{"id":231,"date":"2012-06-12T15:47:37","date_gmt":"2012-06-12T15:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shanecampbellcfo.com\/?p=231"},"modified":"2023-04-20T19:14:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T19:14:37","slug":"kenneth-kaufman-of-cfowise-pays-220000-for-admitted-copying-and-violation-of-federal-copyright-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.b2bcfo.com\/shane-campbell\/cfowise-pays\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenneth Kaufman of CFOWise Pays $220,000 for Admitted Copying and Violation of Federal Copyright Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

Federal Court rules to protect B2B CFO\u2019s Intellectual Property,\u00a0settlement ends lawsuit with former partner Kenneth Kaufman sued by B2B CFO for copyright infringement, Lanham Act violations, Federal RICO (Racketeering) violations, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach\u00a0of<\/strong><\/em> fiduciary duty.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>) – In midst of widespread intellectual property misappropriation, Jerry L.\u00a0\u00a0Mills and B2B CFO are pleased to announce the settlement of their\u00a0 lawsuit against former partner Kenneth Kaufman and three of his\u00a0entities, including CFOWise.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy executing this Agreement, Defendant Kenneth A. Kaufman admits that\u00a0\u00a0he copied the intellectual property of B2B CFO, LLC and B2B CFO\u00a0\u00a0Partners, LLC, in violation of federal civil copyright law.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jerry Mills and B2B CFO filed the lawsuit in 2009 against Kenneth\u00a0\u00a0Kaufman<\/a> and three of his entities, including CFOWise, alleging\u00a0\u00a0copyright infringement, Lanham Act violations, Federal RICO violations,\u00a0\u00a0misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of fiduciary duty.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Kaufman, who was a partner in the firm, left B2B CFO to form CFOWise<\/a>\u00a0 in 2007, but made the critical mistake of using copyrighted intellectual\u00a0 property owned by B2B CFO in his CFOWise business. In agreeing to settle\u00a0 the lawsuit, Kaufman not only paid $220,000 to B2B CFO, but he also\u00a0 admitted to his improper conduct. His full admission states:<\/p>\n

\u201cBy executing this Agreement, Defendant Kenneth A. Kaufman admits that\u00a0\u00a0he copied the intellectual property of B2B CFO, LLC and B2B CFO\u00a0Partners, LLC, in violation of federal civil copyright law.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Improper copying, like Kaufman\u2019s, presents a growing problem in the\u00a0United States. According to the United States International Trade\u00a0Commission (USITC), a record high number of new intellectual property-related cases were filed during FY 2011. The vast majority of the investigations include patent infringement allegations, but\u00a0complainants may also assert copyright, trademark, trade dress, trade\u00a0secret or other intellectual property rights claims. The number of new section 337 investigations started in FY 2011 increased by 37 percent\u00a0 from FY 2010. As seen in the data for the last decade, this is the\u00a0 greatest number of new investigations instituted in any given year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pleased that the Federal Court upheld the validity of our intellectual property,\u201d said Jerry L. Mills, founder and CEO of B2B CFO.\u00a0 \u201cIntellectual property misappropriation is a serious problem in this country and businesses need to know how to protect themselves and\u00a0understand the legal process which is very complex and can be quite\u00a0costly.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Mills, the lawsuit provided an unprecedented learning\u00a0opportunity and many chances to understand the complexities surrounding the laws and legal issues of intellectual property misappropriation. \u201cI\u00a0hope to use my experience and the knowledge I gained by fighting this\u00a0battle to educate other entrepreneurs about protecting their business,\u201d\u00a0 said Mills.<\/p>\n

Mills knows he\u2019s not alone in the fight against IP misappropriation. The\u00a0Bureau of Justice Statistics released an article written by Mark\u00a0Motivans, Ph.D. showcasing the trend of this increasing problem. The statistics on enforcement of Federal intellectual property laws for\u00a01994-2002 show clearly how this is a growing problem. The report,\u00a0\u00a0available for purchase from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, summarizes\u00a0\u00a0intellectual property legislation and nine-year trends and presents intellectual property trends in the number of suspects (both individuals\u00a0\u00a0and organizations) referred to U.S. attorneys and defendants prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced. The report highlights include:<\/p>\n