Pioneer Electronic Corp

Technicolor Videocassette Inc., based in Camarillo, has vowed to defend itself "vigorously" against a patent-infringement lawsuit filed in connection with the firm's fast-growing compact-disc duplicating unit. The suit, filed by Discovision Associates, an Irvine-based subsidiary of Japan's giant Pioneer Electronic Corp., charges Technicolor with infringing on three of Discovision's U. S. patents in manufacturing and duplicating CDs and CD-ROMs.

Technicolor Videocassette Inc., based in Camarillo, has vowed to defend itself "vigorously" against a patent-infringement lawsuit filed in connection with the firm's fast-growing compact-disc duplicating unit. The suit, filed by Discovision Associates, an Irvine-based subsidiary of Japan's giant Pioneer Electronic Corp., charges Technicolor with infringing on three of Discovision's U. S. patents in manufacturing and duplicating CDs and CD-ROMs.

In a sign that Japan's lifetime employment system is fraying under the pressures of recession, a major electronics manufacturer said Friday that it has told 35 managers to retire early or be fired. Kazuya Yamamoto, a spokesman for Pioneer Electronic Corp., said the managers were asked to quit before their retirement age of 60. If they refused, they would be fired by the end of this month. "Some of these older employees used to work very hard," Yamamoto said.

In a sign that Japan's lifetime employment system is fraying under the pressures of recession, a major electronics manufacturer said Friday that it has told 35 managers to retire early or be fired. Kazuya Yamamoto, a spokesman for Pioneer Electronic Corp., said the managers were asked to quit before their retirement age of 60. If they refused, they would be fired by the end of this month. "Some of these older employees used to work very hard," Yamamoto said.

Two U.S. subsidiaries of Japan's Pioneer Electronic Corp. have jointly bought a 100% stake in DiscoVision Associates for $200 million, Pioneer said today. The main business of DVA, based in Costa Mesa, Calif., is licensing a worldwide patent portfolio for optical disc recording and reproducing technology. DVA was previously a 50-50 joint venture betweeen International Business Machines and MCA.

Pioneer Electronic Corp., a major Japanese audio products maker, said today that reports of Paramount Communications Inc. approaching it with an offer to sell its motion pictures division were based on a misunderstanding. On Monday, a Pioneer spokesman had said that the American company contacted Pioneer last year with what he called a preliminary offer and that Pioneer declined it. Paramount on Monday denied ever contacting Pioneer.

Pioneer Electronic Corp., a major Japanese maker of audio products, said Monday that U.S.-based Paramount Communications Inc. had approached it with an offer to sell its motion pictures division. A Pioneer official said his company declined the offer, one of several reportedly made by the U.S. entertainment and publishing giant to Japanese companies. But Paramount denied that it sounded out several Japanese companies about a possible sale. "It is a falsehood.

MTV to Debut in Japan: MTV will begin broadcasting customized programming in Japan this fall under an affiliation agreement, a network statement said. The service will be broadcast by Music Channel Co. Ltd., a Tokyo company that is a joint venture of Pioneer Electronic Corp., TDK Corp. and Tokyu Agency Inc. Japanese viewers will be able to receive the music video service on satellite and cable systems. Music Channel will introduce MTV with free promotional broadcasts starting in October.