Charlotte Pipe and Foundry recently reached out-of-court settlements with two companies, B&W International of Brooklyn, and LEO International of Glendale, NY, for importing and selling cast iron soil pipe bearing Charlotte's Red End registered trademark. A third company, Max Supply of Flushing, NY, also settled out of court for importing and intending to sell pipe marked with the Charlotte Red End trademark.

"Charlotte Pipe has and will continue to defend its valued Red End trademark and all other registered trademarks," said Roddey Dowd Jr., president of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry. "Charlotte Pipe remains committed to servicing and warranting its own products in the marketplace. However, Charlotte will not accept responsibility for the field failures of cast iron soil pipe bearing the Red End mark that was not manufactured by us. Any product liability associated with the failure of improperly marked goods is the sole responsibility of the party selling or purchasing the material."

As a condition of the settlement, all three companies have agreed not to sell, distribute or attempt to sell or distribute cast iron soil pipe that violates Charlotte's trademark rights. B&W and LEO also will notify customers who purchased the Red End pipe that the material was not manufactured by Charlotte.

Should customers believe they are using goods falsely bearing the Charlotte trademark, they are asked to please notify either the company or its attorney.

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry is at P.O. Box 35430, Charlotte, NC 28235. Charlotte's attorney is: James Pacious, Collier Shannon Scott, 3050 K St., N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20007-5108.