Leo Stoller
Rentamark.com
P O Box 35189
Chicago, IL 60707-0189
Re: Freedom of Expression
July 22, 2005
Dear Mr. Stoller,
Please be advised that we are stakeholders in the Freedom of Expression� Security Consortium (FESC), which, as our motto states, �regulates freedom in the marketplace of ideas.� We are writing in response to your infringing use of FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, a federally registered trademark that is controlled by FESC member Kembrew McLeod, who owns the domain http://freedomofexpression.us. This mark, granted by the USPTO on January 6, 1998, is also used as the title of Dr. McLeod�s book, published in 2005 by Doubleday/Random House.
In the July 4, 2005 New York Times article about your business, �He Says He Owns the Word �Stealth,�� you said, �If a trademark owner doesn�t go up to the plate each day and police his mark, he will be overrun by third-party infringers.� Also, as you state on Rentamark.com, �There is no free well-known intellectual property left in the 21st Century. No free rides!� As a group that monitors unauthorized uses of FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, we couldn�t agree more.
In the course of policing FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, we at FESC (consisting of the websites freedomofexpression.us, freedomofexpression.org, freedom-of-expression.org, and freedom-of-expression.com) have learned of your infringement, which can be found at this URL: http://www.rentamark.com/e-marks/E-I/e-i.html.
We are troubled by (1) your unrestrained use of FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION and (2) the fact that you have offered to license this phrase to third parties without permission. After all, not just anybody can utilize FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, and it is clear that your use of this phrase constitutes unfair competition and a blurring and tarnishing of this federally registered mark.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION will be substantially and irreparably damaged should this infringement continue. We, therefore, demand that Rentamark.com immediately cease and desist using FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION within five days. We eagerly await your response.
Very truly yours,
Kembrew McLeod
http://freedomofexpression.us/
Freedom of Expression� Security Consortium
1037 E. Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240
kembrew@freedomofexpression.us
cc:
John Joseph Bachir http://freedomofexpression.org/
Fletcher Moore http://freedom-of-expression.com/
Julie Gilberg http://freedom-of-expression.org/
