Human Touch would like to congratulate Tim Clark on his recent win at the Australian Open.

Tim overcame many obstacles to win in a thrilling playoff.

“It will improve my world ranking (with double points loaded because it is a national Open) so it’s a very important win for me with the Presidents Cup this year.” - Tim Clark.

Born in Durban, South Africa, Tim Clark, currently ranked 28th in the World Golf Rankings, has been a successful player in the PGA Tour since 2001 and is a member of the Human Touch Wellness Council promoting Human Touch Massage Chairs.

9 to 5 just got a little more tolerable

All those meetings. The ridiculous deadlines. That guy who keeps stealing your chair. It’s no wonder today’s business-casual worker is stressed, tired and sore. But there is hope and help. And unlike the turpentine-strong coffee burning in the office kitchen, this remedy won’t give you the jitters or breath toxic enough to melt titanium.

Yes, even executives who once scoffed at the idea, are now realizing and welcoming the many benefits of onsite massage chairs in the office. Major corporations, such as Boeing, Apple Computer, PepsiCo, Sony Music and United Airlines now offer massage therapy onsite, and the trend is spreading faster than the office gossip about that new receptionist’s alleged tattoo.

Studies show even brief, routine massages in high-end massage chairs like Human Touch^®’s (as little as 15 minutes a day) provide significant mental and physical benefits, and can actually improve bottom line. Beginning with stress reduction - the leading cause of disability - massage chairs provide a cost-effective solution to helping reduce physical and mental burnout and stress-related diseases.

Regular massage has also been proven to energize tight muscles and combat fatigue, helping rejuvenate people and improve mental clarity. Additionally, onsite massage chairs improve employee morale and are valuable in establishing a rewarding work environment and attracting top talent.

Now, instead of hiring pricey massage therapists who only offer employees a short window of availability, high-end massage chairs in the office offer the convenience of an anytime stress-buster and pick-me-up. Human Touch massage chairs offer all the advantages received from the hands and training of professional massage therapists right in the conference room or that old supply closet.

Take an action item to get a Human Touch massage chair at work and discover just how quick, convenient, and effective it can be to for professionals to feel better, play better and perform better.

I have just returned from an inspiring hike with my wife Debra and our two daughters Dakota and Elli. Halfway through our journey we found a great rocky out-cropping to stop and have a picnic. From our vantage point we were all struck by the beauty and the blessing of our rocky mountain home. Living as we do, above 7000 feet, away from the urban “energy” it could be easy to forget that while we are enveloped by all this beauty we are at the same time in the midst of serious environmental challenges. The time where environmentalism is seen as a “left of center” movement is over. We are all being summoned to step up, take action and be the change that needs to happen for our planet to survive. The time to resolve to evolve is now. We are the ones who can choose to green up and revolutionize one or many parts of our lives by improving our health and the health of our planet in the process.

Begin simply by making a commitment to managing your daily living choices. Start with turning off the lights; electricity production accounts for more than 1.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions — flicking the switch is a great start. Set an intention to move more with the power of your walking shoes, bicycle or whatever “non-fuel” mode you prefer. Notice where you can use your own power to get somewhere and get there feeling great! Use mass transit when you can and when you do need to drive, turn off the engine when you can rather than letting it idle. More than 10% of all of our fuel is wasted idling away. Set up areas around your community, like church, schools and wherever people may tend to idle and hang a sign encouraging folks to turn off their cars while they wait.

The good news is the consumption of pure water is way up; the bad news is that we are wasting and using far too many plastic bottles in the process. Using a re-useable water bottle that you can fill from your own filtered source is the best solution to this. You’ll save money and prevent more plastic crowding the landfills.  When you find you have no choice but to buy a bottle of water, please remember to recycle it when you are done. Clever scientists are finding more and more ways to reuse the recycle the plastic stuff!

Remember the bumper sticker that said “Think Globally Act Locally“? Perhaps the most “local” place to be acting on is your own body. You can be making major strides with your health and the health of the planet with the foods you choose. This time of the year we set the tone for greener living by supporting local farmers and growers at the farmers markets. When you choose locally grown and organic produce you are being a positive change agent on many levels. First, when you choose organic you are voting with your dollars to support environmentally sustainable agriculture and doing your part in reducing the use of pesticides and other chemicals that pollute our air and our water. Challenge and inspire yourself to see how close you can eat to home; meaning that especially during these warm summer months there is often more than enough delicious local fruits, vegetables and other blessings close at hand. In other words, we need not buy foods that have been shipped, sailed, flown or driven thousands of miles to get to our table. You can also choose to lighten your environmental footprint by eating a more plant-centered diet and “lower” on the food chain. See how and where you can make a shift. It could be choosing to eat vegetarian one or more days a week or one meal a week. Research shows that being more plant-centered in your eating supports better cardiovascular health and lower rates for many types of cancer. You will find that what is good for the planet is more than likely also good for you!

I want to live more simply and I hear this from people all over the country. We are empowered in the full knowing that moving away from a lifestyle that is stuff-centered and towards a life that is more Spirit-centered the tendency towards conspicuous consumption loses its allure. Today, choose to stop and really take in the beauty of our planet, its vast amazing presence and power and realize that you are a link to its survival. Take any step that you can to move in the direction of its healing. Take a stand and share this knowing with someone else and together we can and we will co-create a community of healers and healing for ourselves and our planet!

Dr. James Rouse, ND

“To be fully alive is to be on fire with purpose.”

Dr. James Rouse is a naturopathic physician with extensive credentials in the wellness field including post-doctorate work in acupuncture, Chinese medicine and transpersonal psychology.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT AWARDS $4.55 MILLION IN DAMAGES TO HUMAN TOUCH® IN TRADEMARK/TRADE DRESS INFRINGEMENT ACTION

Long Beach, CA - September 17, 2008 - Human Touch®, the leading brand of high-performance, design-oriented massage chairs for today’s modern and traditional living spaces, announced today that a U.S. District Court jury awarded $4.55 million in damages to the company in its trademark/trade dress infringement and unfair competition action brought against American Lighting Industry, Inc for intentional infringement of Human Touch’s trademarks and trade dress as it relates to its Human Touch massage products and technology. The jury also awarded Human Touch $2.8 million against co-defendant King Kong U.S.A., Inc. and $425,000 against King Kong’s president, Bernard Koay. 

The trademarks in this case all include the name Human Touch and the jury found that both federally registered and unregistered marks were valid and infringed. The jury also determined that Human Touch had protectable trade dress rights in the innovative design and overall appearance of its HTT-10 model massage chairs and that King Kong had infringed on those rights.  Defendant Koay was found to have known about, and encouraged, the infringement by King Kong. The jury held that all defendants had committed acts of unfair competition and that all defendants acted intentionally.

“Human Touch is a pioneer and leader in the development of massage technology and thus holds numerous patents and trademarks. For almost three decades, Human Touch has been developing, marketing and branding innovative technology” said Andrew Cohen, President of Human Touch. “Our retail partners, distributors and consumers know that there is a difference in the comforts and technologies of a Human Touch branded massage chair and thus we will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure that our intellectual property is protected and that retail partners and consumers are never misled by competitors.”

Attorneys David Dillard and Art Hasan led the Christie, Parker & Hale legal team that prosecuted the case. “Human Touch’s reputation and goodwill, developed over decades of hard work, are engendered in its trademarks and the unique, recognizable designs of its massage chairs,” Dillard said. “We will not allow competitors to profit by copying these valuable assets and trading off the reputation and goodwill that Human Touch enjoys with consumers and in the industry.”  

In a related action, Human Touch announced separately today that another U.S. District Court jury awarded $1.7 million in damages to the company in a patent infringement action brought against WFO Imports, LLC. In that matter, the jury validated Human Touch’s rights to U.S. Patent No. 6,629,940 (referred to as the ‘940 patent), which describes a proprietary lower leg massage technology used in the footrest portion of some Human Touch massage chairs.

About Human Touch®:

Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of robotic massage products, offers advanced technology and designs for consumers seeking to incorporate health and wellness into their everyday routine. Appealing to back pain sufferers, sports enthusiasts, and those looking to relax from today’s hectic lifestyles, Human Touch® delivers high-quality Robotic Massage^® chairs, zero gravity recliners, and other massage products that are generations ahead of the competition. Human Touch® sells products to specialty stores, fine furniture stores across the country, on-line at www.humantouch.com as well as internationally through retailers and distributors in more than 48 countries worldwide.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT AWARDS $1.7 MILLION IN DAMAGES TO HUMAN TOUCH® IN PATENT INFRINGEMENT SUIT

Long Beach, CA - September 16, 2008 - Human Touch®, the leading brand of high-performance, design-oriented massage chairs for today’s modern and traditional living spaces, announced today that a U.S. District Court jury awarded $1.7 million in damages to the company in its lawsuit against WFO Imports, LLC, which does business as Premier Health Products, for infringement of its exclusive patent rights directed to key aspects of its Human Touch massage technology.

In January, the Court ruled that a number of massage chairs marketed and sold by the defendant, namely Premier Health Products’ PHP 2024, 2026, 2026w and 2027 massage chairs have infringed the patent at issue, which describes Human Touch’s proprietary lower leg massage technology and is used in the footrest portion of some Human Touch massage chairs. The technology has a unique paddle design and movement that provides a multi-dimensional massage around the user’s calf and lower leg.

Over the past three decades, Human Touch (formerly Interactive Health LLC) has invested millions of dollars into developing its proprietary technologies to effectively replicate the massage movements of professional massage therapists. Human Touch filed suit against WFO Imports, LLC in 2006 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Human Touch became aware that WFO Imports, LLC was manufacturing and distributing massage chairs that incorporated its proprietary lower leg massage technology, which infringed the exclusive patent rights held by Human Touch, LLC. The jury recognized the validity of the ‘940 patent and awarded Human Touch $1.7 million in damages.

“Human Touch is a pioneer and leader in the development of massage technology and thus holds numerous patents and trademarks. For almost three decades, Human Touch has been developing, marketing and branding innovative technology” said Andrew Cohen, President of Human Touch. “Our retail partners, distributors and consumers know that there is a difference in the comforts and technologies of a Human Touch branded massage chair and thus we will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure that our intellectual property is protected and that retail partners and consumers are never misled by competitors.”

Attorneys David Dillard and Art Hasan led the Christie, Parker & Hale legal team that prosecuted the case. “We are very pleased that the jury recognized the truly innovative nature of this invention,” Dillard said.  “Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but not when it comes to a fundamental risk to Human Touch’s business and immense goodwill the company enjoys with consumers and in the industry.” 

In a related action, Human Touch announced separately today that another U.S. District Court jury awarded $4.55 million to the company on trademark, trade dress, and unfair competition claims brought against American Lighting Industry, Inc. and other parties.

About Human Touch®:

Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of robotic massage products, offers advanced technology and designs for consumers seeking to incorporate health and wellness into their everyday routine. Appealing to back pain sufferers, sports enthusiasts, and those looking to relax from today’s hectic lifestyles, Human Touch® delivers high-quality Robotic Massage^® chairs, zero gravity recliners, and other massage products that are generations ahead of the competition. Human Touch® currently sells products to specialty stores, fine furniture stores across the country, on-line at www.humantouch.com as well as international retailers and distributors in more than 48 countries worldwide.