Former publisher admits to removal of confidential properietary materials From NPT Publishing Group.

THE NONPROFIT TIMES and its former publisher, Kevin Landers, settled a lawsuit brought by the parent company of THE NONPROFIT TIMES, NPT Publishing Group, Inc. (NPT), against Landers and his employer, North American Publishing.

In its lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County, NPT Publishing Group, Inc. alleged that Landers, prior to leaving NPT, had removed confidential and proprietary information, which he and North American Publishing Co. used in launching a competitive publication.

In a signed Consent Order filed with the Superior Court on January 10, 2005, Landers admitted removing NPT's confidential and proprietary information, including: annual and projected budgetary information; production costs; employee salary and anticipated business information; a "booking report;" and advertising information, including revenue data and NPT's list of potential and existing advertisers and contact information.

Landers and North American Publishing Co. also admitted using NPT's confidential and proprietary information to solicit advertisers for the competitive publication that was launched in 2003.

In the Consent Order, Landers and North American Publishing Co. agreed not to use any of NPT's confidential and proprietary information in the future.

John McIlquham, president of NPT, said: "Our position has been vindicated. We set out to obtain admissions that Landers had taken our confidential and proprietary information, and that both Landers and North American Publishing Co. had used such information in their business. Now we have obtained those admissions and justice has been served. Our valuable business partners can rest assured that we have protected them from improper business practices."

Headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., NPT Publishing Group specializes in business-to-business publications and communications materials for nonprofit senior executives. NPT publications, which include THE NONPROFIT TIMES, THE NONPROFIT TIMES DIRECT RESPONSE FUNDRAISING EDITION, EXEMPT MAGAZINE, NPT WEEKLY and NPT INSTANT FUNDRAISING, reaches approximately 100,000 professionals.