Four seminars planned in Idaho

“Local Communities Global Customers” is the name of four trade seminars the Idaho Commerce and Labor Department is hosting next week.

The two-hour seminars cover the basics of exporting, state agency roles, programs and services, and information about upcoming Idaho trade missions. Cost is $10, and includes a continental breakfast or lunch. To register, visit cl.idaho.gov or call Carol Ryan at (800) 842-5858, ext. 2122.

The seminars will be held at the following times:

Sandpoint, Wednesday, 7:30 a.m., 2101 W. Pine St.

Coeur d’Alene, Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., 1221 W. Ironwood Drive, Suite 200.

Moscow, Thursday, 7:30 a.m., 1350 Troy Road, Suite 1

Lewiston, Thursday, 11:30 a.m., 1158 Idaho St.

Big Sky to add Spokane-Calgary flights

Starting Oct. 5, Big Sky Airlines will launch twice-daily flights between Spokane and Calgary, the company announced Friday.

The regional airline, based in Billings, Mont., set initial one-way tickets at $175, according to a company press release.

Aircraft to be used are 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900Ds.

One flight, leaving Spokane at 7:40 a.m., is nonstop and arrives at Calgary at 10:10 a.m. The second, leaving at 2:05 p.m., makes a stop at Glacier Park in Montana. It then lands in Calgary at 5:55 p.m.

Google halts scanning of some books

San Francisco Stung by a publishing industry backlash, Google Inc. has halted its efforts to scan copyrighted books from some of the nation’s largest university libraries so the material can be indexed in its leading Internet search engine.

The company announced the suspension, effective until November, in a notice posted on its Web site just before midnight Thursday by Adam Smith, the manager of its ambitious program to convert millions of books into a digital format.

“We think most publishers and authors will choose to participate in the publisher program in order (to) introduce their work to countless readers around the world,” Smith wrote. “But we know that not everyone agrees, and we want to do our best to respect their views too.”

Google wants publishers to notify the company which copyrighted books they don’t want scanned, effectively requiring the industry to opt out of the program instead of opting in.

That approach rankled the Association of American Publishers.

“Google’s announcement does nothing to relieve the publishing industry’s concerns,” Patricia Schroeder, the trade group’s president, said in a statement Friday. “Google’s procedure shifts the responsibility for preventing infringement to the copyright owner rather than the user, turning every principle of copyright law on its ear.”

Google wants to scan copyright-protected books from three major libraries — Harvard, Michigan and Stanford.

The company also is scanning books stored at the New York Public Library and Oxford University, but those two libraries so far are providing Google only with “public domain” works — material no longer protected by copyrights.

Red Robin CEO Snyder resigns

Denver

The chief executive of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. has resigned after a company investigation concluded he misused charter airplanes and corporate expense accounts.

Red Robin said a special probe identified various expenses by Michael Snyder that were inconsistent with company policies, or “lacked sufficient documentation.”

Founded in 1969, Red Robin owns and franchises 275 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Snyder had been chairman, chief executive and president of the company after merging his Snyder Group Co. with the parent company in 2000.

Red Robin said Snyder has agreed to reimburse the company for some of the expenses.

“The board of directors of Red Robin responded to the issues raised by our internal investigation, and the board’s response reflects our commitment to do what is in the best interests of our stockholders and our brand,” said Dennis Mullen, who was named the company’s new chairman and CEO. “We have taken appropriate steps to ensure consistent adherence to company policies and to allow for a smooth and effective transition in management.”

Maytag agrees to new buyout terms

Des Moines, Iowa Maytag Corp. agreed Friday to a half cash, half stock buyout from rival Whirlpool Corp., reversing an earlier recommendation to shareholders to accept a New York investment group’s all-cash deal.

Whirlpool, the nation’s leading appliance maker, increased its offer on Wednesday for the third time, proposing to buy Maytag for $1.79 billion, or $21 a share.

Including the assumption of $977 million of Maytag debt, the entire deal was valued at $2.7 billion.

It was a $1-per-share premium to the sweetened bid of $1.62 billion that Whirlpool had offered Monday.

Whirlpool’s deal is 50 percent cash and 50 percent Whirlpool stock. It also includes a $120 million “reverse breakup” fee, which would be paid to Maytag if regulators do not approve the combination.

Whirlpool’s offer represents a 50 percent premium to the initial bid of $14 per share, or about $1.13 billion, that Maytag received from investment group Triton Acquisition Holding Co. Maytag’s board accepted the all-cash offer on May 19, and had recommended to shareholders approval of that deal at an Aug. 19 meeting.

On Friday, Maytag withdrew its recommendation of the Triton deal and postponed the shareholders meeting to Aug. 30.