MELVILLE, NY— China’s Guangdong High People’s Court has ruled in favor of Leviton, a producer of electrical and electronic wiring devices and the manufacturer of GFCIs, in a suit brought against Leviton by Tongling Technology Group, now known as General Protecht Group. On June 23, 2010, the court rejected Tongling’s appeal and affirmed the judgment of the Guangzhou Intermediate Court, which earlier this year ruled in Leviton’s favor and dismissed a patent infringement suit brought against Leviton’s Dongguan-based subsidiary, Leviton Electronic Co., Ltd.

CHICAGO—Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has appointed Goodman Theatre Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez as a member of the Illinois Arts Council. Godinez joins the Council of 21 private citizens chosen for their demonstrated commitment to the arts. Council members serve in a voluntary capacity for four-year terms, and are charged with developing the state’s public arts policy and fostering quality culturally diverse programs.

NEW YORK—The Entertainment Technician Certification Program Council has approved the Navigator Automation Class at Fisher Technical Services, Inc. (FTSI) as an ETCP Recognized Training Program. FTSI’s four-day course gives students an overall view of the principles of entertainment automation systems and teaches the basics of how to configure and program an automation system using FTSI’s “Navigator” hardware and software.

NEW YORK—ESTA has posted draft standard BSR E1.17 - 201x, Entertainment Technology - Architecture for Control Networks for review here. (http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php) The draft standard is a suite of documents that revise sections of the existing ANSI E1.17 - 2006. The revisions include changes to the Device Description Language, the Session Data Transport protocol, the Device Management Protocol, and to various EPIs.The revisions are being done to correct errors and to add additional functionality to the standard. The review period runs through August 23. The review is over when August 24 starts. Responses must be submitted before then to be considered.

SAN ANTONIO, TX—At the 34^th Annual League of Historic American Theatres conference in San Antonio the League gave the 2010 Outstanding Historic Theatre Award to PlayhouseSquare in Cleveland, Ohio, and its 2010 Outstanding Individual Contribution Award to Andrea Rogers, long-time Executive Director of the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, Vt. League President James Boese, vice president of the Nederlander Producing Company of America, New York, NY, announced the awards during the organization’s Annual Award Banquet on July 17.

NEW YORK—The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, has announced the nominees for its 2010 awards ceremony. Over the past six years, the IT Awards has honored more than 1,000 individual artists, 350 productions and 250 theatre companies; having collected more than 22,000 ballots from more than 4,500 judges. The 2010 Nominees include 118 individual artists, 55 different productions and 50 Off-Off Broadway theatre companies. The fifth annual awards show will take place Monday, Sept.20 at a location TBD. A complete list of nominees is after the jump.

NEW YORK—The Entertainment Technician Certification Program Council has approved the Academy of Production Technology (APT) application to become an ETCP Recognized Training Program. The Academy’s three-day course covers the concept of electrical theory, power distribution and networking for stage and studio. Course instructor is APT Founder Richard Cadena, who is an ETCP Certified Entertainment Electrician and Recognized Trainer as well as editor of industry magazine PLSN. Now that the course is recognized, ETCP Certified Technicians who attend will receive full ETCP Renewal Credits.