Dear Friends

[John LaBarbera]

I feel like I have let you all down and I am very sorry. Never saw it going this way at all. I know how hard your jobs are and was hoping to be able to make sure glides would be available to you so your job would be somewhat easier. I'm sorry I failed you guys.

Sincerely,

John LaBarbera

 

[Ed]

You failed no one. You did what you could do and that's more than anyone else(except maybe Lisa and Greenie). I appreciate what you've done John. Sorry it didn't work out the way it should have, but things happen for a reason.

Ed

 

[Guest]

John, you have not failed, How does an industry say thank you to someone that has spent the money you have over this? I appreciate what you have done and will continue to support your company. Thank you John!

 

[Desk Jockey]

John
We know you're busy man and I'm sure this took up your time and money.
Thank for the consideration and for the effort.

 

[Jimmy L]

.

 

[Todd Anthony]

I;m sure you did a great job John , now we just have to boycott HD.
I already have .

 

[Lora Olson]

John,

We all knew you had better odds going to Vegas, but you still took on this fight. I am sorry for your personal loss. That is tough and it sucks. Please don't feel too down. You have a lot of friends and supporters and a LOT of goodwill in this industry. :!:

I just sold a Mytee Lite II yesterday, and one of the big selling points for this guy (over a competitors brand) was when I told him how responsive you are to the industry, asking for suggestions, taking feedback from guys on the internet, re-designing stuff just cause some carpet cleaner said to. That really is different from most manufacturers. He was impressed that you personally were so involved with the industry and the customers. You are doing a LOT of things right!!!

There are ways we can still all fight back. You know you have a strong distributor network. Keep buying Mytee folks!

Oh, and we haven't shopped at Hope Depot in over 3 years!

Now...no more apologizing!!!

 

[truckmount girl]

John, you failed no one. As was said above, how could this indusrtry thank you enough for the money you have spent fighting this battle. It will all come out fine in the end when the reexam is done, having all the prior art.

You are a credit to this industry and this industry owes you their deepest thanks.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[hogjowl]

Make Mikey pay for the next thing he gets from you, and I'll forgive you.

 

[Bob Foster]

John and Lisa, your loss is our loss too. I feel that you both are owed a great deal of gratitude for fighting the fight that others would never have. You have risked your money, time and businesses.

I suggest others follow what I will do which is to support Mytee and GreenGlides by buying from them at every possible opportunity.

It's also good to see that according to Lisa you may only have lost the fight but not the war. Good luck on the next step towards stopping this blatant repression of independent small business people by this soulless corporate bully.

 

[Greenie]

Yes, to add to my friends here, John you need aplogize for nothing. It is only the fight, and not the war. Re-examination will prove detrimental to the patents, when ALL of teh prior art is submitted, they will fall like a card house.

Patent law is complex, but not finite.

 

[Jay D]

Thank you John for doing what you could to help us. You did your best. Who now takes all that up with the patent office anyhow?

 

[Greenie]

The Re-examination (done by Mytee) has ALREADY been submitted to the USPTO, it was submitted with ALL invalidating prior art BEFORE the current Jury trial took place with Mytee.

A Re-examination is the kiss of death for a questionable patent.

This is the exact route that GreenGlides was headed down (because it's a BIG hammer) before Dri-Eaz and US Products and Mytee were sued.

GreenGlides decided to hold back on submiting the very damaging prior art evidence and allow the appropriate companies to mount a defense and decide what they were going to do.

Because.....if you swing that big hammer, and by chance you miss, you will have only strengthened the patent, not harmed.

Now...there are no other suits....swing away, and it's gonna likely smart.

18 mo. and counting...

 

[truckmount girl]

Well hell jeff, i thought you called to ask me all that for your info, not to post!

:roll:

What greenie posted is true. Mytee submitted them for reexam (thanks John!) and I have an extremely high level of confidence that with all the prior art included, the patents will be invalidated through that process.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Bob Foster]

Does that mean it will be 18 months before you hear the outcome of this process?

Does an invalidation cause the reversing or nullification of the current decisions and awards?

Can you sue their asses?

Can we as cleaners as a class action sue their asses?

 

[Jay D]

I sure hope so, pushin wands again with no glide will surely suck. :|

 

[Jim Martin]

John.........

There is probably no one on this board or any other that could thank you enough for the fight that you put up for us ...It is a crying shame that when someone puts in the effort to do good buy us cleaners as you have that people like HRI and others have to go threw the lengths that they did to shut it down....So don't in any way feel that you have let any of us down....HRI.. and a few others are the one who let down us cleaners and the industry as a whole.....I am sure that I can speak for every one when I say Thank you for all the effort and the fight that you have put up for us.....

 

[truckmount girl]

I can only speak for myself, not John, because while we were cooperative in these cases they are separate cases.

At this point my fight has evolved to a different level and my main focus will be to draw public attention and outcry to the poor state of our civil justice system in regard to individuals, sole proprietors and small companies. A small niche industry like ours can be controlled, intimidated and financially blackmailed by one or two large corporations exercising their muscle. i'm determined to do what I can to see this addressed.

My fight is still ongoing and I'm not about to give up.

I will need help, especially from those with writing talent and website talent. That and those who wouldn't mind protesting a few afternoons a month in front of their local Home Depot.

Let's stop the petty bickering, between individuals, companies and BB's and pull together as an industry.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[John LaBarbera]

I would be amiss not to mention Lisa Smith and others for their support. Lisa came about 100 miles everyday to render support. Ken Harris also was more than supportive and helpful. (you don't know all that he did to help, but take my word for it, he stuck his neck out on this one) And I view him as a friend. Selling glides by themselves could never come close to covering the expenses of a lawsuit so I believe Lisa and Jeff and Ken did the very best they could. I don't think anyone with the same circumstances could have done more than they did. When you have a family to care for, the family has to come first even when the instinct is to fight back.

I believed the patents weren't valid like many of you. HRI put on a good defense. And 8 people who were totally impartial gave the verdict. It's not a happy moment for any of us, but at this point their patents have held up and I should be a gracious loser and not blame anyone. I don't approve of name calling just because I'm not happy with the outcome. Tomorrow is another day and life goes on. The reexamine is not a guarantee either. Hopefully it will narrow the claims so you guys can get glides for your wands. I know pushing a wand is hard work and I wish we had succeeded for your sakes. I wish I could have done more to help you.

John

 

[randy]

Well my next purchase is another portable, after this effort of Mytee's it will be a M-5.

God bless you for the effort John.

 

[Johnny]

Thanks again, John and Lisa.

 

[steve frasier]

Thanks Guys

 

[Jimbo]

Thank you, for going to bat for us, John....and Greenglides.


No apology needed.

 

[Guest]

Thank you John. Go Mytee!!!

 

[royalkid]

John is truly a class act.

 

[Mikey P]

John

You tried to do the right thing in a wrong world.


So sorry for your wasted time, energy and money but a huge thank you none the less.



and foock you Chem Dry Charlie.

 

[bob vawter]

can we throw nails in their driveways?

 

[steve g]

I still can't believe it all went "down town" this is even surprising to me. I wonder if HR offered to license the patents before this all shook down at trial. you just never know what is going to happen in front of a jury. attorneys are flat out scared of jury's they ask the jurors afterwards what made them decide the way they did, and often its because of how someone dresses or weather or not one of the attorneys seemed nice. still from what I hear one of the 3 patents that hr used was struck out, so its not a total loss.

 

[Mike Draper]

chem bastards headquarters are down the road from me, I'll throw some eggs next time i drive by.

 

[Able 1]

Thanks John!