Original Source
Guerrillas in the midst
October 12th, 2007
Yes, we did.
We filed suit this week in Ottawa County, Michigan seeking to learn more about a number of “John Does” who have cropped up online since our dispute with Orrin Woodward and TEAM began.
Because we believe we can prove that some of their sites and posts were engineered or directed by Woodward, TEAM, their lawyers or their PR agency. And that those sites were purposely used to post material that violates a court order.
To us, this is a necessary measure in a commercial dispute. Because we believe the TEAM machine has been fighting dirty, abusing the online discussion and end-running the court.
(It’s also a necessary step in a technical sense – the companies that host these sites will not divulge information without a subpoena. You can’t get a subpoena without going to court. So if you want to demonstrate that Blogger X’s “spontaneous” site is actually part of a planned-and-paid-for strategy of commercial attack… that’s the road you have to go down.)
So we are seeking to support the legal system – and not attack First Amendment speech. Tough line to walk, but we’ll walk it. Because we believe in both principles.
It could very well be that some of these sites truly are spontaneous, just angry citizens independently voicing their opinions without direction from anyone else. We have no problem with those folks. We don’t want their money, we regret wasting their time and we will even offer to reimburse their costs.
There are plenty of individuals out there posting critical comments about our company, on this site and others. We welcome the debate and value their opinions. (Don’t believe that? Scan through the 4,000 comments of all stripes we’ve posted here since August.)
But e-guerrillas who won’t own up to being bought and paid for in a commercial dispute so they can end-run a court of law are another matter. We invite them to come on out – and fight in broad daylight.
Here is the 30 John Doe suit. I *highly* suggest you read it. It is a really good read.
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10 comments:
SOUNDS LIKE THE Q IS GRASPING AT STRAWS JUST LET US GO WE'LL SEE WHO RUNS A BETTER BUISNESS FOR THE PEOPLE
xwckvThat is absolutly incredible!!!! I guess when you are grasping for your last breaths you will do anything and reach for anything you can to try and stay afloat!
Whatever, so our case was dismissed.... Now I and my Team will beat them ourselves! bring on the fight!
mine along with The TEAM... I want as much help as possible ( We together... that's what I mean) I just took that personal, call our integrity into question...
Are you kidding me!!! What do they have over there, a bunch of two year olds running the joint? I am so glad I resigned from these jerks...do they actually think people see them in a good light? I know from showing the plan night-in and night-out that Amway is not a positive move and now they just continue to embarrass themselves with childlike behavior. I've never seen anything like this before! Lets just bide our time and get this non-compete period behind us and move on! I certainly don't know what the future holds, but its way better than hanging out in elementary school throwing sticks and mud. Good Riddance Quixtar, Alticor, Amway...whoever you are at the moment. So long over-priced toilet paper…consider yourself flushed. Go IWIAATS! J-Dawg.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry! If I were one of those bloggers I would gladly send them my name, address and phone # along with a statement saying...I was in no way compensated for my opinion except for the satisfaction of letting off steam at the injustice of being considered property, having my business destroyed by a name change, etc. I would mention that I am simply an ANGRY BLOGGER with a right to my opinion. I'd have it notorized for good measure.
but I am not an angry blogger (unless you consider the forum)
Oh well, can't wait for the future....
An open Letter to Quixtar/ Amway
My name is James Merritt.
I have posted my opinion on several blogs about "The Quixtar/Amway opportunity". And NO! I have not been paid to do so by anyone involved in your self-imposed legal quagmire. My opinion is mine and mine alone. However I can safely say that there are THOUSANDS of others that have the same view.
I will also add that I am not the “Hooded Angry Man” (although I think that it is a hillariously brilliant concept). I am not Shamus McWhatever, I did not write the Everybody’s Leavin’ song (wish I had) or make that incredible video. (I have however adopted it as my theme song). All of this is the creative effort of regular red blooded Americans exercising their GOD given right to free speech, and Three cheers to them for it! ----------I am merely an EX-Quixtar IBO that lost faith in “The Opportunity” after I saw the way you treated some of your best and brightest. I believe in the leadership principals of the TEAM, and have been blessed as a result of their leadership training system.
To wake up this morning and see the news story that Quixtar/ Amway is now going after people for blog posts and YouTube videos is BEYOND the depths that I previously imagined this “company” would sink to. I can’t believe the “gifted” thinking on your behalf. Why don’t you just let this go? This whole episode reminds me of Germany at the end of World War Two. You see they had to put up a wall to keep the residents of East Germany from seeking freedom in the west. This may ultimately prove to be a less expensive remedy compared to your ongoing legal expenses. Maybe you could offer PV on Razor wire.
What you knuckleheads don't understand is, YOU CAN’T STOP US! You CAN delay us, YES. You can throw heaps of money at your legal department and create mountains of paperwork where forests once stood. You can drag this into Hell and back and we will not quit. We will prevail. We already have. We are gone! You greatly underestimated the TEAM when you emailed the IBOs with your disparaging remarks about TEAM leadership. You are the root of this cluster**** and you will ultimately lose this ridiculous battle. All you need to do is blow us a goodbye kiss and it is finished. We are out of your hair and you can go back to building your happy little Amway Empire. You want to hold us to this fight? Well get used to the products of free speech. Yes, this is still America and that is what we are fighting for. You see, this is bigger than your precious little products. You still don’t get it. I believe the longer you stay in this un-winnable fight the deeper your Amway grave will be dug. This is miserable PR, and maybe you should start listening to your marketing department instead of your out of control legal department. As If the name Amway doesn’t carry enough baggage already… ?
So if you are looking for another person to sue… Add my name to your list. And maybe others that read the blogs will offer their name to the list and you can end up suing hundreds of thousands of us. So for the record, if you are looking for Spartacus…. Well then, I AM SPARTACUS!
“The good news is that there is a set of psychological traits, a moral mussel if you will that gives human beings the will, courage, and strength to do the right thing. This moral mussel, if developed and strengthened over time, enables human beings to put principal ahead of self, and to rise above self-interest and immediate gratification. This disciplined moral mussel subordinates those things that get in the way of doing the right thing. We have a name for this moral mussel. IT’S NAME IS CHARACTER”.
James C. Hunter from his book ”The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principal”
To all of you & especially James - WOW! James you have taken words out of my mouth, my heart, my feelings, my opinion. I am so dumbfounded at this continual grasping at 'something' possibly just air by Quixtar that I'm not even sure how to respond. They were court ordered within 24 hours of the order to send an apology out to all IBOs for the slanderous degradation and threatening email they sent out to all IBOs. Has anyone seen or rec'd this apology? I haven't. I haven't even received a confirmation of our resignation but we are not in their system any longer. We even mailed our resignation by certified mail. So far, we haven't received that confirmation either. Knowing who they are, they can and will continue to stoop to the lowest level of battering innocent people, people of character, morals, principals, integrity, and credibiity. They have none of these qualities. They only believe in their court orders, in their own County where they won, not the other counties of Michigan where they lost, and other states. Guess they feel or think they are above those laws and don't have to believe or respect those. Know they said something about respecting or believing in the legal system somewhere in that extremely childish piece of jibberish. The only integrity that was, was the father's who developed Amway. They had the integrity and principals to build in a 'protection' for the IBO/Distributor first with the ADA originally then becoming the IBOAI, before even developing the Amway Corporation. The sons have gotten lost somewhere along the way, losing what Amway and their fathers stood for. They have become filled with Greed and Power, through marriage, other entities that aren't necessarily filled with the belief system we have all been taught by the great leaders of our time, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Dr. Rohm, John Maxwell, James C Hunger of The Servent, Bruce Wilkinson of The Dream Giver, Gary Chapman of The 5 Love Languages, even C. Mason Weaver of 'It's Ok to Leave the Plantation, and of course our own TEAM leadership and their insights and wisdom and Godly manners and thinking and giving. It is such a shame that the people of Quixtar do not see that we are people learning how to live a better life, learn leadership, help others become successful in life and business - it's not about products. One can get products and services anywhere. They are material things. We feel sorry for them and the road they have chosen. They only know about money & power and think that is the key to life, to control others vs leading others to a better way of life. We believe we live in the United States of America, the land of the FREE, and Home of the BRAVE. They've lost so many thousands of IBOs.....are they in a form of 'mental' shock? They're not intelligent enough to figure it out that there are just that many hurt, disgruntled, angry, frustrated ex-IBOs out here. All they know is their product/selling Amroids making a little bit of money off and on who are making money for the Empire. We are hurt people who've put almost 18 yrs of our life into believing in something only to get kicked and walked on by their total deception. We only hung in there because of our loyalty to our leadership and we will continue to stay loyal to our leadership, our TEAM. It is through them and them alone (God first, the TEAM) that we have learned to be better people, treat people better, understand people better, have a better family life, work at bring our dreams and the dreams of others to fruition.
Quixtar - why you don't you just leave well enough alone, pick up your toys & go home like good little kiddies. Take time to read your non-sense of a Code of Conduct that is full of contradictions - one rule contradicting another - it's absolutely nuts!
Leave us good people alone to go our own ways, wait out the illegal waiting period imposed on us within the last 2-3 yrs by Quixtar, so we can move forward into a bigger and better future.
Bloggers - Ex-IBOs who are sick of all this mess and control of Quixtar, what we all need to do is flood the Federal Trade Commission with complaints. With enough complaints, they will have to research the Company again - one would hope.
We are 100% with the Free, the Faithful, the Hopeful, the Believers, the Visionaries, the Leadership of TEAM!
1 Million and Beyond
FLR/Warrior Princess in Az.
FTC Complaint forms can be done online at:
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup
But use your best judgement in doing so.
"There is one way to avoid criticism: never do anything, never amount to anything. Never get your head above the crowd so the jealous will notice and attack you. Criticism is a sign that your personality has some force." - April 2007 calendar
Q's Most wanted List!!
To all the disgruntled Q IBO's
I too am on your Q's most wanted list. I don't know if that's a blessing or curse. But anyway, It's there.
I wish everyone of you much success in your journey and much regrets for what has happened to steal your DREAM!
This! Hot off the Press Of Q's Attorney! Just got off the phone with him! His name is Brad Smith.
I told him everyone I have spoken with that has a Blog are just disgruntle IBO's, Not representing anyone but themselves.
This is his email I just received!!
Ed,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the John Doe lawsuit in Ottawa County, Michigan, case number 07-59739. We understand that you have not been involved with Quixtar/Amway for many years. In light of our conversation, let this email confirm that Quixtar has no interest in pursuing any claims against you in the above case.
Once again, we appreciate that you took the initiative and contacted us to quickly resolve this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.
- Brad
Bradley Smith
Intellectual Property Attorney
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
524 South Main St.
Suite 200
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2921
734.302.6032 - Direct
734.994.6331 - Fax
bsmith@usebrinks.com
www.usebrinks.com
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