Twister's...your original PGR Store and MORE!
If one person creates something and someone else decides they want it, it doesn’t matter how badly they want it, how much or how loudly they yell it's theirs, or how much they spend to try to take it… it’s still not theirs.
That's the American Way.
========================================================================================================= Trademark Update - 10/13/2011 In a recent letter I received from Bill Richart, current president of the PGR, he specifically stated: "In the event that you (Jeff Brown) prevail in the Trademark Opposition proceeding...PGR, Inc. will take the necessary steps to change its name and marks, thereby rendering the PGR name and marks as irrelevant."… "Thus, PGR, Inc. is prepared to allow the PGR name and brand to essentially fade away while it continues the mission...it is likely you would be viewed as the one person who caused the demise of the PGR name and its honorable mission." Contrary to what is being disseminated, and regardless of what happens in the trademark dispute, the Patriot Guard Riders will not disappear. Rest assured, we will not allow the PGR to be destroyed. PGR members have worked too long and too hard in building an organization founded on honoring those who serve to allow it to simply "fade away". Our heroes, their families and America deserve and need the Patriot Guard Riders. Those of us who continue to believe in the original PGR and its mission statement are already working to make sure the Patriot Guard Riders continues and returns to “Riding With Respect”. Efforts are already underway to recreate a national structure that will be a relevant and positive factor working effectively with the individual states in the overall PGR organization. Those plans include the development of a new and comprehensive website; true, open, and democratic elections for national and state leaders; and finally, actual transparency and accountability. We expect a decision by the trademark board in a few months. Be prepared...action must be swift. Thanks, Jeff "Twister" Brown Last spring, at the request of both parties, the TTAB suspended proceedings to allow a settlement to be reached. That suspension ended March 31, 2011. As soon as I get time, I will update you on where we stand now and post some details of the proceedings and some excerpts from the depositions taken earlier in this case that may shed additional light on the proceedings. Thanks for your continued support. Trademark Update - 6/17/10
Health Update - 11/17/11
Now that I'm home and out of danger, some of you may not be aware... on Friday, 11-11-11, Veteran's Day, I suffered a heart attack. In retrospect, I haven't been feeling up to par for several months...nothing I could actually put my finger on, just "out of sorts". I was rushed to St. Francis Heart Hospital about 3 AM and went into surgery about noon. One cardiac artery was 99% blocked, but luckily, a stent was inserted before it did much permanent damage to the heart. As Bonnie pointed out, all-in-all, the heart attack was as good as it could have been.
I am feeling much better, just weak and tire very easily. I have a follow up with my cardiologist in a month and am confident I will get the OK to resume normal activities. Until then, I am on "limited duty", off the bike, getting lots of rest and doing everything at a slower pace.
I ask for your patience in answering emails...it's just going to take me a little longer to keep up.
Jeff "Twister"
IMPORTANT INFORMATION…THE PGR WILL NOT BE STOPPED!
Trademark Update - 4/05/2011
Immediately after taking Ronny Awtry’s deposition last spring, the PGR and their attorney asked if we could stop the proceedings and make a settlement offer, which we did. We reached a verbal settlement agreement approved by both Bill Richart and the PGR Board of Directors. The TTAB granted a continuance in order for both sides to complete the settlement. At the request of the PGR, we agreed to keep the contents of the proceeding confidential until everything could be finalized. In the process of committing the verbal agreement to a written document, the settlement was derailed.
As many of you may have heard, the proceedings have been suspended pending settlement discussions.
Trademark Update - 7/24/09
As you may have heard, the Trademark Office basically said they would not grant a Summary Judgment for either party. I had a lengthy conversation with my attorney and I’ll try to explain what this means as I understand it…bear with me, I’m certainly no legal expert.
Rachel advised us up front that the TTAB was usually reluctant to award Summary Judgments and it would be a long shot.
We decided to go ahead and file in an attempt to “fast track” an end to all of this. As she explained it, for the TTAB to award a Summary Judgment, there needs to be virtually indisputable legal case for one party or the other. It is very rare for the evidence to be indisputable, and in this case the TTAB merely decided they wanted to hear more evidence before making a decision. Regardless how others may interpret this decision, or lack of it, both sides ended up in the same position we were before filing for a Summary Judgment.
The case now goes back to more legal filings and another year or more before the final decision will be reached.
Hang in there folks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In the mean time, keep the mission foremost in your hearts.
Thanks,
Well, the first round of depositions are over. I can't go into any detail, but I can tell you we are very encouraged by the results.
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01/08/08
To all of my PGR Brothers and Sisters:
Prior to launching this latest “get Twister” campaign, the PGR National “Leadership” removed both my and Bonnie’s access to the PGR website so that we could not read nor respond to any of the posts. This is an example of our National “leadership” and it’s policy of “transparency” at its finest.
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There are reams of background on this legal issue, but the “capsulated” version is this.
In late 2006, as PGR Executive Director, I suspected the then treasurer was embezzling PGR funds (he later reportedly confessed to taking over $30,000). With the blessing of the BoD, I hired an outside accountant to get to the bottom of it. He mustered his forces while I was out of town and staged what can only be characterized as secret coup. He initiated a smear campaign based on my ownership of Twister’s Store, which had already been operating for almost a year. His coup was successful and I resigned as Executive Director only because he personally registered the PGR domain name, controlled the PGR servers and I would not risk him shutting down the PGR website. He then filed what I believe was a fraudulent application with the Trademark Office for the ownership of the PGR name and logo I created. My trademark attorney at the time was a PGR member had already filed the majority of the paperwork regarding the trademark, but apparently had not completed the final step.
When I started the store I made it publicly known through the forums that it was a private, for-profit business that would support the PGR. I did exactly what I said I would. My wife and I paid virtually all of the expenses to fund and operate the entire organization out of the proceeds of the store and would have continued to do so in the future. Once the filing with the Trademark Office had occurred, the BoD opened the new PGR store owned by a private company reportedly owned by a close friend of Ed Mueller. The basics of the new store are exactly what has been used against me…a privately, for-profit company owning the PGR Store.
This new company claims that 100% of its profits will go to the PGR. On the surface, that sounds good, but anyone with any business acumen knows how flawed this can be. Example: If the owner of this PGR outsourcing company, decides that they want a salary of $500K, a Lear Jet, an office in Tahiti, or whatever else, these become “business expenses” and come right off the top…before they declare any profit going to the PGR.
I made several attempts over the last year and a half to resolve the issue of the store with national leadership…even to the point of offering to close Twister’s and turn the entire store over to National after selling my current inventory on hand. Contrary to what National is apparently saying now, they would never agree to any proposal or even respond to any of my offers. Instead, they simply continued and encouraged the smear campaign. Contrary to the website’s TOU, they permitted, if not encouraged, the handful of negative voices in their attacks on me while immediately deleting any positive posts members made. Additionally, when everything I had told them about the previous BoD member who had embezzled a reported $30,000 from PGR and staged the coup in an attempt to cover it up turned out to be true, they did nothing for over a year. Finally, they recently merely removed him from the BoD with no full disclosure to the membership and have attempted to hush it all up. All the while, they continued their campaign against me and still would not admit that I had previously, of my own volition, turned my financial records over to their accountant who audited the records and reported to “Snap” that I had never taken one cent of PGR money.
My attorney’s final request that the BoD withdraw their fraudulent trademark application was again met with no response from National. This left me with no alternative but to file opposition to their trademark application in order to protect my intellectual property. All of this could have been settled long ago had National entered into some kind of dialog with me. Unfortunately, due to a lack of effective leadership, it appears that now the Trademark Office will make the definitive decision.
I have repeatedly made it known that I do not want to run the entire PGR store as I did in the beginning. It’s grown too large for that. However, I do want to make sure that it’s done properly, with appropriate funding going to the PGR, quality products, fair pricing and good service. I have been approached by some fellow PGR members and plans are in the works to create a new, independent, PGR store as a source of income to fund the PGR and its missions. The initial plans are to base the new store’s donations to PGR on a percentage of the gross dollars rather than on something as unverifiable as 100% of the profit. I will assist in getting the ball rolling and in any other way I can, but will have no ownership or management position in the new store. It will be owned and operated by fellow PGR members.
Those of you who know me personally know that I have always done my best to act in the best interests of the PGR. That will not change. There are some individuals currently in leadership positions who continue to not to act in what I believe are the best interests of PGR. They appear to be making PGR decisions based on ego, greed and a lust for power. Regardless what you may hear from anyone, I will not do anything to intentionally harm the PGR. I have the utmost respect for the PGR and my fellow members and will not idly stand by and allow the actions of these individuals to continue to damage this great organization.
Those of you who know me personally know that I will not give up the fight to “do the right thing”.
Please feel free to forward this to as many PGR member as you so desire or to direct members to my website for updates. Since Bonnie and I have been banned from the PGR website, this is the only way we have to get the truth out.
As more information is made available to me, I will post it on my website:
http://www.twistersstore.com
“Riding With Respect”,
