ActivatedCarbonScienceIntro; The Scent Lok Lawsuit; How did it all get started?

If you don't think Greg Sessleman knew who started it all, and who he blames, you have not read one of the latest correspondences between he and I, available further down this page.

After the court ruling on Scent Lok, which found them guilty of (Fraud)ulent advertising, and the Patent Office rescinding all but one of their 94 Patent Claims, I guess I could be called "the writer who took on Scent Lok, and brought them down", "by telling hunters the truth." There is justice in the USA Court System.

Basically I took on Scent Lok, Cabela's, Gander Mountain, Browning and Robinson Outdoors/Scent Blocker, a multi-multi-million dollar group of odor control clothing producers, and we won.

Ask yourself, how one small, insignificant outdoor writer, took on this conglomeration, and won???

How did I do it. Sure the MN hunters started the lawsuit, but they would not have - if I had not been exposing Scent Lok for 3 years on the talk forums, and providing information to lawyers and urging them to find a way to sue Scent Lok.

And had I not kept harassing the PTO about the fact that odor control clothing had been Patented years before, which made the Scent Lok Patent Claims invalid, the Patent Office would not have rescinded their patent claims.

I did have help, but ask yourself who? Who stood to gain? Not me...

I believe it was God. I just do not see how I could accomplish this on my own, with only two other people in the background, feeding me more information than I already had, and a lawyer, who used his one money to appeal to the Patent Office. It had to be God. He stood to gain, because you stood to gain, by being told the truth. Or at least by being able to hear the truth, so you could make an informed decision, before you chose whether or not to purchase a product that did not work as the manufacturer claimed it would.

Why don't we all tell the truth?

May God bless you and yours,

T.R. Michels

Open Letter to Hunters and the Hunting Industry

I should set something straight. Until a few years ago Scent-Lok did not sell camouflage clothing to the public. Until a few years ago they did not manufacture or sew clothing, or design camouflage - someone else did it all for them. Don't give them credit for what someone else did for you.

All they do is pay some company to glue little tiny AC particles onto fabric, covering only 20 % of the fabric (not enough to work, but enough to deceive many gullible hunters). That is it. That is all they do. It is not that hard. Heck, I'll bet most of you could do it.

For this, and a lot of false and misleading advertising, they make millions of dollars every year. And you applaud them for it Doesn't that make you the least bit mad.

What happened to truthfulness, and honesty? What happened to respect? Have we as a society gone so far down the road of complacency - that we no longer care when we are lied to, when we not only condone it, but applaud it? We should be ashamed of ourselves - especially if we adhere to Judeo-Christian morals. Especially if we are Christians.

At least I tried to make a difference, and adhere to those ethics.

I'm ashamed of some of my fellow writers, authors, publishers, editors, speakers, Pro Staffers, hunting professionals, manufacturers etc. They sat by and did nothing, or endorsed Scent Lok. And many of them, who I used to consider as my friends, now hate me, despise me - because I exposed another one of their friends – Scent Lok. A friend that many of them had been taking money from, getting free clothing from, going on free hunting trips because of. Now, because Scent Lok has lost millions of dollar in sales, and may have spent close to 20 million dollars in lawyers fees – they hate me – because they no longer get any of those free dollars, products and hunts – because Scent Lok can’t afford to give it away any longer. And they blame me!

They don’t blame Scent Lok for lying to them, and the hunting public, in the first place. But, it is Scent Lok and themselves, that they should blame, unless they never received one single e-mail from me, unless they never hears about what I had been writing about – for three long years. But, most of them knew Scent Lok did not work - and yet – they kept on endorsing Scent Lok, because of all the money and free stuff they got in exchange for doing it.

To blame me – for what Scent Lok did - does not seem right to me – at least to me.

And because of those three paragraphs - I will be hated even more.

But, I forgive them, for hating me, and blaming me, because it is what Jesus would want me to do.

I wish them all success in the coming year, and that they find other ways of making money in the future, but not by endorsing products or services - that deceive the public or do not work. I hope we all raise our sense of truth, justice and ethics.

I don’t’ think I’ve been thanked by more than 10 people in the hunting industry – for what I did. And the ones that did thank me, were all my friends. For believing in me, I thank them, they are my true friends.

I’ve been banned from Archery Talk, Michigan Sportsman and Jesse’s Hunting Page – for telling the truth. But, most of the smaller Talk forums, - allowed me to tell the truth – because they did not take money from Scent Lok, so they did not lose anything. The one large talk forum, one of the biggest, that allowed me to tell the truth – all this time - is Bowhunting.Net, Robert Hogue and Rich Walton. For that we all owe them a big thank you. Thank you Rich and Robert.

To all who read this:

I have not sold an article to a major publication since I began my campaign to expose Scent Lok three years ago. My writing style has gotten better, so I can come to only one conclusion. Either the editors or publishers of those magazines did not want anything negative written about Scent Lok, or Scent Lok had enough power to keep my articles from being published. I use to sell 5-15 articles to those magazines per year; in three years – not one article. They will not even respond to my queries.

If you want to see my articles in the big magazine publications again, because you believe I will be honest with you, and may be able to help you become better hunters – contact those magazines and tell them you’d like to read more of my articles. If you do - I thank you. It is part of the way I make my living.

Friday, May 21, 2010

I e-mailed Greg back and told him I forgave him, But I wondered why he sent me such an e-mail, atfter all this time. It seemed a little contrived.

E-mail from Greg Sessleman to Me & My Response

The Scent Lok Saga; How Did It All Get Started

RE: Forgiven - You Too

Friday, May 21, 2010 10:29 AM

From: "Greg" <greg@scentlok.com>

To: "'T.R. Michels'" <trmichels@yahoo.com>

T.R.

I have wanted to send a note thus to you a long time. My hand was guided to send it now as opposed to earlier so you know it is pure and not intended to benefit me.

Here is my response:

Greg,

As, I said, I appreciate your e-mail, and your forgiveness. But, I hope you will forgive me if I have my doubts about your sincerity - actions speak louder than words. I honestly believe you have misled people in the past, and from the latest statements on your website (http://www.scentlok.com/category/scentlok-latest), it appears you are still doing so. Why not tell the public exactly which patent claims the Patent Office rescinded from you, and which ones you still have. I believe it would be beneficial to your cause, and your company. It would show a whole-hearted effort to be honest, which I am sure the hunting public would greatly appreciate and applaud you for.

One of the reasons I have my doubts, is because I have never been apologized to for how Mike Andrews treated me on Archery Talk (which I am banned from, but don't care). As I wrote to you in an e-mail long ago, it was not very professional, and only made your company look bad. It was uncalled for and unnecessary. He could have achieved his goal, of making his points, without personally attacking me. I never attacked anyone at your company. If anyone thought so I sincerely apologize, I only meant to criticize your company statements.

I really think being straightforward about the Patent Office actions and the lawsuits would be beneficial to you. I've found that baring my soul, and my life, has always been the best policy in my business, even though it is painful sometimes. I think something both of us can do, is to ask God's forgiveness if we have done wrong in his sight, and ask Him to guide us in how we each proceed from here on in.

I must restate something I said in the last e-mail - I'd forgive you, if I thought you did anything personally wrong to me, but I don't think you did. Thank you for that.

Seriously, why not be straightforward with the public?

I don't believe I have done anything to be forgiven for.

I hope you and your family are well, and that God will bless all of you,

T.R.

Here is the Patent Office News from Scent Lok's website, in case they take it down.

Breaking News about Scent-Lok Patents

Apr 06, 2010

Latest From Scent-Lok, Scent-Lok Technology

US Patent Office Board confirms that Scent-Lok Technologies' innovations are patentable!

Since 2004, Scent-Lok Technologies has been engaged in a lengthy Reexamination process before the US Patent Office regarding one of its five US patents relating to odor adsorbing hunting products and practices. On March 29, 2010, the U.S. Patent Office's Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences issued its long-awaited decision confirming the patentability of 40 of the 68 claims at issue. Specifically, the Board ruled, among other things, that Scent-Lok Technologies had proven that its hunting products and processes integrating activated charcoal were not obvious modifications of the known products and practices. This decision validates Scent-Lok Technologies' longstanding assertions of the patentability of many of its innovations. As we take the time to celebrate this important victory, we want to thank our loyal customers, licensees, suppliers and retailers for their support through this long and arduous process.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

E-mail from Greg Sesselman of Scent Lok to T.R. Michels & My Response

I received this e-mail from Greg Sesselman of Scent Lok today - after 3 years:

Forgiven

Thursday, May 20, 2010 11:26 AM

From: "Greg" <greg@scentlok.com>

To: "'trmichels@yahoo.com'" <trmichels@yahoo.com>

Dear TR,

I want you to know, that even as you struggle against me/us, I have asked and continue to ask my people to forgive you, have mercy on you, to love you as Christ teaches us and to pray for your personal peace.

-ses

Here was my reply:

Greg,

I really appreciate your prayers. I assure you I have had peace for several years, growing in peace as Christ continues to work in my life - even with all of my physical ailments (I believe they are meant as a testimony to Christ, because I offer up my suffering for those who suffer more than I do). But, I have to wonder why, after all this time you contact me now, with such an approach. I never saw a Christian side of you before.

For the first time I feel as if you may have really found God. I never did before. I found Christ in the 70's, and have never strayed.

I'll be honest and say I feel that you or your advertising have misled me and others, because you knew all along that your product could not do what you advertised it could do. And yet you maintained your position ... I believe your assertions were wrong, and the courts here in MN have found the same thing.

What first upset me was when Mike Andrews personally attacked me on Archery Talk; and the fact that you kept Bob Clouse of Eliminator Clothing out of business, and bankrupted Rick Gremminger of No Trace. I was also told by Tony Newman of Contain clothing, that, due to comments made to Gander Mountain by your agents or employees, you cost him thousands of dollars in lost sales (of this I have only his word). But, you did claim to have anti-microbials in your product (which someone from your company admitted you did not have in a later deposition).

Bob, Rick and Tony are out of business due to your business practices, on patents that it appears you never should have had. The fact that they are all friends of mine, and good Christians, did not help your cause with me.

I have never felt malice toward you personally, only anger at your companies statements, and the way I was treated on Archery Talk by Mike Andrews (possibly at company request). That did not help your cause with me.

My aim (as it always has been in the hunting industry) was to let hunters know the truth - and in this case, of how much activated carbon can or cannot reduce odors, and then be reactivated - because I felt hunters were being duped. I also wanted to get your patents rescinded, so there was a fair playing field for other manufacturers, who might be able to come out with new and improved products for hunters (which they deserve), at reasonable prices, not inflated prices due to royalties paid by manufacturers to you.

So I began a campaign to get your patents rescinded, and to inform hunters of the truth about activated carbon, and what it can and cannot do. I feel I have done that. - From here on out I am only a bystander reporting the events as they occur - although with a bit of bias and editorial comment. I have not been actively involved in this for about 2 years.

I had no idea that any of the current lawsuits would occur, and had nothing directly to do with them. However, they undoubtedly occurred because of my actions. As you know I was actively at the forefront of the Patent re-exam process from the very beginning. (In fact I was the only person I know of who was involved)

I have to wonder why you did not accede to my request to take my initial testimonial off of your website - after I clearly stated I no longer believed your product worked. That did not help your cause with me either.

I have to wonder why, in light of my explanation and following correspondence, why you claimed I tried seriously to get you to bribe me. That did not help your cause with me.

As a result of my becoming actively involved in this process, I have lost thousands of dollars in income, due to not one single editor of the larger hunting publications purchasing any of my articles, whereas they had purchased several each year prior to my campaign. There is some correlation there - and I accept the consequences, because at some point I, as a Christian, and as an outdoor writer/speaker/author/website publisher, who owes his lively-hood to the hunting industry and hunters, have a responsibility to stand up and "tell it like I see it", and I feel in this case that means to stand up and "tell it like it actually is".

I will pray that if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, that you will seek to have one, or that if you do have a relationship with Him, that you will seek to have a closer one with Him, as I hope I will have myself.

Please say Hi to Aubrey Gale for me, and tell him I miss our Christian conversations.

May God bless you and everyone at Scent Lok

T.R.

P.S. I don't feel I did anything to need forgiveness for, and the Paten Office and Court decisions, show I was right, in what I did.

Editors note: That I receive this at this time was providential - because last night I was just contemplating writing an article on how and why my whole involvement in the Scent Lok campaign began, and why.