Patent Claim

ODRE Issues Cease and Desist

(9/12/03) Earlier this week, after being notified by the Ohio Association of REALTORS®, we posted a message on the MLS Welcome Screen alerting you about a letter you might have received involving a patent claim from an entity calling itself "The United States Department of Real Estate Licensing."

The letter is signed by Mary M. Broerman, who claims to be “Director, Ohio Licensing.” Mary M. Broerman is not the Director of Ohio Licensing and there is no real estate licensing organization titled the “United States Department of Real Estate Licensing, Ohio Branch.”

However, we understand that some members in the state were sent a letter which discusses a patent allegedly covering the on-line display of property listings, among other things. This organization attempts to collect a licensing fee for each agent affiliated with the brokerage to avoid a patent infringement claim. OAR has forwarded this matter to its legal counsel, as well as to Laurie Janik, counsel for NAR. If you have received such correspondence, please let us know by sending an email us with your name, company and approximate date you received such a letter.

In response to numerous inquiries and after reading the letter which has been sent to licensees, Superintendent Anne Moorhead Petit of the Ohio Division of Real Estate has taken the following action:

Issued a cease and desist letter to the originator of the correspondence;
Referred the matter to Attorney General Jim Petro's office for investigation; and
Issued a news release explaining the situation and the actions taken.

Click here to view a copy of the ODRE news release.

Click here to view a copy of the letter from the 'U.S. Department of Real Estate Licensing'.

Although only one CBR member advised us that she had received the letter, many other REALTORS® in the state had received such correspondence.

Fax us a copy of your letter

If you received a letter, please fax a copy to: Marque Bressler, (614) 475-4091. OAR would like to have them on file so that, if it becomes necessary to do so, they can demonstrate the extent to which the letters have been sent to Ohio licensees.