A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft. The good-granddaughter of a historic Ogden brewer is suing for what she says is unauthorized use of her household’s identify and trademark. (U.S. District Court docket)
Estimated learn time: 7-8 minutes
OGDEN — Karen Becker Edson was strolling into the Ogden River Brewing restaurant a few years in the past when she seen a plaque exterior the constructing.
It claimed that the restaurant stood on the precise location that Becker Brewing as soon as stood. Because the great-granddaughter of John Becker, one of many authentic founders of Becker Brewing, Edson stated she knew this was incorrect, and he or she talked about it to an worker within the bar space.
She additionally seen a big picture of her great-uncle, Gustav Becker, sitting with three different Beckers. Edson thought it was odd that Ogden River Brewing had an image of her members of the family, “however didn’t notice there was trigger for concern at the moment,” she says in a brand new lawsuit.
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It wasn’t till July 2021, when Edson and her household went to the Ogden River Brewing restaurant for dinner that she grew to become involved. The plaque nonetheless hung exterior the constructing, and the picture of her household was nonetheless inside. Then Edson spoke with a supervisor, who instructed her that Ogden River Brewing would quickly start making Becker’s Finest beer.
Edson did not know the way this was doable, since she’d by no means given anybody permission to make use of her household’s identify or branding. Upon being seated, she seen that the menu provided “Becker’s Finest Fish n’ Chips” in a font just like what Becker Brewing as soon as used on its beer labels, the lawsuit says.
This expertise was the catalyst for Edson and her daughter, Erin Ruzek, to start investigating domains, trademark filings and social media pages. Ruzek spoke with the CEO of Lotus Craft, the registered agent for Ogden River Brewing. Edson’s attorneys despatched a stop and desist letter, then a second letter after they say the primary one went unanswered.
Lastly, Edson took her grievances to court docket.
On Dec. 16, Edson filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court docket in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft alleging false designation of origin, false endorsement, abusing a private identification, violation of frequent legislation proper of publicity and false promoting.
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The federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, together with defendants’ income, legal professional charges, as much as thrice the quantity of the plaintiffs’ damages “and additional aid because the court docket deems simply and correct.”
The lawsuit explains how Edson found her household’s identify and model are getting used, and compares images of Becker Brewing branding with Ogden River Brewing branding.
Court docket information present Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft have till Jan. 10, 2023, to reply. District court docket information don’t at present checklist any attorneys for both firm, and neither instantly responded to requests for remark.
The Becker Brewing model
A lot of the go well with is devoted to establishing Becker Brewing’s lengthy historical past in Utah and its impression on Ogden, specifically. John Becker immigrated to the U.S. from Germany within the late 1850s, it states, and opened a brewery with a companion in Minnesota.
John Becker’s oldest son, Gustav, then traveled to Ogden in 1890 with companion William Schellhas and opened the Schellhas Brewing Firm. Two years later, John Becker and his youngest son, Albert, arrived in Ogden and the Beckers took over your entire operation, renaming it Becker Brewing and Malting.
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What adopted was a long time of being “probably the most profitable of all of the Ogden breweries, if not all Utah breweries,” the lawsuit says. “Becker Brewing is the one brewery in Utah to have operated earlier than, throughout and after Prohibition. It was open longer than every other Utah brewery, staying in enterprise for 75 years and persevering with to function in a restricted capability for a number of years thereafter.”
Becker Brewing closed its doorways in 1962 resulting from competitors from giant nationwide breweries, the lawsuit states, however the Becker household did not promote the buildings till the early Nineteen Seventies. They have been finally demolished in 1984.
“Nonetheless, the Becker identify and the Becker model proceed to reside on within the hearts and recollections of Utahns,” the lawsuit states. For example, Utah State College holds an “spectacular assortment” of Becker images and memorabilia; collectors nonetheless seek for Becker-related merchandise on websites like eBay; and snowboarding websites like Becker Face and Snowbasin’s Becker Carry are nods to the Becker household’s position in selling the game.
In response to the go well with, Lotus Craft “purports” to personal the next marks:
Becker’s Finest
Becker’s Premium Lager Firm
Becker’s Premium Lager Co.
Out West It is Beckers and design
Becker’s Mellow
A trademark search on the US Patent and Trademark Workplace web site reveals that Lotus Craft utilized for the primary three marks (Becker’s Finest, Becker’s Premium Lager Firm and Becker’s Premium Lager Co.) between November 2019 and September 2020, however every submitting was subsequently deserted between November 2022 and December 2022.
Quoting from the US Patent and Trademark Workplace’s rejection of considered one of Lotus Craft’s makes an attempt to register these marks, the go well with states that the corporate “has co-opted a model it alleges was deserted to the general public area and seeks to commerce on the remaining, if any, goodwill and nostalgia that was probably generated by the unrelated third-party proprietor.”
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The opposite two listed marks (Out West It is Beckers and design; and Becker’s Mellow) have been filed for by Lotus Craft in September 2020, then “revealed for opposition” between August 2022 and September 2022. Each marks are at present listed as “reside.” The go well with states that Lotus Craft was allowed to register these marks and that Edson’s attorneys have filed for extensions of time to oppose these purposes.
It additionally alleges that Ogden River Brewing has used no less than three of those “misappropriated” marks straight on cans of beer: Becker’s Finest, Becker’s Premium Lager Co. and Out West It is Beckers. These beer cans are marketed on Ogden River Brewing’s social media platforms and offered at brick-and-mortar places in Utah, the lawsuit states.
A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft by the great-granddaughter of Ogden brewing legend John Becker. (Photograph: U.S. District Court docket)
These cans bear a “hanging resemblance” to cans of Becker’s Finest manufactured by Becker Brewing within the Nineteen Forties, the lawsit says, from the fonts to the brand’s defend form to the usage of the “Becker Brewing goose.”
A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft by the great-granddaughter of Ogden brewing legend John Becker. (Photograph: U.S. District Court docket)
Ogden River Brewing’s label even states, “Based in 1892 alongside the banks of Utah’s Ogden River and stood for 75 years as one of many longest working breweries within the West. Proudly introduced again by our household of brewers.”
A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft by the great-granddaughter of Ogden brewing legend John Becker. (Photograph: U.S. District Court docket)
A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft by the great-granddaughter of Ogden brewing legend John Becker. (Photograph: U.S. District Court docket)
The go well with continues that there are not any collaborations between the Becker household and Ogden River Brewing or Lotus Craft, and that the Becker household has not been compensated in any method for the usage of their identify and model.
“Due to defendants’ unauthorized use of the misappropriated Becker marks, plaintiff not has any capability to revive the Becker model at the side of her personal use of the model, authentic licensing, and/or joint collaboration in return for compensation, one thing plaintiff has thought-about doing,” the lawsuit states.
Bringing again Becker?
The go well with additionally emphasizes that Ogden River Brewing head brewmaster Pat Winslow hasn’t been shy about how he is drawing from Becker Brewing branding. For example, the go well with references a 2017 Fb submit through which Winslow wrote that Ogden River Brewing will “carry again the spirit of Becker Brewing with a dedication to superior and regionally sourced substances, craftsmanship and group. … I plan to honor the Becker household with beers and hand-crafted drinks named after the founders and characterize Becker’s contribution to the craft and group within the taproom’s décor.”
In one other instance, the go well with references November 2017 Instagram posts on the Ogden River Brewing Instagram account which state issues like, “We’re bringing native beer again to Ogden!” and “Channeling the spirit of Becker Brewing for this.”
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A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft by the great-granddaughter of Ogden brewing legend John Becker. (Photograph: U.S. District Court docket)
A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft by the great-granddaughter of Ogden brewing legend John Becker. (Photograph: U.S. District Court docket)
Moreover, the go well with outlines how Edson and Ruzek tried working straight with Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft earlier than going to court docket. Ruzek spoke with Lotus Craft CEO Brian Wrigley over the cellphone in July 2021, it states, expressing concern about how her household’s identify and model have been getting used. Wrigley instructed Ruzek that they’d tried to contact her household, however the one makes an attempt Ogden River Brewing ever made to contact the Beckers have been by way of two Fb posts on the corporate web site, asking anybody who is aware of the Beckers to please put them in contact with the corporate, in accordance with the lawsuit.
A screenshot from a lawsuit filed in opposition to Ogden River Brewing and Lotus Craft by the great-granddaughter of Ogden brewing legend John Becker. (Photograph: U.S. District Court docket)
It continues that Wrigley instructed Ruzek that his firm “made the idea Becker’s Beer had ‘died off’” and so they “needed to ‘honor it.’” Ruzek requested that Ogden River Brewing cease utilizing the Becker identify, however says the defendants didn’t achieve this.
Edson’s attorneys subsequent despatched a cease-and-desist letter to Wrigley in August 2021, the lawsuit continues, which Wrigley didn’t reply to. A second letter despatched in September 2021 was met with “‘three choices to cooperate with the Becker’s household representatives,’ none of which consisted of cessation of use of the Becker identify,” it states.
“Defendants demonstrably knew they wanted permission from a Becker member of the family to make use of the misappropriated Becker marks, however when that permission was not obtained, (they) proceeded to make use of the misappropriated Becker marks anyway,” the lawsuit states.
Utah Hockey Club (16-15-6, in the Central Division) vs. Calgary Flames (18-12-7, in the Pacific Division)
Calgary, Alberta; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Hockey Club look to break their five-game losing streak with a victory against the Calgary Flames.
Calgary has a 13-4-3 record at home and an 18-12-7 record overall. The Flames have gone 16-3-3 when scoring three or more goals.
Utah has a 16-15-6 record overall and an 11-8-2 record on the road. The Utah Hockey Club have a 6-9-5 record in games their opponents commit fewer penalties.
The teams play Thursday for the second time this season. The Utah Hockey Club won 5-1 in the previous meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jonathan Huberdeau has 16 goals and 13 assists for the Flames. Nazem Kadri has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
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Clayton Keller has 13 goals and 24 assists for the Utah Hockey Club. Dylan Guenther has scored six goals with four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flames: 5-3-2, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.4 assists, four penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
Utah Hockey Club: 4-4-2, averaging 2.7 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.7 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flames: None listed.
Utah Hockey Club: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Today I’ll be chronicling the best performances of the 2024 calendar year from our Golden State Warriors. Although the Dubs didn’t make the playoffs during the 2023-2024 season and have been pretty mid to finish the year, there have been plenty of fantastic individual performances to enjoy and give Dub Nation hope for the future.
One such performance came from Buddy HIeld in a win against the Utah Jazz. Check out the vid!
Goldblooded eyes on Splash Buddy
Buddy Hield is the kind of player who makes offenses hum, and his tantalizing skills are built on a foundation of one elite trait: shooting. And not just your run-of-the-mill, standstill shooting—Hield is a flamethrower, a guy who can bury threes in a dizzying variety of ways. Whether it’s coming off a screen, spotting up, or pulling up in transition, Hield is always a threat to light it up from anywhere on the court. His stroke is effortless, his confidence unshakable, and his range downright ridiculous. For any team in need of offensive firepower, Hield’s skill set is like plugging a cheat code into your offense.
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What makes Hield so lethal is the speed at which he operates. He’s not just a shooter—he’s a mover. He sprints off screens with precision, keeping defenders glued to his hip and bending defenses as they scramble to keep up. His ability to relocate and find open pockets of space is elite, and he doesn’t need much time or airspace to get his shot off. That constant motion creates gravity, and Hield’s presence alone can open up driving lanes for his teammates or force defenses into mistakes.
But don’t box Hield in as just a three-point specialist. He’s also got a sneaky knack for putting the ball on the floor and attacking closeouts. While his handle isn’t flashy, it’s effective enough to punish overzealous defenders who fly by him on the perimeter. And once he’s inside the arc, Hield can pull up for a smooth mid-range jumper or finish with a floater. He’s a solid secondary creator, capable of keeping the offense flowing when plays break down.
Defensively, Hield’s game doesn’t shine as brightly, but he’s no slouch. He competes, plays within the scheme, and uses his strength and quickness to hold his own against most matchups. While he may never be a lockdown defender, his offensive impact more than compensates for any shortcomings on that end.
Ultimately, Buddy Hield’s skill set is tailor-made for a modern NBA offense. He’s a sniper with elite off-ball movement, a player who thrives in space and elevates those around him. Plug him into a system with ball movement and shooting, and he becomes a weapon of mass destruction—someone who can swing games with his scoring bursts and keep defenses in constant panic mode. In Buddy Hield, you get a player who embodies the art of shooting in its purest, most tantalizing form.
The 2024 season for the University of Utah football team started out with high expectations and much promise.
Through one-and-a-half games, the Utes looked like a team capable of reaching their preseason goal of winning the Big 12 championship, but injuries to starting quarterback Cam Rising derailed the season.
Utah’s offense foundered for the majority of the season as the Utes lost seven consecutive games for the first time in the Kyle Whittingham era, finishing with a 5-7 record.
Here are 10 moments that defined Utah’s 2024 season:
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Preseason expectations set the stage: Utah wasn’t shy about its expectations for the season — to win the Big 12 Conference and make its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. With quarterback Cam Rising, who had led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships in his last two healthy seasons, returning, the addition of receiver Dorian Singer and the return of tight end Brant Kuithe, the offense appeared set. The defense also returned a lot of its contributors from the previous season.
Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll, setting up high expectations, which the team itself shared.
Utah interim OC Mike Bajakian stands on the sidelines, with headset, as Utah plays Southern Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, August 29, 2024. The Utes did what expected in the opener, defeating Southern Utah 49-0 to start the season. | Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics
A 2-0 start … but trouble arises: Utah was always going to run away from Southern Utah, but the way the season started had Ute fans dreaming about what could be. In a 49-0 season-opening win, Rising played for the first time since the 2023 Rose Bowl and threw for 254 yards and five touchdowns in one half.
Next week against Baylor, it was the same story. Utah raced out to a 23-0 lead and Rising threw two first-quarter touchdown passes, but everything came to a screeching halt when Rising was pushed into a Gatorade cooler.
Rising would suffer a finger injury that would keep him out for the next three contests.
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Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising is driven out of bounds by Baylor Bears defensive lineman Treven Ma’ae (9) as Utah and Baylor play at Rice-Eccles stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Sept. 7, 2024. Rising injured his finger on the play, which sidelined him for a number of games. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Isaac Wilson helps Utah to a 4-0 start: It wasn’t the situation that Utah envisioned for Isaac Wilson in his true freshman year. Wilson won the backup quarterback job over Brandon Rose and Sam Huard, but the plan, ideally, was for the Deseret News Mr. Football winner to learn from Rising and only play in mop-up situations.
Wilson was thrust into action after Rising’s injury and helped lead the Utes to a 4-0 start, beating Utah State on the road and then traveling to Stillwater for a top-15 matchup against Oklahoma State.
Of course, both the Utes and Cowboys ended the season toward the bottom of Big 12’s worst standings, but at the time, it was a monumental matchup, and though he made some mistakes, Wilson helped guide Utah to its first Big 12 win, with 207 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception, plus 41 rushing yards.
Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson (11) runs the ball towards Oklahoma State safety Kendal Daniels (5) Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla. | Mitch Alcala
A season-ending injury for Rising as Utah’s Big 12 dreams go up in dust in the desert: After weeks of game-time decisions surrounding Rising and his ability to play, the senior quarterback returned to the field in a crucial game at Arizona State.
Utah lost 23-10 to Arizona the week before, and a second Big 12 loss would severely hurt any title prospects.
Rising’s return went anything but as expected. He completed just 16 of 37 passes for 209 yards and threw three interceptions. His finger injury looked to be bothering him, and early on in the game, he suffered a lower-body injury. Though he played through it, it clearly limited him, and turned out to be a season-ending injury.
Just like that, Rising’s season was done early and so, too, was the Utes’.
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Utah quarterback Cameron Rising looks to throw against Arizona State, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. Rising suffered a lower-body injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. | Rick Scuteri, Associated Press
Andy Ludwig resigns: Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig returned to Utah in 2019 and helped the Utes to some of their most impressive offensive performances, including two Pac-12 championships and a revitalization of the passing game.
It felt like Ludwig was going to stay on at Utah until Kyle Whittingham retired, but after a 13-7 loss to TCU — Utah’s third defeat in a row and third time in as many games that the offense failed to score more than 19 points — that changed.
Ludwig resigned after six years in his second as Utah’s offensive coordinator and Mike Bajakian was named the interim offensive coordinator.
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig watches players during warmups as Utah and Baylor prepare to play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. After three straight defeats in which the Utes’ offense struggled, Ludwig announced his decision to step down. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Season hits a low point in Houston: After losing three straight games, it felt like Utah’s game at Houston was a make-or-break moment for the program. Yes, the Utes were all but out of the Big 12 title race with three early conference losses, but could still get the season back on track with a winning streak.
Houston seemed like it could be a get-right game for the Utes.
For the most part, Utah’s defense did its job, limiting Houston to 17 points, but the Utes only mustered 14 points in a fourth-straight loss.
Wilson was benched in the third quarter, and Brandon Rose got his first real action of his career, but couldn’t lead Utah to a victory against the 2-5 Cougars.
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Houston wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV, left, breaks ae tackle-attempt by Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn, right, to score on a pass play during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Houston. | Michael Wyke
Brandon Rose starts against BYU, but Utes lose heartbreaker to Cougars: The first conference rivalry game in over a decade featured two teams on polar opposite tracks.
BYU entered the contest with a No. 9 ranking and a perfect 8-0 record, while Utah was reeling after losing four straight.
Looking to spark offensive change, Rose started, and the offense found life for the first time in weeks. Utah shocked BYU, getting out to a 21-10 halftime lead behind Rose’s 87 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, plus 45 rushing yards.
Shortly before halftime, Rose suffered a Lisfranc injury, and while he finished the rest of the game, he wasn’t the same. Utah went run-heavy with Rose’s injury and didn’t score a single point the rest of the way. BYU drew within three, but the Cougars were backed up toward their own end zone, facing fourth-and-10 at the nine-yard line with 1:35 left.
Utah appeared to have won the game by sacking quarterback Jake Retzlaff, but cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was flagged for a holding call against a BYU receiver, resulting in an automatic first down. The Cougars drove down the field to set up a 44-yard field goal make by Will Ferrin and escape Salt Lake City with a 22-21 win.
Following the game, Rose and tight end Brant Kuithe ruled out for the season, joining an extensive list for the second consecutive season. Rising, Wilson, quarterback Sam Huard, receiver Money Parks, cornerback Kenan Johnson, running back Anthony Woods, linebacker Levani Damuni and offensive guard Michael Mokofisi were among the players that suffered season-ending injuries in 2024.
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BYU place kicker Will Ferrin (44) kicks and makes a field goal to put the Cougars ahead 22-21 with seconds left on the clock during a game between the University of Utah Utes and the Brigham Young University Cougars held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City early on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Lander Barton extends Utah’s pick-six streak: As Utah continued on its seven-game skid, one of the few areas of interest was if the team could extend its 20-season pick-six streak.
Against Iowa State, Utah did just that, extending its streak of consecutive seasons with an interception return for a touchdown to an NCAA-record 21 years.
In the second quarter of Utah’s 31-28 loss to No. 22 Iowa State, Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht’s pass was behind Jaylin Noel and went off the receiver’s hands and into the hands of Barton at the Utah 13-yard line.
Barton broke a tackle from Becht and got a few key blocks, including from Vaughn, for an 87-yard pick-six.
Utah Utes linebacker Lander Barton (8) races for the end zone for a pick-six during Utah’s game against Iowa State at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. The score extended Utah’s NCAA record for consecutive games with a pick-six. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Defense holds up its end of the bargain for the majority of the season: Sure, there were a few things to nitpick about Utah’s defensive performance in 2024. Utah didn’t tally as many sacks as we’ve been accustomed to seeing, and had a few times where they could have sealed the game with a stop and didn’t.
But for the most part, it was another good year for Morgan Scalley’s unit. The defense didn’t get much help from the offense, but still allowed only 20.7 points per game (No. 28 in the nation) and 329.7 yards per game (No. 30) in another good defensive season.
The defense was the reason why Utah was in most every game it played in 2024, even if it didn’t translate into wins.
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Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley talks with players in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. While the offense struggled in 2024, Scalley’s defense was solid once again. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Micah Bernard surpasses 1,000 rushing yards: The individual triumph of the season was by running back Micah Bernard, who finally got his shot at the lead running back role after being with the program since 2019. A 1,000-yard season has always been a goal of Bernard’s, and he checked it off the list in his final season.
Bernard rushed for 1,009 yards in 2024, becoming the 17th Ute to do so in a season. He also had 100-plus-yard performances in four games this year.
Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) runs the ball during an NCAA football game between the University of Utah Utes and the Iowa State University Cyclones held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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