Club Obi Wan

I saw this on HJ’s FB page this morning...


It is with a heavy heart that we at Herbert Johnson Hatters bring the following news and warnings to our fans and followers.

It has been brought to our attention that an ex-employee who had been fired some years ago, who goes by the alias of ‘Jack’ is selling non-authorised and plagiarised product in the Herbert Johnson name. We want to make clear to the public that this individual does not represent us nor does he have the right to use our name. He is not authorised to possess the branded components he has advertised that he will use. He also does not have our permission to authenticate any such product masquerading in our brand name. The components he has advertised were all rejected by us for good reason and are not part of our authorised brand styling and remain our property, in any event. This individual, by making product in our name with stolen components, is inviting the public to be complicit in illegal activity and accepting stolen goods. It is with regret that we feel the need to inform and warn the public for their own safety.

We want to make clear that we wish no ill will on the individual and solely seek to warn and protect the public from the actions of this individual. We understand that he is suffering from ill health, so our intention is at present to politely ask that the individual cease and desist in this illegal activity and return our property to us. We support this individuals right to create product in their own name and with their own materials and personal branding and we wish them the best with their health and future. We cannot however with good conscience stand by and allow the fans and the public to be put at risk by this individuals’ choices and we want to alert and protect those vulnerable from potentially serious consequences.

Management Team at Herbert Johnson Hatters and Swaine Adeney Brigg.

OOF.

I'm sure there's a lot more to the back story here. But I'm also not surprised to see this.

I must admit, I admire the company's reaction to this news. Many companies would have thrown the book at an individual ripping off their brand and name. But, to politely ask them to stop on the understanding of the individuals Ill health is rather gracious of them I think. It all sounds a rather unfortunate story for 'Jack', not to mention those he has defrauded.

Sent from my XT1700 using Tapatalk

Man. Well, we should not jump to any conclusions since we do not know the whole story. Not sure if we ever will.

It is true that the fired ex-employee going by the alias of ‘Jack’ posted on his own social media site with images in the month of August 2019 the intention to take money for making a hat branded with the components shown in the images he posted. Those images were of HJ owned and branded items. This post was brought to the attention of the HJ management by the public. While it was known to the management that Jack had taken items, some of these items were extra to that list. Several fans approached the HJ management telling them they had lost money to Jack in exactly in this fashion. The management felt the public needed warning in a hope to protect them from further victimisation.

Jack’s post admits several things. That he has items he should not have and should return to HJ had it been a mistake that he still had them. In this post Jack registered his intent to use these components to make an item and sell it using the brand name he doesn’t represent as both a selling point and to extract money from people. Plagiarism is not okay and crime against a corporation is not victimless. The person buying this item is accepting stolen goods for which there are severe penalties so Jack is putting folks at risk here as well. This is not ok.

The warning that HJ management posted in response was taken down because the public was getting out of hand and the comments unhelpful on all accounts. ‘Jack’ responded to the mediators publicly that he had made a mistake and would return the items. This declaration satisfied the management as they have no desire to be heavy handed and taken legal or criminal action despite a burden of evidence allowing them to do so.

So far no items have been returned.

The FB post was taken down due to the public responses being out of hand and unhelpful and NOT for any copyright issue since it was HJ branded images in question.

At no point was ‘Jack’s real name mentioned in the posting or any link to his FB page. This was a public warning designed to protect and nothing else.

HJ management have had proof since Jack was fired in September of 2017 that he stole some items from the company. They have CCTV and recorded staff reports from over several months. There is sufficient proof for criminal/legal proceedings. The management decided to walk away rather than pursue at the time. Jack’s posting of images of HJ rejected branded components stating an intent to use these to sell hats and authenticate such an item brought to light that further stolen items needed to be added to the existing list of known stolen items.

Several fans in the community have come forward to the HJ management with similar claims that ‘Jack’ has taken money from them, promised a hat in return, sent photos claiming to be current that have been proven to be taken years previously, sent photos of a hat not even made by ‘Jack’, sent bogus tracking details and then claims back and forth over if the hat even exists let alone been sent, bogus contact information and address. In short these people have had their money taken and nothing to show for it. Then ‘Jack’ posts that he wishes to make ‘one last hat’ with HJ branded components for money when he owes many people money already for doing exactly this. This is not ok!

Since posting the warning HJ management have received an increasing number of people in the community coming forward to let them know they have been victims and Jack has either taken their money, lied and made excuses and let them down. They have also received stories from those who narrowly avoided losing money but were on their way to being similarly groomed.
HJ have received messages of support and relief for the stance taken in alerting the public and their efforts to politely cease the risk and illegal activity.

Plagiarism and making out as if you work and make things for a brand and authenticate product when you were in truth fired from that position and all in pursuit of financial gain is not ok and it is not a victimless crime whether you follow through or not. This is not ok behaviour.

Let me be absolutely clear that I would have preferred not to be having this conversation at all. I could do without the stress created by these poor choices made by someone I have worked with. I have sympathy for anyone dealing with an illness and my thoughts and good wishes go to them as they do for ‘Jack’. I would have been fully supportive and delighted if I had learned from my management team that he had chosen to make and sell hats in his own name. However I cannot support his choice to take money from decent folks and not return it. I cannot support lies. I cannot support stealing. I cannot support plagiarism.

I fully support the decision of HJ’s upper management to deal with this in the polite and considered way they have considering the circumstances. My hope is that now that a space has been offered up in which better and legal choices can be made that there will be no further fallout or victims. Several weeks on from this posting with the HJ property still not returned does not bode well and I am greatly saddened by this whole issue.

Michelle

Thank you for posting this information for folks to see.

If would be nice to have Jack’s side as well, but since he is now in hospice, I’m not sure how active he is on forums outside of his occasional FB posting.

I do know he has only had high praise for your work there.

Please keep us informed if/when things change.

Regards! Michaelson

Michaelson nothing would please me more to announce that I had heard report of monies taken had been returned to those people out of pocket and components with HJ branding and other items returned to the company. I would fully support these actions.

This isn't our first rodeo regarding situations like this, and I hate it.

To keep things on the rails, we should allow those who have skin in this game speak up and air their grievances......specifically, members here who have lost funds waiting for a hat from Jack.

Like I said above, I sure hope Jack can come by and offer his side.

Thanks.

Regards! M

Jack passed away this morning of colon cancer.

Michaelson

I am very sad to hear this news today.

May he rest in peace.

I'm going to lock this thread now.

Jack is no longer with us, and no one has come forward to post anything about these claims, so apparently no one was impacted from the Indygear community.

RIP, Jack.

Regards! Mark