Purpose/Goal of this Petition is to invite Walmart, Walgreen, Kroger and other large retailers/eCommerce companies to become SmallBIZ Economic Changemakers.  SmallBIZ eChangemakers will create equitable and inclusive internal policies to benefit small businesses and hold large businesses/vendors accountable for their unethical "idea stealing" business practices. SmallBIZ eChangemakers will make a big difference in the survival of many small businesses and their support and positive actions will benefit ALL communities.

Unfortunately, great ideas and creations by small businesses are still being stolen by deep-pocketed big businesses and used for their financial gains. Well, it is time to shine the spotlight on big businesses and hold them accountable for their unethical "idea stealing" business practices. As Civil Rights Legend and Georgia Congressman John Lewis (Rest in Peace) would say "It's Time to Get in Good Trouble."

All businesses are at risk of having their unique ideas for products or services stolen. However, small businesses, especially black-owned, were and still are deeply affected and disadvantaged by "idea stealing" business practices. For centuries, black people/black-owned businesses got the short end of the stick because their creative ideas, land, music, recipes, etc. were stolen. In most cases, they never received any financial benefit or recognition. A few very sad examples are Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, Aunt Jemima, Big Mama Thornton and "Hound Dog" and the "Immortal" Cells of Henrietta Lacks. 

Although there are many current examples of "idea stealing" by big businesses, I will share one recent David versus Goliath example of how a large protein bar company stole a creative idea from a small black-owned protein bar company.  D-Pro WHERE PROTEIN MEETS DELICIOUS is a small protein bar company located in Southern California (Orange County).  D-Pro produces plant-based protein meal bars and uses it's founder's registered trademark slogan D-Pro WHERE PROTEIN MEETS DELICIOUS.  Kevin Lawrence, the owner of a Giant protein bar company known as Power Crunch (also located in Southern California - Orange County), decided to steal the trademark slogan WHERE PROTEIN MEETS DELICIOUS to use for the financial benefit of Power Crunch.  Kevin Lawrence used D-Pro's trademark in his company's elaborate "This is Not a Candy Bar" marketing campaign.  According to an article, the campaign included a film director, a visual engineer and three robotic cameras that showed flying ingredients including the following statement, "THIS IS NOT A CANDY BAR, THIS IS WHERE PROTEIN MEETS DELICIOUS."  He also provided D-Pro's trademark slogan to over 15 retail companies, including Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger and Target, to market and sell Power Crunch protein bars.  After the video was created, Kevin Lawrence contacted D-Pro's founder and claimed that he mistakenly used D-Pro's trademark in his marketing campaign. However, he failed to mention that he had already filed a trademark application to take ownership of D-Pro's slogan WHERE PROTEIN MEETS DELICIOUS. This must Stop! Small businesses, and the communities they serve, should band together by signing this petition to create positive change to mitigate these types of business practices.

Although some things have changed since the days of Jack Daniel, Aunt Jemima, Big Mama Thornton and Henrietta Lacks, large businesses are still stealing creative ideas from small businesses and using them for their financial gains. They assume that small businesses do not have the resources, time, courage or power to fight large "Goliath" type companies like Power Crunch. Well, this is a necessary fight to call out giants like Power Crunch for using unethical intellectual property business practices and tactics to cause financial harm and take advantage of small business.