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Weekly UpdatesTwo nonprofits dedicated to helping veterans are still battling over their names. Omaha-based Wounded Warriors, Inc. was given a preliminary injunction by the Federal District Court of Nebraska to close down its Web site, www.woundedwarriors.org after Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) based in Jacksonville, Fla., filed a lawsuit against Wounded Warriors, Inc. in September 2007, citing/ donor confusion.
"I don't think charities should be suing each other. I think it's morally offensive. That money going to lawyers is money that should be going to combat-wounded or killed in action," said Matt Butler, volunteer and board member for Wounded Warriors, Inc. Col. John Folsom, founder and president of Wounded Warriors, Inc., is currently deployed in Iraq with the Marine Corp Reserves.
"It was a case about honoring donor intent," said Errol Copilevitz, legal counsel for WWP from the Copilevitz & Cantor, LLC, in Kansas City, Mo. Copilevitz said that some people using Web database searches mistakenly donated money to Wounded Warriors, Inc. after WWP was featured in the national media.
Wounded Warriors, Inc. has a new Web site, renamed Wounded Warriors Family Support, which carries a disclaimer explaining that there is no affiliation with WWR WWP legal counsel wilt have to decide whether to present evidence on secondary meaning, which would give the generic "wounded warrior" term maximum trademark rights for WWP.
"This isn't a dispute about whether the other organization is worthy or are or are not doing program services," Copilevitz. "The dispute over them capturing confused donors that think they are going to our client and requiring them to take steps to differentiate themselves. We would like them to change their name, the court has ordered them to change the web site--so we think we're on the right road."
Both organizations benefit those people who served in the United States armed forces. Wounded Warriors, Inc. provides free resort vacations to families with a wounded, injured or killed family member during service. WWP hosts a variety of advocacy and outreach programs, including the WWP Soldier Ride, a series of cycling programs for wounded veterans across the nation.
"Do we want to settle? Absolutely," said Butler. "We don't want to be burning up our donors' precious, hard-earned money to feed the lawyers. John did not go raise this money for that."
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