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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This
weekly newsletter covers:
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Coby Electronics Recalls Boomboxes Due to Fire Hazard
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Acer America Corporation Recalls Notebook Computer Batteries Due to Previous Fires
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The Holmes Group Recalls Oil-Filled Electric Heaters Due to Fire Hazard

(1)
COBY ELECTRONICS RECALLS BOOMBOXES DUE TO FIRE HAZARD
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of product: Coby-Brand USB/MP3/CD Boomboxes Units: About 13,800 Importer: Coby Electronics Corp., of Maspeth, N.Y. Hazard: When left plugged into an electrical outlet and the off switch is not firmly in place, these boomboxes can overheat, posing a fire hazard. Incidents/Injuries: Coby Electronics Corp. has received 18 reports of these boomboxes overheating resulting in three reports of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported. Description: The recalled Coby boombox is a portable CD/MP3 player with an AM/FM radio. The USB feature allows it to be connected to a computer. The boombox is primarily white with silver-colored speakers. The word “COBY” is written on the front and “DIGITAL” is written on the top. The model number, “MP-CD475” also is written on the top. The recalled units have serial numbers, located on the rear of the unit beneath the AC power cord plug-in outlet, in the following range limits:
0736000001 through 0736005000
0816000001 through 0816005300
0826000001 through 0826003500
Sold at: Discount, toy and office supply stores nationwide from August 2006 through December 2006 for between $20 and $50. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should unplug these boomboxes immediately, and contact the firm for information on returning the recalled units and receiving a refund. Consumer Contact: For additional information, call Coby Electronics Corp. at (800) 524-9219 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.cobyusa.com


(2)
ACER AMERICA CORPORATION RECALLS NOTEBOOK COMPUTER BATTERIES DUE TO PREVIOUS FIRES
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Acer America Corporation, today announced a voluntary program for the replacement of certain notebook computer lithium-ion batteries containing Sony-made cells. Consumers should only use the notebook computer using AC power until a replacement battery pack is received. Name of product: Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries containing Sony-made cells used in Acer notebook computers. Units: About 27,000 Computer Importer and Distributor: Acer America Corporation, of San Jose, Calif. Computer Manufacturer: Acer Inc., of Taiwan Battery Cell Manufacturer: Sony Energy Devices Corp., of Japan Hazard: The lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: As announced previously, there have been 16 reports of notebook batteries overheating. These reports were associated with earlier recalls by other notebook computer manufacturers of batteries containing these Sony cells. These previous reports involved only minor property damage and two minor burns. None of these reports involved batteries in Acer notebook computers. Description: Only lithium-ion batteries with the following part numbers and battery week codes and used in the following Acer notebook models, are included in the recall:
Acer Notebook System Series Beginning with: | Acer Battery Pack No. (Part of Barcode) | Battery Pack Serial Week Code Range (Part of Barcode) | Battery Week Code Range (in front of Barcode) | Battery Week Code Range on Red Sticker |
| TravelMate 321x | BT00604001 | | | 0521-0545 |
| | Aspire 980x | BT00804016 | | 63V, 63W, 63X, 63Y | |
| TravelMate 242x, TravelMate 330x | Aspire 556x | BT00604005 | 601-626 | | |
| TravelMate 561x | Aspire 930x, Aspire 941x | BT00807010 | 614-630 | | |
| TravelMate C20x | BT00604002 | | 5BR-5BZ; 5C1-5C9; 5CA-5CZ; 611-619; 621-629; 62A
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| TravelMate 422x, TravelMate 467x | Aspire 560x, Aspire 567x | BT00804011 | | | 0551-0626 |
| TravelMate 320x | BTT4807001 | 418-552 | | |
Sold through: Authorized electronics retailers nationwide from May 2004 through November 2006 for between $500 and $1,500. Manufactured in: China and Taiwan Remedy: Consumers should stop using these recalled batteries immediately and contact Acer to receive a free replacement battery. Consumers can continue to use the notebook computers safely by turning the system off, removing the battery, and using the AC adapter and power cord to power the system until the replacement battery is received. Consumer Contact: For assistance in determining if their battery packs are covered by this program and to request a free replacement battery pack, consumers can visit the firm’s Web site at www.acerbatteryrecall.com/AcerWeb -- consumers also can contact Acer toll-free at (800) 503-2330 anytime. 

(3)
THE HOLMES GROUP RECALLS OIL-FILLED ELECTRIC HEATERS DUE TO FIRE HAZARD
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of product: Holmes® Oil-Filled Electric Heaters Units: About 300,000 Distributor: The Holmes Group, of Milford, Mass. Hazard: A poor electrical connection within the heater can lead to overheating. This poses fire and thermal burn hazards. Incidents/Injuries: The Holmes Group has received reports of 59 incidents involving the recalled heaters. There were 12 reports of minor injuries including four reported burns. There were 36 reports of property damage including four fires that caused between $41,000 and $200,000 in damage. Description: The recall involves Holmes oil-filled electric heaters with model number HOH2505 and HOH2520. The model number and “Holmes®” are printed on the side of the unit near the bottom. Sold at: Discount department stores, hardware stores and other retailers from September 2005 through February 2007 for between $40 and $50. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heaters and contact the Holmes Group to receive a free replacement heater. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact The Holmes Group at (800) 306-2471 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.holmesoilfilledheaterrecall.com
 HOH2520 |  HOH2505 |

DISCLAIMER: This column is not intended to create an attorney-client
relationship. The information contained in this update is general in nature.
Individual situations of readers may not fit the general educational
information described in the column. Readers are strongly encouraged to consult
with an attorney to evaluate individual situations and provide legal advice.
Any reliance on the information contained herein is taken at the reader's own
risk and should not be considered legal advice.

Mr. Lynch can be reached at Cozen and O'Connor, 501 West Broadway, Suite 1610,
San Diego, California 92101, 800-782-3366 (voice), 619-234-7831 (fax),
palynch@cozen.com (e-mail), http://www.cozen.com. Follow us on Twitter at @firesandrain.

Please direct comments, suggestions, stories, and other items to the author by
e-mail at palynch@cozen.com
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