Newport Corp. Keeps Its Name and Web Site

Both Newport Corp. and Newport Electronics Inc. took their names from the Newport Beach area when they were founded three decades ago, and they have coexisted without incident--until Newport Corp. laid claim to the Internet site www.newport.com.

Newport Electronics sued, alleging trademark infringement and other unfair business practices. But a federal jury in Connecticut ruled unanimously against the claims, allowing Newport Corp. to keep its name and its Web site.

Neither company, though, is based in Newport Beach.

Newport Corp., a maker of high-precision components for laser and optical technologies, makes its home in Irvine. Newport Electronics, a maker of panel meters and other electronic instrumentation, is based in Santa Ana and holds the rights to the www.newportus.com Web site.