales, ainsi que la communauté Internet locale. Parmi les partenaires fondateurs de la Coalition figurent également le Centre d’information du réseau africain, l’Association des bureaux d’enregistrement accrédités par l’ICANN en Afrique, l’Association africaine de noms de domaine de premier niveau, l’Union africaine des télécommunications, l’Association des universités africaines, l’Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération, le secteur Développement de l’Union internationale des télécommunications et le Network Startup Resource Center.

Pour de plus amples informations, consultez le site www.coalitionfordigitalafrica.africa.

À propos de la ICANN

La mission de l’ICANN consiste à garantir un Internet mondial sûr, stable et unifié. Pour contacter une personne sur Internet, vous devez saisir une adresse sur votre ordinateur ou autre dispositif : un nom ou un numéro. Cette adresse doit être unique pour permettre aux ordinateurs de s’identifier entre eux. L’ICANN coordonne ces identificateurs uniques à l’échelle mondiale. La société ICANN a été fondée en 1998 en tant qu’organisation à but non lucratif reconnue d’utilité publique. Elle rassemble au sein de sa communauté des participants du monde entier.

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