See: http://www.equipped.org/plagiarized_mmi.htm<br><br>(copied below)<br><br>December 18, 2001<br>Chandler, Arizona<br>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br><br>Multi-Media International, LLC (1359 Broadway, Suite 1203 New York, NY 10018, 212-244-0559) has plagiarized significant amounts of copyrighted work from the Equipped To Survive™ Web site, publishing it in a "special edition" magazine titled "America On The Move" that has been distributed nationwide. We have received reports from loyal Equipped To Survive™ readers from coast to coast after they recognized the plagiarized material when glancing through the publication on local news stands.<br><br>The plagiarized material is contained in a "Family Survival Guide" inside the publication. The 30-page "Family Survival Guide" includes 23 pages of text with illustrations, 21 pages of which contain plagiarized material from Equipped To Survive™. The stolen material includes nearly 12,000 words of text and some images.<br><br>Conspicuous notice of copyright is provided throughout the Equipped To Survive™ Web site, as well as a compilation copyright notice for the entire Equipped To Survive™ publication located on the home page. No request to use the material was ever received from Multi-Media International, nor was permission ever granted to Multi-Media International for the reproduction, distribution or any other use of this copyrighted work. Nevertheless, Multi-Media International has reproduced and distributed the work in its publication.<br><br>A demand for payment and invoice was sent to Mr. Michael Levine, COO of Multi-Media International, on November 26, 2001. The payment due date has passed without receipt of payment and without substantial response. Douglas Ritter, Editor of Equipped To Survive™, said "we plan to pursue this extraordinarily blatant theft of material from Equipped To Survive™ until we receive appropriate and full compensation. There is no possible excuse for this to have occurred."<br><br>Equipped To Survive™ is the most comprehensive online resource for independent reviews of survival equipment and outdoors gear, as well as survival and Search and Rescue information. Equipped To Survive™ does NOT sell equipment. The Equipped To Survive™ Web site is a non-profit educational endeavor supported by the Equipped To Survive Foundation and edited by noted survival authority, Douglas S. Ritter. <br><br>For more information, contact Doug Ritter: dritter@equipped.org. <br><br>

Doug,<br><br>I saw this magazine on the newstand. Leafing through it, I saw your tables ... lifted right off the web page, as it were ... and thought, "Oh, Doug must have consulted with them in this. I'll buy this." Then, I remembered your post of 11/24/01, realized what I was looking at and thought, "No, I guess I won't buy this!"<br><br>I hid all the copies behind other similar current "special" publications regarding the war, civilian preparedness, terrorism, etc. and left. I never wrote about it on the forum, since I didn't want anyone going out and buying the darned thing to see what I was talking about. <br><br>It really made me mad! It wasn't even clever plagarism! It was just so blatant! (Not that clever plagarism would be any better, but this was so callous, it felt like being faced with a criminal who felt completely safe from any legal reprecussions of their deeds. I wanted to ask them if they really had that low a regard for the law.) I do websites and know how much work goes into a creation like ETS. But I can only try to imagine how you must have felt to see your work lifted from your site and placed on their pages without your consent!<br><br>Go for it, Doug! Pin them to the wall!

Jet,<br><br>Thanks for your support!<br>