Multi-level marketing promoter Sam Fawahl threatened legal action this week, demanding the removal of an online investigation linking him to the new PreLaunch Australia venture. He provided no evidence to back his claims.
Fawahl's email demanded the online investigation into PreLaunch Australia be pulled. He claimed the article held misleading information, cited an unauthorized photo, and alleged a serious privacy breach. He also warned of a cease and desist notice, stating he had contacted authorities.
All published information, however, was already publicly available.
The investigation started in late July, after PreLaunch Australia's extensive online launch. A lead from Troy Dooly at MLM HelpDesk revealed an email address in the website's public WHOIS records. This address linked directly to Fawahl. His Twitter account also promoted PreLaunch Australia at the same time. The income model referenced on the PreLaunch Australia site, The Beehive Strategy, further connected him.
Fawahl provided no specifics when asked to identify what was misleading or untrue. He offered no explanation, no counter-evidence, only continued threats.
The response to Fawahl's demands clarified the facts. The email address originated from a publicly listed WHOIS database. The photo came from a YouTube video Fawahl uploaded himself. All published material fell under fair use protections for commentary and journalism. Fawahl was directly asked if he denied involvement with PreLaunch Australia and The Beehive Strategy. No answer followed.
An added irony exists in PreLaunch Australia's own website. It displays logos from CNN, FOX NEWS, ABC, NBC, Mastercard, and Google across its pages. These are copyrighted materials, used without permission or licensing. The site's disclaimer acknowledges this practice. Yet Fawahl still threatened legal action over a single photograph and public information, even as his own venture used major corporate trademarks without authorization.
This pattern is common in multi-level marketing investigations. Promoters often resort to legal threats when they cannot defend their business model with facts. Cease and desist letters appear. Claims of privacy violations surface. The objective is not to challenge the reporting itself, but to silence it.
But when all information is drawn from public sources and properly attributed, there is nothing to silence. The facts stand on their own.