Category Archives: Corporate culture

Billionaire Richard Branson Called a Trademark Bully by the Trademark Law Professors of University of Washington, School of Law

Westborough, MA, 2020-Jul-30 — /EPR MANAGEMENT NEWS/ — Virgin has targeted to attack over 300 small companies & non-profit charities. Common sense says that the word ‘virgin’ cannot be owned by one individual or organization but Virgin has deep pockets to destroy those who dare to fight for their rights.

“Opposing trademark registrations in unrelated fields is the classic behavior of a trademark bully,” says Mike Atkins, an attorney at Atkins Intellectual Property who teaches trademark law at the University of Washington, School of Law.

That’s why it came as a surprise that Branson decided to send a threatening cease-and-desist letter (where he tells the small start up to either commit a business suicide right away or else Virgin lawyers will destroy it within 30 days) to I Am Not A Virgin, a small eco-friendly denim label, claiming that the company’s name infringes on his copyright, as the Telegraph’s Laura Hubbert reported on the case.

Richard Branson’s lawyers demanded environmentally friendly start up jeans label ‘I Am Not A Virgin’ to cancel their trademark (a trademark they have been lawfully granted and owned for almost 4 years before they received the threat letter from Branson – reports Ms. HUBBERT in her article.

“I guess I could rename my jeans Not Made By Richard Branson” – comments sarcastically the founder of the brand. Branson also demanded the small business owner cease to sell current stock of the jeans and removes them from the stores which for a small business is a financial suicide and a loss of all start up investment costs essentially leading to the end of a business.

“Common sense says that the word ‘virgin’ cannot be owned by one individual or organization. In other words, it’s stupid to claim a colour of your own, let say a word. Branson, who’s also well known for his support of environmental causes, apparently has failed to see that” – says Anderson Antunes in his Forbes article about Virgin’s abuse on small entrepreneurs.

Attorney at law, Widerman Malek, summaries in his comments: “If Richard Branson has his way, it might be. ” He adds: “Although sometimes considered a bully in the trademark office, they remain unapologetic for their stance.”

According to multiple news reports, in the past several years, the Virgin group has targeted over 300 companies who used the word Virgin in their name, URL or marketing slogan. Unfortunately, many of these 300 companies are small businesses who do not have the resources to fight back against a multi-billion dollar company with hundreds or even thousands of lawyers on their retainer. These small businesses almost always settle simply because they cannot afford to fight.

Widerman Malek brings up some of the companies Virgin attacked:

  • Virgin Vapors – a small vapor company located in California whose owner currently refuses to change its name despite being threatened by Virgin.
  • The owners of domain names virginthreads.com, virginpublishing.com, virginstar.net, and virgincigar.com. The Virgin group alleges cyberpiracy for any company using the name virgin in their domain, even if it is not their business name.
  • Author Cristina Crayn, who named one of her published books, “Tales from the Virgin Vault.”
  • Virgin Valley Cab – a cab company in the Virgin Valley geographic location of Northwest Arizona, who recently came to an agreement with conglomerate to stop using the name.
  • Las Virgenes United Educational Foundation – a nonprofit organization in the Las Virgenes School District. The Virgin Group attempted to block the trademark application. Evidently, any virgin will meet their criteria – no matter which language it’s in and if destroying charities for children is to take place.
  • I Am Not A Virgin – a New York clothing company which specializes in creating and selling denim products.
  • Virgin Air, a small airline in the American Virgin Islands, which no longer exists under this name due to Virgin’s lawsuits.
  • CBS Studios, who may be opposed by the Virgin Group in an attempt to trademark the name Jane the Virgin, which they will use as a sitcom name.
  • Last year, the Virgin group attempted to stop Valle Grande from trademarking a phrase that contained the words “virgin olive oil”, using the argument that Valle Grande currently only sells vinegar.
  • In 2004, the conglomerate sued a tiny apparel retailer called Virgin Threads in federal court in New York; the retailer dropped the name a year later as they could not afford to battle with Virgin any longer.
  • VIRGINIC – Purity Perfected – small cosmetics brand, selling “beyond organic”, handcrafted, allergy-free face creams in small batches. Virgin has been suing them with malicious, aggressive litigations, on the ongoing basis from 2018-2020 in multiple countries to starve them financially to business death, as Virgin did with other start ups. Interestingly, Virgin abandoned selling cosmetics years ago making public statements on their own website that they have no intention to sell beauty products. As of July 2020, VIRGINIC still refuses to be bullied and to give up their name.

Via EPR Network
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Virgin’s unethical business practices against small start ups and non-profit foundations

Louisville, Kentucky, 2020-Jul-16 — /EPR MANAGEMENT NEWS/ — When it comes to big business versus small business, the deck is, and always has been, heavily stacked in favor of the giants, making sure it stays that way. Yes, there will always be David and Goliath stories held up as the reason for hope in these battles, but reality dictates that they are almost insurmountable obstacles in the path of a small entrepreneur.

There is, however, a more insidious and corruptive side to the competition that few, if any, really see or understand at all. The legal teams.

Companies like The Virgin Group and Sir Richard Branson retain the type of law firms that see no ethical issue in destroying anything and anyone on their way, no matter the cost, the merits and the human lives and dreams destroyed along the way.

Take billing, for example. Virgin Enterprises uses Norvell IP and A. A. Thornton, type of companies that sees fit to charge by the half hour for anything that they do, including a single phone call, running up bills of around $300 per call. Yes, you read that correctly…$300 PER CALL! Equally absurdly, they charge the same to write a letter, to attend a meeting or to send an email!

Ok, so Virgin and Sir Richard is worth billions, they can afford these costs and who cares? It’s their choice and their wallet, right?

Well, no. They make their pray pay for it.

The thing is, as the relentless (and oftentimes frivolous) stream of trademark infringement lawsuits are filed across the globe, those costs are, almost exclusively borne not by Virgin, but by the small business that they are making their claim against.

Take the case of Wyoming start-up, VIRGINIC LLC. Virgin decided, as they have done on so many occasions in the past, that they were unhappy with the UK Intellectual Property Office awarding VIRGINIC LLC their own brand trademark “VIRGINIC”. For a little context, let’s not forget that this is the same company that sued a Virgin Olive Oil producer, the TV show “Jane The Virgin” and even a Non-profit Educational Foundation, “Las Virgenes” for children, staffed entirely by volunteer parents! If you’re like most people, this alone can leave anyone speechless. Clearly, Virgin is not afraid to throw their litigation budget around even against non-profit children care foundations.

So, Virgin took umbrage to the idea of a company VIRGINIC LLC, regardless of the fact that the UKIPO had already awarded their trademark for their name to them. Virgin attacked and yet again the UK courts decided that there was no case to be heard and VIRGINIC should keep their own trademark.

Virgin lost the case, and the subsequent appeal, with VIRGINIC being awarded the princely sum of £300 in costs, and that, in any sensible judicial process, should have been that. However, Virgin’s lawyers managed to get the UK High Court of Appeals to agree to review the appeal of the case which, upon doing so, intrestingly awarded in favor of Virgin this third time around.

And here is the fun part; When VIRGINIC, a small “David” went up against the behemoth “Goliath” of Virgin and managed to not only show that common sense is still alive and well in some legal systems, but managed to do it on a shoestring budget, whilst a mammoth task and stupendous result given the odds, it appears that the ultimately necessary penny-pinching that all start-ups are likely to be forced to adopt, is the largest chink in their armor.

The reason for this is simple: Virgin lose and the judge awards costs in the order of £300 to the start-up. £300 which Virgin never actually saw fit to pay, regardless of the fact that they spend so much time in courtrooms arguing that their rights are being infringed upon and crowing for justice. This in itself is a pointer towards where this all goes wrong. You see, they cry foul and plead for justice as if the courtroom is a sacred place where all shall find their truth. In reality, when that truth is contrary to their opinion, they simply disregard the orders of the court and find somebody else to cry to.

Now, what happens when, at the third time of asking, they manage to find themselves a “friendly” judge? Well, their costs are awarded against VIRGINIC in the sum of…

Ready for this…?

£33,000 + £10,000!
With no right to appeal any further, conveniently.

So, Virgin “loses” and the bill is £300. I would guess that the lawyers charging $300 to make a phone call would probably be happy to pay that off themselves with the cash that they dropped down the sofa last night. However, when VIRGINIC loses, all those cups of coffee that the world’s most expensive secretaries were making suddenly add up to a sum of £43,000, so exorbitant, so utterly defiant of anything even approaching a reality that is in any way sustainable, that all suddenly becomes so very clear.

Virgin and, more importantly, Virgin’s lawyers LOVE finding random reasons to drag volnurable, small businesses (and apparently non-profit foundations too) into a courtroom because it is a no-loss situation for them. They literally don’t even bother paying the measly costs generated if they lose (Virgin pays) whilst running up such absurd bills themselves that, if they win, the small business is basically financially crippled to the point where it either ceases to exist or exists only for the purposes of paying off the legal bills. Small educational foundations like “Las Virgenes” for children, staffed entirely by volunteer parents are a no match with this malice legal practice backed by deep pockets of Virgin.

Is there a happy ending here? VIRGINIC is well off its knees trying to write one as we speak. Keep your fingers crossed and maybe the Wyoming case will prove more uncorrupted justice system in the US than the UK one.

Via EPR Network
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Benevolent Capitalism 4 Day Class by Gary Douglas, Steven & Chutisa Bowman, Dr Dain Heer in Venice, Italy

Houston, USA, May-26-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — Business innovator, Gary Douglas warns, “You cannot afford to ignore the demand for benevolent business.”

International speaker and vocal advocate of Benevolent Capitalism, Mr. Douglas is concerned that many individuals and businesses are stuck in an outdated idea of capitalism, and are failing to adapt their practices to better meet the new consumer mindset:

• 96% of consumers believe it is important for companies to have good social and environmental policies. (Digital Reason)
• 33% of all consumers actively seek out and purchase goods because of responsible corporate practices. (Unilever)
• According to the Unilever CCO, “This research confirms that sustainability isn’t a nice-to-have for businesses. In fact, it has become an imperative.”

Mr. Douglas is teaming up with some of the world’s leading Benevolent Capitalism experts to bring the concept to business leaders and other individuals around the world, through a series of public and live-streamed seminars.

“Capitalism has been relegated to ‘where’s my share of the pie?’ and ‘how I can get what I need when I need it’. This is a very destructive way of manipulating capitalism”, Douglas explains. “Consumers have noticed, and are becoming more particular in their spending choices, as a result.”

“I hear a lot of people say ‘Can capitalism really be benevolent?’ but this is because of the limited points of view business has been operating from recently”, Douglas says. “When capitalism was first created back in the 1700’s, it was supposed to serve the masses; to create more for all of us. In fact, capitalism is really about how to create more money and more possibility in our life.”

“When we return to that viewpoint of more possibility and choice, it becomes a different narrative”, he adds. “Now is the time for all of us to recognize the power of capitalism and how it can be a catalyst for positive change and different possibilities.”

Benevolent Capitalism 4 Day Class

Hosted by Gary Douglas, Steven and Chutisa Bowman, Dr Dain Heer

30 June – 3 July, 2017
Hotel Ca’ Sagredo
Venice, Italy
or via global livestream

More information www.benevolentfuture.com

SOURCE: EuropaWire

Contractorcoaching.com: Construction Jobs Outpaces Workers Availability

After years of trimming jobs in the wake of the Great Recession, contractors and subcontractors say the pendulum has swung the other way, and now they are looking to hire skilled workers who are no longer available in the job market.

“I said this two years ago, if we have a full-speed recovery in the construction industry, we will not have the available workers to fill the jobs,” said Henry Goudreau, CEO & Founder of HG & Associates, Inc., and http://www.contractorcoaching.com. “The only way to correct this is by a grassroots effort by contractors in offering training, or convincing high school candidates to take construction training courses. It is in our best interest to start working on this now rather than later.”

To make up the shortfall, builders are training workers themselves, recruiting from outside the area and working with local technical schools on a slate of new training programs expected to begin in the fall.

Goudreau offers a report for contractors on how to increase sales and drive more money to their bottom-line. It is free for contractors by going to http://tinyurl.com/me78v37.
Henry Goudreau is known as the most sought-after business-building coach, speaker, and author for contractors. He is famous for turning around the problem plagued construction business, building profits, freeing up the owner’s time, and streamlining processes that build success, brand, and loyalty.

He offers business-building advice to contractors at his web site, and works with owners mastering and implementing his proven business model. This virtual road map for contractors helps them to build powerful niches and a true understanding of what it takes to be profitable.

Goudreau can be reached at (941) 377-1254.

END

Contact Info:
Henry Goudreau
HG & Associates, Inc.
5824 Bee Ridge Rd., #316
Sarasota, FL 34233
PHONE: 941-377-1254
FAX: 941-377-8761
EMAIL: henry@hgassociates.com
WEB: http://www.contractorcoaching.com/

Via EPR Network
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HirePurpose Educates Employers Why Hiring Veterans Means Smart Business

On January 22nd, HirePurpose and the Wounded Warrior Project are co-hosting a special event, The Military Talent Pool: Hiring, Managing, & Retaining Another Great Generation to help local and national companies improve military hiring practices. The event will be held from 5-7pm at the New York Athletic Club on 180 Central Park South.

Last year, unemployment among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans trailed the national average by almost 4 percentage points. Though many companies recognize the benefits of hiring veterans, few have the expertise and knowledge needed to attract, evaluate, and retain members of this extraordinary talent pool.

“This is a great opportunity to introduce New York City employers to a variety of methods to hiring veterans,” says Zach Iscol, Founder and CEO of HirePurpose. “Employers can learn why hiring these exceptional young men and women can be incredibly beneficial to their businesses and we are very excited to have partnered with Four Block and the Wounded Warrior Project.”

More than 80 companies, including Wal-mart, Goldman Sachs, Viacom, Delta, Etsy, Securitas, The Ladders, and others from a wide range of industries will be in attendance to learn best practices from leading experts in the veteran employment space. Employers will also hear from a group of recent military veterans and college graduates about the challenges they’ve faced and the types of industries they are interested in.

“Wounded Warriors come to the table with an extraordinary set of soft skills that employers crave,” says Lisa Stern, Economic Empowerment Executive Vice President at the Wounded Warrior Project. “Veterans are loyal, work well independently and as part of a team, are creative, and are mission-focused.”

Linda Cawley, a specialist of the Warriors to Work program for the Wounded Warrior Project, and Mike Abrams, Co-Founder of Four Block Diversity Leadership, a service that provides student veterans with professional development and connects them with internship opportunities at corporations, will lead a panel discussion titled, Hiring, Managing, and Retaining Veterans.

A second panel, Veterans Speak: Employment Challenges Facing Veterans, will be lead by Bryan Adams of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Aubrey Arcangel of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Joshua Ray of Operation Iraqi Freedom-Indonesia Tsunami Relief, and Katie Dexter of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Via EPR Network
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Ascent Adventure Consultants: Building into the Stability and Success of Raleigh NC Businesses

Ascent Adventure Consultants, Apex North Carolina based corporate team building experts and professional rock climbing guides, have created two unique team building programs that are designed to build confidence, stability, loyalty, unity, success, and ultimately profitability into the businesses in the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill area.

The two programs are titled Summit Team Building, and Excursion Team Building. Summit Team Building programs are programs full of interactive, experiential team building initiatives that have been customized to meet the business’ goals and desires for the program. Excursion Team Building programs are held off site as a weekend retreat in which participants travel to the mountains, either staying in a hotel or camping, and participate in rock climbing and other outdoor adventures as a mean of team building.

“Ascent Adventure Consultants has a unique approach to their team building sessions. Their passion for helping people challenge themselves is refreshing and will serve both managers and employees alike. I would highly recommend them if you want your staff to think beyond the obvious and become more creative and critical thinkers,” expresses Mark Davison, an Ascent Adventure Consultants’ course participant.

The Ascent Adventure Consultants website explains these programs in full detail. Please visit http://www.ascentadventure.com.

If you are interested in writing or speaking about these programs, or for more information, please contact Brandon Hensinger, at Ascent Adventure Consultants: bhensinger@ascentadventure.com or 919-345-1087.

Ascent Adventure Consultants, based in Apex North Carolina, provides individuals and businesses with a dynamic way to break free from their normal routine and everyday experiences and accomplish something that seems out of reach, by offering customizable corporate team building programs, as well as professionally guided rock climbing and mountaineering adventures, They are committed to equipping every business with the tools it needs to achieve its goals and to guiding every individual on an incredible adventure.

Via EPR Network
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