Sued by a Silestone distributor/ fab shop called Stoneworx

[luke getz]

I like the idea of going to the press with this - it is an utterly ridiculous suit that should be brought up for public ridicule. find a reporter to write a story about it, or call your local radio or tv station to see if you can get some publicity that way. or go online and start talking about it the way you did here. anyone with half a brain can see this is just wrong! these guys are cutting off their nose to spite their face!

[luke getz]

I would also try to contact as many other shops in the area as you can to let them know what these guys are doing. if the first couple of guys that they sued had done that then you would have been able to see it coming and prepare yourself and even band together to fight it. tell the other shops that they may be next if this is not stopped now. there is a reason these guys are just doing it one at a time rather than all at once. it is much easier to fight one small guy at a time than a bunch of small guys at one time.

sorry for the rant, but this stuff bugs the tar out of me! it turns a system that should enforce justice into a mockery and an injustice

[Angel]

If they have a issue with the name, how about a resolution of them paying for the cost of changing the signs, marketing, wraps, etc.

[Mark Meriaux]

I would talk to a local public relations agency. Try to sell this story to the media. David vs Goliath style.

I would bet that the bad publicity(linked to cosentino) might be enough to rethink their strategy. Either way your getting press for lauzon stoneworks.

Good luck!

Jake

x2

[ontrastone]

Ken,
I'll start with saying I don't know about Canadian laws. I have two suggestions-1)Find an attorney that will countersue on a contingency basis that will accept a small fee for this bully company to cease and desist. 2) Ignore it and let them spend all there money. They just might trying to bully you without any legal cause. It may help if you have a family member or friend that can look up the statutes for at little or no cost to you. Also, karma can be a bitch! If thay are sue-happy, then I'm sure they have some unhappy customers that are also sue-happy. I wish you well.
Buddy Ontra

[Curtis R. Marburger]

an angle of recourse maybe with Silestone alone and we ban together as the SFA Brotherhood and put pressure on Siestone to make stonewerx drop this junk.

Other that that Just looks like they are trying to bully you for $$$ the company that bringing this suit against you

remember that battle was not David and Goliath but David and His God and the god of the philistines

[Randy Gallion]

Everyone in their market needs to know what they’re doing. Draw as much attention to them as possible. You could hire some guys from labor ready to picket the business for a couple weeks. Get on the news, make billboards, and pass out flyers. Do everything you can to keep attorneys and the court system out of this. If they were doing this is my market I think a lot of us take our business somewhere else.

[rtams]

If every person on here donated $10 to the cause you would have 30K to fight them. I would be willing to donate $200, I know it isn't a lot but pooling small amounts adds up to a great deal.
I was of the understanding that the Federal Court is not the correct court. I think it should be the Superior Court of Justice. Also, I would get a second opinion on costs. Even if you lose and have to pay thier legal fees the mini grid has an advisory limit of $350 an hour and excessive preparation time is generally not paid - which is what they are doing now. Although they frown on not having a lawyer, they will allow it and going to the first day of court will never cost you more that $1000 if you do it yourself. Then you can hire a lawyer as you can explain you are "over your head" if that is indeed the case.

[rtams]

Also, do a judgement search on them to see if they have won or lost any of these cases, and do a corporate search to determine who they are owned by and what kind of money is behind them.

[Scruffy]

Picketing them will not do a lot. Picketing their big box store customers is completely another thing. They are flinging poo and the big box stores will not want it redirected at them.

[SloanStone]

This is definitely a case of someone with too much money....... I don't support Silestone because of these guys!!!

Derek Sloan

SloanStone design Previously know as Sloan Stone Works
London ontario

[Stone Age Granite]

I've created a petition - if you get a shitload of signatures I'd bet that Silestone pays attention!

Please join this campaign: http://chn.ge/1au10hf

[comand]

I have $200 bucks for you as well if you need it.
Clark

what a bunch of complete WANKERS!

[REjsymont]

Ken's case is not isolated this firm MAPLE TERRAZZO MARBLE & TILE INC , operates a no of firms from the same address , including Stoneworks Marble & Tile , they share the same phone no's and as noted they distribute Silestone products .Based on everyone I have spoken to recently purchasing SILESTONE just before being served with the documents , I do no believe this is coincidence , I am of the opinion the related firms operating from the same address are sharing client lists to BULLY smaller firms .
We have responded with a defense in the Federal Trademark Court and in 4 or 5 years and $ ? later the case will "likely" be dismissed . I do not believe that this is a time frame that most of us will be able to hang in there for , while they have a large legal trademark firm Located at 2 Queen Street , in Toronto, the lawyer that is heading up this case for them was called to the bar the year my lawyer was born .These are big time players that know the ropes on how to bleed someone out. The court of public opinion is likely the best option .
I also have been served , suggestions are appreciated
Respectfully
Rick Ejsymont
Waterloo Stone Works Inc.
www.coronadocorp.com
42 Bridgeport Road
Waterloo Ontario
519 884 5200

[Dan R.]

Silestone is well aware of what is happening.

The SFA Board of Directors is working diligently to try and resolve this with all parties involved.

[Mark Lauzon]

That's awesome news Dan!

Rick, Stand by....I am sure Cosentino will do the right thing and help fix this.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

Good News Dan .

I read over thread post couple times and still trying to get my brain wrapped around this nonsense. what this company is doing is nonsense to me and being a corporate bully to me over nothing.

[CustomMarbleGranite]

Happy to hear it Dan.

I hope that the when the voice of the SFA and it's members is heard, there will be some actions taken and further action won't be needed.

Your are not alone in this fight Ken, you have a brotherhood behind you.

[Dan R.]

Good News Dan .

I read over thread post couple times and still trying to get my brain wrapped around this nonsense. what this company is doing is nonsense to me and being a corporate bully to me over nothing.

Curtis this fight is over far from nothing. What Stoneworx is trying to do is corner the SEO on the term Stone Works. What happens if no one challenges them? What is next Granite or Marble in your name ?

Imagine the value of being the one and only entry on this SEO search for the entire province or all of Canada!!

[Juan23]

What a bunch of crap.

What is the SFA brotherhood's concerted effort going to be? Sign the petition mentioned above, send a message to Maple, send a message directly to Consentino, or ???

[Scruffy]

This is a public forum and no doubt they are able to read what is going on here.
If your lawyer told you that you most likely would win in court you can be sure their lawyer has also told them you would win. They are not wired like the rest of us. If their entities operate under the same roof, same phone numbers, same personnel then this can be seen as an anti competitive move and may be illegal. Stone Works and Stoneworks are in the public domain and they cannot take it for themselves. Google search it. I just did and got 188,000,000 results. They are bullying you and know it. You are a stone works. Forward the legal crap to every stone works name you find and tell them they could be next to loose their name. Band together with them and take out carefully worded full page ads in your Sunday papers. Paint them as bullys. Tell the public the product they sell and who they sell to and get some on their customers.
I would not want to be in the Silestone booth at Stone Expo if this is not resolved before then. I am willing to bet things could get real ugly real quick in Vegas.

25 years ago I was turning out truck loads of kitchens for condominium projects. About that time Fountainhead solid surface was introduced and my distributor gave me some aggressive pricing on the product. The condos started to get interested in it so I quoted Fountainhead tops. What I did not know then was that a close family member of the distributor was a counter top fabricator. When they found out I was quoting that big of a job they raised my price high enough that I could not compete. Family got the counter top contract. I was not alone. Took about 6 months and the distributor lost the Nevamar/Fountianhead product line.

[Scruffy]

And anything you plan on doing should not be on a public forum where they can see in advance of what you are planning.

[ash20ash]

Or in the members lounge. Their are plenty of trolls out there.

Keep the specifics on email

[Scruffy]

I just Google searched stoneworx. 38,000 results. And spell checkers want to correct that name.

[Dan R.]

Maybe they will get into repairing german cars and they will go after auto werkes (works, worx)