Abstract: Plastic cutlery and tableware made in at least two parts joinable to form a unitary utensil, serving piece, beverage container or non-food contacting tableware in which the two parts are made of different materials. The materials of the two parts differ in at least one of the following: color, type of plastic, grade of plastic, source of plastic, and additives such as the presence of an anti-microbial agent, transparency, or reflectivity. Food-grade resins, for example, can be used for the heads of cutlery and recycled resins are used for the handles. Heads can be separately metalized and then joined to non-metalized handles. Handles may be made to fit to different types of heads. The two parts of the cutlery may be joined by inserting a tang extending from one into a cavity formed in the other. The two parts of tableware may be joinable by a snap-fit configuration.

Abstract: A method for controlling distribution and access to an information product, said method comprising the steps of: superposing a utility-reducing masking effect on said information product; controlling the presence, absence and/or permanence of said masking effects by the outcome of an interactive communication between a provider and a receiver of said information product. The term information product includes books, video recordings, audio recordings, music, images and multimedia works. The masking effects described in the present invention are of a generally interfering nature and can be superposed on the information object as an overlay, interruption, interference, discontinuity, disturbance or disorientation. The purpose of imposing a masking effect is to derive a masked version of the information product for preview purposes that can be readily distributed to interested customers in an unrestricted manner.

Abstract: A method for controlling distribution and access to an information product, said method comprising the steps of: superposing a utility-reducing masking effect on said information product; controlling the presence, absence and/or permanence of said masking effects by the outcome of an interactive communication between a provider and a receiver of said information product. The term information product includes books, video recordings, audio recordings, music, images and multimedia works. The masking effects described in the present invention are of a generally interfering nature and can be superposed on the information object as an overlay, interruption, interference, discontinuity, disturbance or disorientation. The purpose of imposing a masking effect is to derive a masked version of the information product for preview purposes that can be readily distributed to interested customers in an unrestricted manner.

Abstract: A plastic cutlery item molded from a plastic material, such as polystyrene, having a metallic coating that imparts to this cutlery item the appearance of metal cutlery or silverware. In one embodiment the plastic cutlery or tableware items are molded using injection molding techniques, and subjected to a vacuum metallizing process in an individualized non-contiguous manner, where a thin metallic layer is deposited on at least one of their surfaces. The resultant items simulate the appearance of metal cutlery or tableware. In one embodiment of the invention the plastic cutlery or tableware articles are molded from a clear polystyrene resin and are coated with a thin stainless steel layer through vacuum sputtering deposition on only one of the sides. The abrasion resistance of the metallic coating can be enhanced by subjecting the articles to a post-metallizing holding period or by applying a clear protective overcoat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a food container assembly comprising a base and a lid wherein the base and the lid are structurally identical in one of the embodiments. The base and the lid include inter-cooperating sealing areas in the form of ridges and mating grooves. The base and the lid can be joined via a first hinge/latch combination in a mutually hingeable relationship along a pair of corresponding sides, and in addition, can be mutually secured along an opposing pair of corresponding sides via a second hinge/latch combination. According to one embodiment of the invention, the container base includes a bottom wall; a sidewall; and a peripheral rim having a ridge portion, a groove portion, a hinge flap and a locking area; wherein the container base is adapted for engagement and latching with another identical container base disposed in an inverted and superjacent relationship therewith.