WorldVentures sue Ariix & MaVie over unfair competition
It seems WorldVentures has finally exhausted the “access to travel discounts” pyramid model – with the company looking to expand into nutrition.
According to a recently filed lawsuit, mid last year WorldVentures executed a mutual confidentiality agreement with Abboud Barakat and his distribution company, Advanced Wellness Solutions.
WorldVentures claims this agreement saw Barakat receive ‘confidential and proprietary information and trade secrets‘.
As defined in the agreement, this included WorldVentures’ customers, suppliers, third parties, products, services, supplier information, and
business, marketing, development and sales and other commercial strategies.
The agreement stipulated Barakat and Advanced Wellness Solutions would not use the received information and secrets.
Ultimately the deal fell through. And in a lawsuit filed on June 4th, WorldVentures allege Barakat used its confidential information to benefit Ariix and the launch of MaVie.
Abboud Barakat is CEO and founder of the recently launched MaVie MLM company.
Through Advanced Wellness Solutions, Barakat is believed to also supply Ariix with various products.
WorldVentures also name Jonathan McKillip (Texas, US), Kyle Lowe (Texas, US), Anthony Fitzgerald (Australia), Michelle Siddy (UK), Kemble Morgan (South Africa) and Daniel Audet (Canada) as defendants.
The company claims the six individuals had “written employment agreements” and ‘all previously worked with WorldVentures or an affiliated entity‘.
- Jonathan McKillip was President of WorldVentures Marketing International until his resignation on December 31st, 2017
- Kyle Lowe was Senior Vice President of Global Sales & International Expansion until his resignation on February 13th, 2018
- Anthony Fitzgerald was Asia-Pacific Sales Director until WorldVentures terminated his employment contract on March 9th, 2018
- Michelle Siddy was Director of Sales & Marketing for Northern Europe until her resignation on August 31st, 2017
- Kemble Morgan was Country Manager for Australia and Asia Pacific Sales Director until WorldVentures terminated his employment contract on April 9th, 2018
- Daniel Audet was International Operations Consultant until his resignation on November 30th, 2016
WorldVentures claim that the six defendants now allegedly work for, consult with are associated with or represent MaVie, Ariix, Advanced Wellness Solutions and/or Abboud Barakat.
The basis of WorldVenture’s lawsuit is unfair competition arising from the use of its trade secrets and disclosed confidential information.
Advanced and Barakat are using WorldVentures’ confidential information as part of a business association with ARIIX and MAVIE who are competitors of WorldVentures.
MAVIE, Advanced and Barakat have recruited ARIIX as part of the enterprise and conspiracy to use Plaintiffs’ confidential information and to unfairly compete against the Plaintiffs.
Advanced, Barakat and ARIIX unfairly recruited current and former employees of Plaintiffs to assist them in the development of their new competitive business enterprise — MAVIE.
In addition to former employees, WorldVentures accuse Ariix and MaVie of also targeting their top affiliates.
On the business side of things WorldVentures brings up MaVie’s travel discount portal. Ariix too have recently launched their own travel discount portal.
MAVIE and ARIIX are working together in a joint enterprise and conspiracy to unfairly compete against WorldVentures in the lifestyle membership industry.
If not stopped, they will continue to solicit and induce employees and independent sales representatives of WorldVentures to breach their contracts with WorldVentures and to utilize their knowledge of WorldVentures’ confidential and proprietary information and trade secrets to further the conspiracy and to further unfairly compete with WorldVentures.
As part of their lawsuit WorldVentures filed for an ex-parte Temporary Restraining Order.
The TRO was granted on June 5th, with the court observing ‘there is sufficient evidence to support the issuance of this Order‘.
From the evidence presented, this Court concludes that WorldVentures will likely succeed on the merits of WorldVentures’ claims at the trial of this matter.
The granted TRO prohibited Ariix, MaVie and the named individual defendants from
- using any confidential information or trade secret of WorldVentures for any purpose
- using any information in the line of sponsorship, downline activity report or genealogy of WorldVentures for any purpose
- interfering with the contracts or agreements by and between WorldVentures and any of WorldVentures’ employees, Representatives, vendors, business associates, business consultants and all other persons or entities in privity with WorldVentures
- soliciting or recruiting WorldVentures’ Representatives, or any person who has been a Representative of WorldVentures during the last twelve (12) months, for any multilevel marketing or network marketing business opportunity
- interfering with WorldVentures’ existing and prospective business relationships with WorldVentures’ Representatives and employees accepting any registration or enrolling as a distributor or representative WorldVentures’ Representatives, or any person who has been a Representative of WorldVentures during the last twelve (12) months, for any multilevel marketing or network marketing business opportunity
- paying any commission, bonus or other compensation to any Representative of WorldVentures or any person who has been a Representative of WorldVentures during the last twelve (12) months
- allowing any Representative of WorldVentures or any person who has been a Representative of WorldVentures during the last twelve (12) months to use any website owned or operated by WorldVentures or any of their affiliates to promote any multilevel marketing business
- disparaging WorldVentures or any of WorldVentures’ employees, officers, managers, and Representatives and
- falsely representing to WorldVentures’ Representatives, the advantages, characteristics and nature of any goods products or services sold or distributed by Defendants through any multilevel marketing company
The TRO was issued until June 19th, upon which a preliminary injunction hearing was scheduled.
The June 19th hearing took place as scheduled. Following a full day of witness testimony, the court will re-convene for a second hearing on June 26th.
The current TRO in place has been extended until July 3rd (pending the outcome of the preliminary injunction hearing if resolved earlier).
Stay tuned…
Update June 27th 2018 – The preliminary injunction hearing was held as scheduled on June 26th.
No orders were made, with the hearing continued to June 27th.
Pending the outcome of the continued hearing, we should have another update later today.
Update June 28th 2018 – Second day of the hearing has come and gone. It appears decisions have been made however as of yet they haven’t been made public.
The minute entry for the continued hearing states ‘a formal order will follow‘.
Update June 29th 2018 – As per a June 28th order, the TRO with respect to MaVie, Ariix and Advanced Wellness Solutions has been dissolved.
The TRO against the remaining individual defendants, which is due to expire on July 3rd, remains in place.
Update 8th December 2019 – As of late November 2019, WorldVentures has reached a settlement with corporate defendants MaVie and Ariix.
In light of the dispute between the parties being confidentially resolved, the scheduled December 2nd trial was cancelled.
Because “the nutritional MLM market is untapped”? Taking the sheep for another outing on a new pasture.
So BS.
So why doesn’t coke sue pepsi or other way around?
It’s the USA! lol
According to David Wood, this is just the start of World Ventures demise. He is strategically taking down this “— ing” company….
I highly doubt he has anything to do with this latest news but we shall see..
According to JusticeAlwaysLate, there’s a lawsuit against WV in Singapore. 20 WV reps claimed they were owned hundred thousand plus in commission.
Article updated with news of preliminary injunction hearing.
Article updated with order on preliminary injunction to follow.
Finally those scammers at Worldventures are getting what’s coming to them. Seriously hope they get exposed!
You need to be an idiot to invest on such projects.
From what Ive read Mavie has a foundation of systems that were much more attractive than worldventures. I say ride the wave of an untapped industry!
You think the well-established multi-billion dollar and highly competitive online travel industry is “untapped”? Rightio…
Sadly Mavie is circling the drain. Only putting in 7000 members globally in 8 months and droves of them leaving.
Thank you so much for your research!!!! I am a rep for worldventures. I needed a way to follow the trail of what was going on.
So far I have uncovered that the individuals in the for mentioned suit were all WV employees, not reps.
From what I can gather these individuals performed a koo on this company. All having job positions of high ranking execs with the company over its international divisions.
The people that conducted the unsavory practices are the same people that orchestrated creating MaVie. Within these countries that they did the same bad practices…….
I have dates and pictures and proof that identifies them as the ones that got Wv in the financial mess!!!!!! If this is truly a unbiased forum. Please acknowledge that fact.
If it were that straight-forward the lawsuits would be over by now. They’re still playing out.
We report on anything significant that happens in both lawsuits. That doesn’t include “from what I can gather” narratives.
Abboud Barakat was never a WorldVentures employee.
Isn’t that James lee is trying so hard to build MAVIE In Singapore? Recruiting all the WV members to his MaVie! But failed! Creating so much mess with the top leader who chooses to stay in WV!
MaVie will not even last! 7000 members in 8 months? Peanuts momentum!
Pity James! Fake hype in his Fb!
Wow from the trail I have Fitzgerald recruited James Lee into Mavie on December 6th 2017. There is a post of him thanking Fitzgerald for being a part of their new business venture.
Barakat seems to be the mastermind! He has no trail….. but Jonathan McKillip recently became over Uforia Science which is owned by Barakat.
Jon was the president at WV international division that negotiated the connection with Barakat. The new court doc from 12/18 talks about why and how Barakat was introduced into the mix.
Barakat is a Jordanian Billionaire with out any whatsoever social media presence.
I had to really dig to find out he was a billionaire. I wish there was a way to share pictures.
It isn’t a easy case because it is dealing with so much international law. And from what I am reading in the court doc…. Barakat is avoidant.
I am praying for Wayne Nugent. I spoke to Carlos Rogers yesterday. He told me to come here to read about the different cases including his own. But I am a researcher too. I love it!!!!
So when I researched his court documents I saw he is being represented by the same law firm that is representing Barakat and Audet.
This thing was big…. they succeeded too. Because from what I could gather from talking to him it is about tarnishing WV’s name so that the company looks bad worldwide.
Mavie in turn sweeps into the international travel market as the great white liberating horse.
8 trillion dollar industry and WV had no competition….. sounds like Jordanian Billionaire smart to me.
You really think WorldVentures is the only player in the worldwide travel industry?
Come on man…
No by no means do I think that. But I know that no other company creates the types of experiences that this company provides at The price it provides it for. . DreamTrips are full on experiences with in destination support staff that act as personal concierges when abroad. There are many companies that create packages but they have not been able to duplicate the culture this company has been able to create around its product. I am biased on this because I have actually been on a dreamtrip and I tell you I have never experienced anything like it! The way the industry treats DreamTrippers…. it was more than just a vacation it was a full on experience. Honestly, it’s gonna be sad if they fall. I got married for free in the Royal Caribbean because of the shear power that came from the culture we created. I promise you I am barely a senior rep…. but still my family was treated like IMD’s
While you’re researching you’ll probably want to look up the Norwegian ban of WorldVentures.
The company’s own records confirmed it is a pyramid scheme (little to no retail travel booked, commissions mostly tied to affiliate membership sales).
Norway ran the same compensation plan as the rest of the world, meaning WorldVentures is most likely operating as a pyramid scheme the world over.
For the vast majority of affiliates, the only experience World Ventures provides them is financial loss.