doTERRA's defense focused on technicalities and character
assassination to obscure the facts of its creation
LEHI, Utah, July 12, 2018 /CNW/ -- As the originator and
ongoing leader of the modern-day essential oil movement, Young
Living knows that innovation will always be followed by imitation.
We know that success will always breed envy. We have never and will
never hesitate to protect our members, our company, our quality,
and our reputation.
Earlier this week, the court in the case against doTERRA ruled
that Young Living is to pay a portion of legal fees to the
defendants' attorneys as part of a pretrial summary judgment
ruling. We deeply respect the judicial process but had hoped for a
different outcome, as many key claims and pieces of evidence were
not allowed to be presented at trial due to legal technicalities
such as the statute of limitations ruling and other rulings made by
the court. In fact, this ruling did not address the merits of Young
Living's claims but focused on alleged reasons why Young Living
waited to present one of its claims.
These technicalities resulted in Young Living never being able
to tell the full story of doTERRA's true formation. As alleged in
the complaint, this included breaches of non-solicit and
confidentiality agreements by members of the then-Young Living
executive team and our CEO Mary
Young's personal assistant.
The defendants in the case chose to defend themselves and their
origins not by allowing the complete story to be told but by
disparaging Young Living and through attempted character
assassinations of D. Gary and Mary
Young. The choice to make personal attacks at trial was a
tactic used to deliberately deflect the ultimate focus of the case:
the breaches of the defendants' promises as alleged in the original
lawsuit.
Contrary to the misstatements in doTERRA's recent press release,
the judge and jury did not find that doTERRA and its executives had
done nothing wrong. Indeed, in prior court rulings, the court
stated: "In short, as fully detailed in the Court's earlier ruling
on this issue, there are some admissions of use of confidential
information." (February 17,
2016, Court Order at 3.) In other words, the doTERRA
defendants admitted they used Young Living's confidential
information, but technical rulings precluded the jury from hearing
that and other evidence supporting Young Living's claims.
Moreover, the judge's recent ruling concerned only one of many
claims asserted in the case—not the entire case, as doTERRA falsely
suggests. In fact, the court specifically stated: "Defendants have
presented no argument that Young Living's entire lawsuit was
brought in bad faith." (July 10,
2018, Court Order at 32.)
Young Living appealed the verdict of the case, as we fervently
desire the full truth of our story—and doTERRA's—to still be
told.
Our late founder D. Gary Young,
the pioneer of the modern day essential oil movement, had his heart
broken by the betrayal of those he trusted most to run his company.
These former employees were very close to Gary and Mary and had
access to not only Gary's life's work but also to his
company's proprietary information. They created a new essential oil
company in a few short months, using knowledge Gary had gained over
a lifetime. They chose to locate this company just miles down the
road from Young Living's headquarters. Gary, and the millions of
Young Living members who shared his vision and integrity—and
trusted these executives—deserved better.
As we know, Gary was a cowboy, a maverick, a farmer, and a man
who deeply loved horses and nature. He came from humble
circumstances and knew the meaning of hard work. He also had an
unquestionable love for God and all people across the earth,
regardless of where they came from, which guided and grounded him
throughout his life.
The amount of anguish and pain the events of the genesis of
doTERRA caused Gary makes this week's decision even more
disappointing in light of his recent passing. Instead of honoring
Gary and his life's work, from which they greatly benefited, they
continued litigating, with PR and money as their objectives.
This case was never about money for Young Living. It was about
right and wrong and setting the record straight. Knowing that legal
technicalities and character assassinations of our late founder
prevented the truth from being fully heard was very disappointing.
We are buoyed, however, in knowing that we know the truth, and so
do they.
As was the case with the 2017 trial verdict, today's ruling will
have no negative impact on our business and will not stop our
incredible momentum. The future is brighter than ever for Young
Living, with over 5.6 million members since our founding nearly 25
years ago, more than 3,000 global employees, 18 corporate and
partner farms around the world, 15 offices operating in 25 markets,
and products shipping to well over 100 countries. We offer more
than 220 pure essential oil singles and blends, along with more
than 600 individual products.
We will always honor Gary's legacy by remaining steadfastly
focused on accomplishing his vision of sharing Young Living
essential oils with every home in the world. We will continue to
provide the best possible products and member experiences in this
industry.
We will never deviate from the path of originality, integrity,
authenticity, and honest work that he set for us. We owe that to
Gary, to our members, and to the billions of people around the
world soon to experience the life-changing power of Young Living
essential oils and oil-infused products.
About Young Living Essential Oils
Young Living
Essential Oils, LC, based in Lehi,
Utah, is the world leader in essential oils and distributor
of the highest quality of oil-infused products. As stewards of the
earth and its people, Young Living paves the way for every
essential oil company with its Seed to
Seal® standard and its Sourcing, Science, and
Standards pillars. These guiding principles protect the planet and
ensure that customers can feel good about using Young Living
products for themselves, their families, and in their
homes. Young Living's products contain essential oils that all
come from corporate-owned or partner farms as well as Seed to
Seal-certified suppliers, support a healthy lifestyle, and continue
to provide opportunities for over 5 million members to achieve
their goals and aspirations by aligning their work with their
values and passions. For more information,
visit YoungLiving.com, follow @younglivingeo on
Twitter, or like us on Facebook.
Media Contact
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SOURCE Young Living Essential Oils