In the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, plaintiffs Margreatha Hein and Volga German Research, LLC (VGR LLC) have filed a lawsuit against defendant Brent Mai. The case, identified as 24-cv3542, was lodged on May 1, 2024.
Represented by the Offices of Catherine Simmons-Gill, LLC, the plaintiffs accuse Mai of copyright infringement and false endorsement. Hein is a respected researcher in the field of genealogy and history of individuals and families originally from Germany who settled near the Volga River in Russia in the 1760s. Her research is published through various media owned by VGR LLC.
The defendant, Brent Mai, is a tenured professor and dean of library sciences at Wichita State University. He has previously held positions at Concordia University in Portland Oregon, Fairfield University, University of North Florida among others. The lawsuit alleges that Mai has been involved with websites about Volga Germans at each institution he has worked for.
The plaintiffs are seeking judgment for their claims against Mai under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act and federal laws related to copyright infringement. They allege that they have suffered harm due to Mai's actions in their place of residence which falls within the Northern District of Illinois.