Petition to boycott fake Valiant products
- by: Justin D Ehart
- recipient: VIP & attorney Michael L. Lovitz, Esq., Valiant Intellectual Properties LLC
Petition to boycott Valiant Intellectual Properties LLC products unless they cancel their trademark applications or transfer them to the rightful owners.
Acclaim Entertainment, which purchased Valiant/Voyager Communications Inc. in 1994, filed for bankruptcy in late 2004. The rights to the Acclaim/Valiant comics were auctioned in court on April 12th, 2005. A concealed shell company, Valiant Intellectual Properties LLC ("VIP LLC"), was formed on March 30th, 2005 and on March 31st, 2005 attempted to trademark the Valiant name and several Valiant titles (Secret Weapons, Outcast, Rai and the Future Force, Deathmate, Quantum & Woody, Harbinger, Punx, Dr. Mirage, Eternal Warrior, Ninjak, Bloodshot, The Visitor and The Elementals) while the courts were sorting out the scheduled bankruptcy sale auction and asset details.
According to a number of intellectual property experts, the timing of their applications and their lack of a bid at the auction makes it clear that they intend to either blackmail the auction winners or push their own books under the guise of the originals. Intellectual property professionals have been quoted as saying "VIP LLC are stinking of bad faith" and "VIP are conducting borderline outright thievery." VIP LLC was NOT EVEN PRESENT at the Acclaim auction.
There is a remote possibility that VIP LLC could be granted some trademarks as Valiant has not been in business for a number of years. Unfortunately, this matter will not be resolved anytime soon as it takes at least six months for the applications to be reviewed by the US Patent and Trademark Office. If granted any of the trademarks, the VIP LLC products would need content that is 100% different than anything known in the Valiant universe. They intend to play off the reputation of a title and sell a product that has no connection to it. Rai would be anything BUT the sole protector of a future Japan - think a crime fighting loaf of rye bread. VIP LLC would essentially be DESTROYING Valiant as we know it to make a quick buck and in the process they would devalue the recognition and goodwill of the titles. They would ruin any hope of them returning as we remembered them.
The entire industry recognized the importance of the sale on April 12th, 2005. There were three different bidding parties who came in good faith to become legitimate owners of the Valiant and Acclaim properties and bid close to $1 million. The RIGHTFUL OWNER of the Valiant and Acclaim titles should be whoever signed on the dotted line with the Acclaim bankruptcy trustees.
Reliable sources have confirmed that VIP LLC intends to exploit these titles without their copyrights. Through the little information that has become publicly available, we do know that VIP LLC is connected to the comics industry but continue to work hard to keep their identities hidden for fear of damaging their professional and personal reputations.
The prospect that someone out there is under the impression that spending a couple thousand dollars on a group of trademarks in an attempt to deceive the fans into thinking they are the 'legitimate owners' of the copyrights (when they are actually destroying Valiant and ruining any hope of it ever returning) is absolutely unacceptable. BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE we must show VIP LLC that we will not stand for this. WE have the power to alter the outcome of this situation and help bring back the Valiant characters as we remember them. We can do this threatening to boycott any VIP LLC products they intend to produce AND, if their true identites are revealed, any other products they produce. Now is the time for Valiant fans, Acclaim fans, and comic book fans of all types to come together and stand up for what we believe in. Please sign the petition below and help make a difference.
In addition you can send a letter to their address on file:
JEFFERY B. BOVE
CONNOLLY BOVE LODGE & HUTZ LLP
1007 NORTH ORANGE STREET
PO BOX 2207
WILMINGTON, DE 19899-2207
To: Valiant Intellectual Properties LLC & their attorney Michael L. Lovitz Esq. at Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP
We will not stand for your dirty business practices or your attempts to make a quick buck by ruining Valiant. Cancel your applications or transfer them to the rightful owners, or you will force us to boycott ALL your products.
The Undersigned,
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