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www.BoatingIndustry.com INDUSTRY NEWS 10 | Boating Industry | July 2017 NMMA Canada lobbies federal parliamentarians Representatives from the Canadian recre- ational boating industry gathered in the na- tional capital last week as part of NMMA Canada's fifth annual Recreational Boating government advocacy initiative. The "Day On The Hill" event – named in reference to the Canadian parliament's location atop a hill in downtown Ottawa – saw teams of industry stakeholders including NMMA Canada members; representatives from boat, engine and parts and accessories manufacturers; and representatives from re- gional marine trade organizations across the country meet with a number of MPs and se- nior political and departmental staff in order to highlight issues concerning the Canadian boating industry, including access to water, abandoned and derelict vessels, looming E15 fuel regulations and barriers to trade. Discussions concerning trade centered on potential changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, potential trade agreements with a post-Brexit UK, as well as a potential replacement for the scuttled Trans-Pacific Partnership. The group took advantage of the event to educate parliamentarians on the grow- ing economic value of the country's boat- ing industry, as outlined in a newly released study titled "The Economic Impact of Rec- reational Boating in Canada: 2016." The study, conducted by Hickling Arthurs Low on behalf of NMMA Canada and in cooper- ation with Discover Boating Canada and re- gional marine trade associations, shows the industry as generating revenues estimated at C$10 billion in 2016, which generated $5.6 billion in direct GDP and supported nearly 75,000 jobs nationwide. The numbers rep- resent a near 12 percent growth rate over the previous economic impact study con- ducted in 2011. "The Day On The Hill initiative is an im- portant element in NMMA Canada's overall advocacy efforts on behalf of the Canadian recreational boating industry," said executive director Sara Anghel. "The opportunity for members to discuss important issues directly with parliamentarians and key policymakers is critically important not only for the indus- try, but for the regulators themselves, who deal with complex issues involving multiple stakeholder groups. Our advocacy efforts ensure that the boating industry is part of relevant discussions concerning trade or reg- ulatory issues, and that our members have a voice in Ottawa." Malibu, MasterCraft settle lawsuit Malibu Boats, LLC, and MasterCraft Boat Company, LLC, have settled the patent in- fringement cases brought by Malibu against MasterCraft, the companies announced on May 2. Under the terms of the settlement, Mas- terCraft will make a one-time payment to Malibu Boats and will enter into a license agreement for the payment of future royal- ties for boats sold by MasterCraft using the licensed technology. "We are pleased to conclude the litiga- tion between our two industry-leading com- panies," said Malibu CEO Jack Springer. "While both companies were steadfast in their position, we are satisfied that we have reached a reasonable outcome. This is a positive development for us and allows Malibu to focus on continuing growth and improvement. As we continue to innovate and to build our valuable patent portfolio, we will continue to be aggressively focused on ensuring that industry participants rec- ognize the value of our innovation and subsequent patents." In a statement, MasterCraft said that while it has "steadfastly denied" that its technology infringed any Malibu patents, "the continuing burden and expense of liti- gation made settlement the economically prudent move." Terry McNew, MasterCraft's president and CEO, said, "We are pleased to have this dispute behind us and look forward to build- ing on MasterCraft's legacy of award-winning products. While we felt strongly about our position in this dispute, we know there is sig- nificant cost and uncertainty associated with the judicial process, and as a result, we view this settlement as a positive outcome for Mas- terCraft. We are satisfied that the terms of the settlement are reasonable for both Mas- terCraft and Malibu, and we look forward to MasterCraft's continued role in advancing our market segment for the benefit of both MasterCraft and the entire industry." Malibu filed the patent suit in 2015, alleg- ing that MasterCraft's Gen 2 Surf System and NXT Surf System violates Malibu's patents. Garmin acquires Active Corporation Garmin Ltd. announced that it has acquired Active Corporation, a developer of crowd- sourced rich content for boaters, marketed as ActiveCaptain. ActiveCaptain is a com- munity based, electronic marine database that contains near real-time information about marinas, anchorages, local points of interest and marine hazards – most of which is user-generated – for cruising and sailing destinations around the world. The database boasts more than 250,000 users and can be accessed via web browser or a variety of mobile applications. "There is really nothing else out there that compares to the depth and breadth of the ActiveCaptain database," said Cliff Pem- ble, Garmin president and CEO. "Mariners rely on ActiveCaptain to make their voyages better informed and more enjoyable, and we are delighted to add this technology to the Garmin portfolio." "Garmin is a technology leader among boaters of all types, and we are looking for- ward to working with them to make Active-