Evangelist Seeks Stop to Possible Trademark Infringement
by Jim Brown
January 30, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A Christian ministry is threatening to sue an Oregon-based comprehensive sex-education group for trademark infringement. Revival Fires International learned recently that a group calling itself "Medford Truth for Youth" has been promoting a condom-based sex-ed program in public schools. But since 1997, Louisiana-based Revival Fires has been distributing Truth for Youth Bibles that contains comics advocating, among other things, abstinence until marriage.
Evangelist Tim Todd, who publishes the Bibles, told Southern Oregon's Mail-Tribune newspaper that he found it "more than ironic" the Oregon group was using his group's trademark. He says Revival Fires has sent a notice to the Medford Group, urging it to cease and desist from using the name "Truth for Youth" since it has been a registered trademark. "It was not a mean-spirited letter at all," Todd told the newspaper.
The notice was also sent to the Medford school board and to Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, both of which have been using the Medford "Truth for Youth" material. Revival Fires has asked the Medford group to comply with the request by today (January 30).
But Todd sees a possible silver lining in the whole situation. The evangelist says he hopes the illegal use of his registered trademark will lead to the distribution of Truth for Youth Bibles in Medford's schools.
"As a result of this, now we're in the process of getting churches [and youth groups] in that area ... that are going to be passing out the real Truth for Youth Bible in the public schools, eighth through twelfth grade," Todd explains. "So we know that what the Devil has meant for bad for this is going to be turned into a good situation where the young people are going to be able to receive the Word of God in school."
Todd continues, explaining why he undertakes massive efforts to get the Word of God into the hands of young people today. "So many of the schools today are already promoting what they call a 'safe-sex' curriculum in their sex education," he says. "But ... actually what they're calling 'safe sex' is a lie from the pits of Hell."
According to the Mail-Tribune report, Todd only found out about the alleged infringement when a Grants Pass woman familiar with Revival Fires' ministry attended a Medford school board meeting. She then contacted Rev. Todd. "If this grandmother had not contacted me, I wouldn't have known anything about it," he tells the newspaper.
According to Todd's website, his ministry has distributed more than a quarter-million of the Truth for Youth Bibles since 1997.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
