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It was one of the most dominant voices on the Internet, reporting news and issues of government and the courts.
But in the last several months, The Empire Journal has declined to a state of virtual non-existence.
A special report on "The Rise and Fall of The Empire Journal" will soon appear here exclusively to dispel false statements which have been published regarding ownership and other issues.
The Empire Journal was born during the fall of 2003, first appearing as a print edition, organized as a formally registered partnership between June Maxam of Chestertown and Ginger Berlin of Albany.
TEJ soon joined its' sister publication, The North Country Gazette online at a website already owned by June Maxam and for a period of time operated as two publications off one website registered in the name of June Maxam.
In the summer of 2004, TEJ became registered as a separate domain. By late fall, TEJ had not only become a strong voice in the judicial and legal reform movement statewide as well as nationally, but it became firmly established as a recognized, authoritative voice in the Schiavo case and had published numerous other investigative reports written by Maxam.
By April, 2005, Ginger Berlin announced her departure from The Empire Journal and the domain and business operation was transferred to Maxam with the transfer fees paid by Maxam. At no time did she ever authorize the transfer of the domain name thereafter and was not aware a transfer had been done covertly until recently with Ginger Berlin and a unlawfully formed LLC now claiming ownership.
The legally formed partnership has never been dissolved and under New York State Partnership Law, June Maxam continues to legally own a 50% interest in The Empire Journal and continues to legally be a co-owner, co-publisher and editor of The Empire Journal despite published statements to the contrary.
The claimed American Free Media LLC, registered in Nevada, listing both Berlin and Maxam, does not legally exist, according to legal sources consulted in that the partnership was never dissolved and no legal operating agreement was ever consented to and executed by all parties.
In September, Ginger Berlin engaged in a wrongful exclusion of Maxam from TEJ and has since refused to publish any of articles submitted by Maxam. She has refused to provide a formal accounting of the business operation and has refused to provide copies of business documents. In recent weeks, several false statements concerning June Maxam have been published at the TEJ website. June Maxam did not leave TEJ voluntarily nor has there been any so-called trademark violation. Even if there was such a trademark registered, Maxam would legally be a co-owner of it, according to legal authorities.
As a result of being wrongfully excluded for TEJ, Maxam reactivated The North Country Gazette in mid-September, having been previously forbidden by Berlin from posting articles to the NCG. Over the past several months, Maxam's work has been exclusively posted at The North Country Gazette which has risen steadily in traffic rankings and has become a firmly established online source in the legal and judicial reform movement.
It's time to set the record straight. Watch for "The Rise and Fall of The Empire Journal". 12-21-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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