I need your help.
This is no sales pitch or incentive or gimmick for anything. It is just as I write it.
I need your help and support defending my brand name.
My apologies if this comes across a bit outraged as, well, I am a bit outraged.
Most of you reading this probably know I started Chocolate Alchemy back in 2004 before there was a bean to bar movement. I did it with the expressed purpose to work out how to make small scale chocolate from bean to bar and share it with as many people as possible through my website Chocolate Alchemy. I've been freely sharing any and all knowledge I have to help grow the Bean to Bar Movement and building my company along side that. Many people have called me the grandfather of the movement and I am gratified by the recognition of my effort over the years.
A company (Cacao Atlanta) has published a book called Chocolate Alchemy, A Bean to Bar Primer.
As many of you know I've repeatedly hinted at writing a book over the years and a real concern is people are going to think I did and buy their book as a result. Not to mention when I do finally get a book to market they taken the logical name of possible books.
The obvious first step here was to reach out to them and ask them not to use the name I've spent a third of my life establishing and growing. They said (or their lawyers did) our name doesn't "possess any appreciable commercial strength" and that Chocolate Alchemy is just two descriptive words put together.
You know, the Chocolate Alchemy, I founded in 2004 and nurtured out of my home, then garage, teaching, sharing, inventing, researching, working with equipment manufacturers to get us closer to the dream of anyone with an interest and a small amount of money being able to MAKE CHOCOLATE. The Chocolate Alchemy that I sweated day and night to build as much for you folks as myself. Yes I've built a good life for me and my daughter but my hope is so have you, and I hope that despite allegedly lacking "appreciable commercial strength" I've made it a tiny bit simpler for you to follow your passion in the chocolate world.
This is a legal fight, but it's also a moral fight and all I'd ask of you is if this allegedly piddly, little, non-commercially appreciable company has touched your life in any positive way over the years you take a moment to stand with me in this fight.
Just take a moment to voice your support. It costs nothing to right this wrong but they don't care about what I've built here and the only thing that will make them wake up and feel what I'm feeling here is if enough of you tell them What they are doing is WRONG.
I'm hoping to rally this around the hashtag #YoureNotChocolateAlchemy on the various social media apps. If you have something to say to Cacao Atlanta (only the truth of course) please make sure you tag it.
On the right side are all the ways you can reach them.
Below are some of the related documents so you can read for yourself what has already transpired between us and lastly you can click the button link below to automatically start an email to them.
To any and all of you who help, my deepest heart felt thanks.
John Nanci
Founding Alchemist
Chocolate Alchemy
Call Cacao Atlanta
tel:(404)892-8202
- Contact them directly by email, mail, phone, or social media and say you want them to change the name of the book.
- Post this image to your twitter, instagram, facebook or other social, tag them @cacaoatlanta and use the hashtag #yourenotchocolatealchemy
- Write a blog post, or a tweet sharing any story you have about Chocolate Alchemy and make sure you tag them and use the hashtag
- Click the button on the right to send them an email. We started writing it but you can send whatever thoughts you have.
- Scroll to the bottom of this post and click share. Share it EVERYWHERE.
A ready to share image urging them to stop
Right click and save this image then Share it, tag them, @cacaoatlanta and use the hashtag #yourenotchocolatealchemy
An Update:
First and foremost, a sincere thank you for all your support.
All in all, with your amazing support, 73 users on Instagram and twitter put out 99 posts, re-posted to 47,278 users reaching a staggering 91,425 impressions. Over 200 emails sent (where I was copied in) and as I type this, Cacao Atlanta has:
- Taken down one of their Facebook pages.
- Taken down their Twitter account
- Taken down all Instagram post relating to the book
- Never contacted me about this.
Now that the book is out, I would ask if you can review it on one or more of the platforms below it would be greatly appreciated and I'll call this matter closed.
- It is on Amazon. If you would, please go review it. You need not have bought it to put your opinion there and rate it. It appears Amazon has deleted a bunch (nearly 50) of the reviews and possibly restricted reviews to those who have purchased the book because so many spoke out and tripped one of their alerts. I've been told people are not blocked from putting up reviews again and if your previous review is gone you can put another up in a week or two.
- The book has a page on the Goodreads. If you have an account there, please put rating and review if you feel inclined.
- Their other Facebook page is still up. A review about their practice would be appreciated.
- They have a Yelp listing, so anything you want to say there would be appreciated.
And again, thank you for your support and loyalty on this matter.
Another Update:
Well, these came in.
In short they didn’t like hearing people’s opinion about their selection of the books’ name. I said I would not longer encourage people to write them and in return they would not pursure threatening anyone else on this matter. To that last point, they have not responded at all, so this page is still in place.
I want to reiterate I am not asking anyone to harass any of the above mentioned parties or say anything that is untrue.
And again, thank you for your support and loyalty on this matter
Alchemist John
Founding Alchemist
Chocolate Alchemy (since 2004)