Fellow volunteers,
The USGenWeb Advisory Board is working on the application for
registration of our name (USGenWeb) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office (PTO). To properly accomplish this, we must hire an attorney to
review the paperwork and advise us as to proper procedures. The
application fee is $325 but the real cost will be the attorney fee. With
attorney fees running upwards of $75 per hour we are uncertain of the
total amount needed for the filing. We already have pledges from 60
members amounting to $2067, probably more than enough to accomplish this
very important task. But the Board feels that everyone should be given
the opportunity to participate in funding this effort, and I agree.
It is my sincere wish that we could join together and, ideally, that
each member would pledge $1.00 toward this very important goal. This
would be a wonderful way to bring all into full participation in
protecting our name through PTO registration.
When we are certain of the total cost and the total number of persons
making pledges, we will call in pledges based on the maximum amount
needed per person, but in no case exceeding the amount of anyone's
pledge. For example, if $18 per person should be necessary to cover all
costs, those who pledged less than $18 will be asked to contribute their
pledge amount and those who pledged more than $18 will be asked to
contribute only $18.
If you would like to join in this effort, please send an e-mail by
February 1 to Joe Zsedeny, jzsed(a)westelcom.com, with a cc (carbon copy)
to John Schunk, jschunk(a)skpub.com, with (1) the amount of your pledge
(any amount from $1 on up) and (2) a yes or no as to whether it is OK to
add your name as a pledge drive participant at
http://home.kscable.com/
jschunk/pledge.html).
We would like to allow everyone who wants to participate to do so. Won't
you join in this very important endeavor?
Tim Stowell
National Coordinator USGenWeb Project