OpenJar Concepts' CEO lies about pulling off AJA, invokes patriotism and threatens legal action. The email for this article was deactivated after the company stopped advertising.

The CEO of OpenJar Concepts sent the following email to Florida Family Association in response to communications regarding their advertisements on Al Jazeera America:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:               Re: OpenJar Concepts advertised on Al Jazeera America
Date:     Fri, 12 Sep 2014 14:22:40 -0400
From:    Adam Warren adam.warren@openjar.com
To:          David Caton davidcaton@floridafamily.org
CC:         Matthew Becker

David,

Stop. You really have no idea what you are talking about and you are nobody to doubt my or our patriotism. We put in the pull request (not that it's your business). Sometimes there are delays from the T&B Systems. I'll look into it, please do not contact us again. This correspondence from you has been rude, ill-informed and annoying.

Thanks!

Adam Warren
President, Co-Founder
OpenJar Concepts, Inc.
www.openjar.com

Mr. Warren:

• Lies about his intent to stop advertising on Al Jazeera America.  FFA informed Mr. Warren that it never took more than a couple of days for Al Jazeera to remove ads once requested by the advertiser and questioned why it was taking him so long.  Warren responded with “stop you have no idea what you are talking about.”
• Now 40 days after Mr. Warren informed FFA again that OpenJar Concepts was pulling off Al Jazeera America AND AFTER RECEIVING THOUSANDS of emails the company continues to advertise on Al Jazeera America.
• Claims that FFA is questioning his patriotism because his company is advertising on Al Jazeera America.  FFA’s communications never mentions patriotism.  However, now that his company continues to advertise after having received thousands of emails of concern one certainly has grounds to ask about patriotism. 
• Copied the email to his attorney which is typically done as an indirect threat of legal action.  Why would Mr. Warren want to indirectly threaten FFA if his company was pulling off the channel?

Additionally, OpenJar Concepts had their attorney threaten Florida Family Association with the following email which has NEVER happened in this organization's twenty six years of existence:

-------- Original Message --------
Date:     Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:42:00 -0600
From:     Matthew A. Becker
To:     sjensley@afo.net, legal@afo.net
CC:     afosales@afo.net, info@afo.net                                           Attn. Legal Department:

This email constitutes a notice of copyright infringement and demand for take down pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA").  A website you are hosting contains images which are infringing.  The following are the details of the takedown notice:

1) Infringing Site- floridafamily.org / specific page with infringement - http://floridafamily.org/full_article.php?article_no=412.  The pictures and artwork on this page are infringing and contain works not owned by floridafamily.org.

2) OpenJar Concepts, Inc., owns the copyright to the works referenced in item 1 above and floridafamily.org is displaying the images without permission.  Therefore, we have a good faith believe for the take down notice.

3) As counsel for OpenJar Concepts, Inc., we have the authorization to submit the notice herein on behalf of the copyright owner.

I swear under penalty of perjury that the information contained in this notice is accurate.

You are directed to disable the above page within 24 hours of notice herein pursuant to the DMCA.

/s/ Matthew A. Becker

Matthew A. Becker
The Law Office of Matthew A. Becker, PC
1003 Isabella Avenue
Coronado, CA 92118
(619) 522-6760

Florida Family Association strongly disagrees with Mr. Becker's assertion since there are exemptions for fair use where commentary and news reporting is involved.  Even if Mr. Becker were correct with regard to the application in this context there are significant defects with his claim.

1.   The alleged artwork for OpenJar Concepts in question is NOT registered at the United States Patent and Trademark office.  The artwork on record at USPTO.GOV, which Mr. Becker himself filed, simply reports OPEN JAR CONCEPTS as their artwork. 

2.   TVM Advocates is NOT registered at all with the United States Patent and Trademark office.

3.   Even though Mr. Becker, himself, filed the artwork for The Sentinel Group with the United States Patent and Trademark office, his filing clearly reports this DISCLAIMER "NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE "GROUP" APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN."

OpenJar Concepts is a leading advertiser on Al Jazeera America.  OpenJar Concepts is airing numerous commercials for TVM Advocates and The Sentinel Group. 

Florida Family Association tapes ten hours of programing on Al Jazeera America every day.  The Florida Family Association office communicates with each advertiser no less than once per week.  Top advertisers are strategically featured one at a time in email alerts because there are so few of them.  One hundred seventy (176) companies have stopped advertising on Al Jazeera America.

OpenJar Concepts certainly has the right to choose where they use their advertising dollars.  You have the same right to object and choose to patronize other companies that won't give your consumer dollars to Al Jazeera.  Florida Family Association has prepared an email for you to send to OpenJar Concepts officials.

The email for this article was deactivated after the company stopped advertising.  

Contact information:

OpenJar Concepts, Inc.
27710 Jefferson Ave, Suite 302
Temecula, California 92590
Phone 1-951-296-9222