Email
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Initial message from M^Powered Baseball
January 27, 2026 email regarding alleged trademark infringement.
Our Name. Our Mission.
Trademark Demand Received
A Baseball Equipment Company Wants Us to Stop Using “Empower.”
Empower Baseball recently received a trademark demand from M^Powered Baseball alleging that our nonprofit name is confusingly similar to theirs.
Their demand goes beyond our organization’s name and includes objections to our use of the common word “Empower.”
We are sharing these communications publicly because we believe transparency matters and because this situation could significantly impact our nonprofit and the kids we serve.
Help Keep the Work Moving View the DocumentsWhy we are making this public
We believe transparency matters, especially when a legal dispute could affect a donor-supported nonprofit and the children we serve.
Our position
We do not believe “Empower Baseball” and “M^Powered Baseball” are identical, confusingly similar, or substantially alike in spelling, meaning, pronunciation, or public understanding, particularly given that the organizations operate in different areas and trademark categories, including charitable youth services versus sporting goods and equipment.
Empower Baseball exists to serve vulnerable youth through education-first baseball and softball programs in the Dominican Republic. M^Powered Baseball primarily manufactures and sells baseball equipment and related products.
We do not manufacture, sell, or distribute baseball equipment, and we do not intend to operate in those areas.
Timeline of events
The following is a factual summary of the communications we received and our response.
January 27, 2026
Initial email and voicemail
We received an email from Mark Kreindler of M^Powered Baseball stating that our organization’s name was infringing on their registered trademark and that the matter had been turned over to trademark counsel.
February 3, 2026
Our response
Brian Straley responded, explaining that Empower Baseball is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving at-risk youth in the Dominican Republic through education-focused baseball and softball programming. Empower Baseball informed them that the organization does not manufacture or sell baseball equipment, nor do we intend to.
May 9, 2026
Formal demand letter
We received a formal letter from trademark counsel demanding not only that we change the name of our nonprofit, but that we cease using the word “Empower” entirely and agree not to use similar wording in the future.
Key language from the demand letter
The formal demand letter includes requests that we:
“Cease all current and planned use of the EMPOWER mark.”
“Never use or seek registration of ‘EMPOWER’...”
Read the communications
Email
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Empower Baseball response
February 3, 2026 response explaining our nonprofit mission and operations.
Letter
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Formal trademark demand letter
May 9, 2026 letter from trademark counsel demanding we cease use of the name.
For six years, we have poured our lives, time, savings, and energy into helping kids in the Dominican Republic stay in school and build a future through baseball and softball.
Now, instead of focusing fully on those kids, we are spending time navigating trademark threats, legal language, and the possibility of rebuilding our organization’s identity from the ground up.
What this could cost
Whether we respond legally, negotiate, or eventually rebrand, this situation creates real financial, operational, and emotional costs for a small nonprofit — costs that could ultimately force Empower Baseball to rebrand or cease operations entirely. This is valuable money, time, and stress that we simply do not have, and if we did, we believe those resources would be better spent helping kids in need than navigating a trademark dispute.
Potential expenses
✓Trademark review and legal consultation
✓Website, email, and donation platform updates
✓New logos, uniforms, apparel, signage, and printed materials
✓Communication with donors, partners, parents, and students
✓Operational distraction from the work happening in the Dominican Republic
What happens next?
We are currently reviewing our options and determining what path forward best protects the mission, the students we serve, and the long-term sustainability of the organization.
Possible next steps
✓Seeking legal guidance regarding the trademark claims
✓Evaluating whether defending the name is financially realistic for a nonprofit
✓Considering the costs and operational impact of a full rebrand
✓Ensuring continuity for the kids, families, and programs we serve regardless of outcome
✓Evaluating whether the financial burden of this dispute could threaten the future of Empower Baseball
Help us keep the work moving forward.
Whether the name stays or changes, our commitment to these kids remains the same. Your support helps cover the unexpected costs of this situation while keeping our education-first baseball and softball programs moving.
Help Cover Legal & Rebranding Costs
Empower Baseball is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN: 85-0947825.
Regardless of the outcome of this dispute, our mission continues.
Disclaimer: Empower Baseball is an independent nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to M^Powered Baseball or its affiliated companies.
Regardless of the outcome of this dispute, our mission continues.
Disclaimer: Empower Baseball is an independent nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to M^Powered Baseball or its affiliated companies.