BANGOR – Bill Buckley of Bangor, president of Coffee News USA Inc., has bought the Manitoba-based parent company of the “good news” publications distributed in restaurants around the world.

Buckley bought Manitoba Inc. and its intellectual property rights for an undisclosed sum.

Buckley had operated the company under a management continuity agreement since March 2006, when the Canadian founder, Jean Daum, became seriously ill with cancer. Daum died in 2007.

As of July 31, Manitoba Inc. had 1,142 franchises in 32 countries for Coffee News, according to Buckley.

“We’re still a small company, but we have an international reach with a publication,” he said. “We’re not like a McDonald’s – there’s no bricks and mortar. We’re more of an intellectual property kind of business.”