P R O V E I T ! ®

 Armed with only the truth and the merits of my registration, I represented myself pro se in U.S. Federal Court without formal legal training.  In 2010, I faced off against Adidas America, Inc., one of the world's largest athletic brands.  Adidas sout to strip away my trademark rights by alleging fraud.  Despite the resources and legal firepower of a corporate giant, I stood my ground and defended the legitimacy of my mark.   During the federal trail after reading my opening statement the judge demanded that I, "tell the court who has been helping you..."my answer was simple:

"GOD"

I prevailed, and Adidas lost that trial in 2010.  Adidas later appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and lost again in 2013.  

My legal battles did not end there.  When I brought suit against Under Armour for using my trademarked slogan without authorization, the dispute ultimately concluded in a confidential settlement.  These were not merly legal disputes; they were defining moments in the history of my brand.  I stood toe-to-toe with two corporate giants, defended my intellectual property, and demonstrated that determination, conviction, and a willingness to stand on principle can carry an individual a long way--even in a courtroom against powerful corporate opponents.  

My battles with Adidas and Under Armour  are part of my brand's documented history, publicly searchable under the  search terms  “Adidas Prove It” and  “Under Armour Calmese”.      

I did not have the resources of a corporate giant.  I had to stand on the truth, my trademark rights and my faith.  And I was willing to stand alone and defend them.

As a small minority business owner in the United States, holding an intensely sought-after athletic trademark has made my brand a prime target for major corporate interests. Companies have recognized the commercial power of "PROVE IT!"—launching multi-million-dollar campaigns like the Toyota "Tundra PROVE IT campaign",

 Proctor & Gamble "Old Spice 1-800-PROVEIT campaign" and the Goodwill Games "Where The World's Best PROVE IT campaign".  All three of these campaigns utilized the phrase—yet instead of doing constructive business, they deployed high-powered legal teams against me.  In 2010, Toyota made me a bet I took.  The attorney for Toyota said if I win the Adidas trial they would settle, and they did.  In 2004, Old spice respectfully ceased using 1-800-PROVEIT after we could not respectfully agree on terms to work together.  In 1998, the Goodwill Games and I reached a settlement to avoid litigation. 

EVERYONE has something to prove... athletes, teams, busineses and  fans have to prove it every year on and off the court, on and off the field, in and out of the ring, on and off the ice, at home and at work ... every day.   Athletes and fans can now officially wear PROVE IT!® while taking on any challenge at anytime.  IT'S A GREAT BRAND.