Fresh EEStor Controversy

Black & Decker. Boeing. Snap-On Tools. Vextrex Corporation. Lockheed Martin. According to new documents released by the USPTO, EEStor's use of the EESU trademark began with "budgetary quotes" submitted to these prospective customers going back to 2002/2003 time frame.  But are price quotes sufficient activity to constitute actual use of the EESU trademark in commerce?  Read this.  Or did EEStor actually ship test units once upon a time?

What's intriguing about the quotes is some of the listed battery specs.  The charge times listed aren't the 5 minute charge we've grown accustomed to hearing. Instead the various battery sizes include charge times measured in hours....up to 12.

Aggressive EEStor Skeptic Claims Lockheed Support for EEStor Debacle: Opens Hornet's Nest with Prominent Canadian Attorney Now Running Zenn? (probably not)

Rud Istivan is a motivated EEStor skeptic who has enough bravado to make his objections to EEStor  Inc.'s validity extremely public. Last night, he has made a direct attack on EEStor with a claim of Lockheed Martin support.  A former colleague of Mort Topfer's at Motorola, Istivan has a significant and accomplished career to stand upon when making a technological claim.  I've spoken with him on multiple occasions and think that despite his conflicts of interest (since he has business interests which would be damaged by EEStor's success), he is genuinely bothered by what appears to him as obvious fraud on the part of EEStor.   Before you conclude this is a technology rival whose head has popped off, keep in mind Istivan has a BA, MBA and a JD from Harvard, graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School.  He IS the most reputable and learned person to loudly and publicly challenge EEStor's claims.  It is fair to say he is actively challenging them to sue him with this latest claim.  If they don't attempt to sue him,  it is also very fair to say it diminishes EEStor's credibility.  There is no other way to frame the situation in my incompetent and probably wrong opinion.

As for the facts, here is what Istivan posted last night (4 Jan 2012) in the TheEEStory.com forums:

I was wrong about Zenn. Thought for sure it would be bankrupt by now, as opposed to merely hanging on by a thread under new management.
Another year has passed without your 'reveal'. As previously posted late in 2008, EESTOR is most likely impossible on multiple grounds, any single one of which would be fatal.
It appears these collectively have proven so, despite your collective vehement denials.
BTW, I had a very amusing conversation with a senior Lockheed exec in December at a famous global energy storage conference, the 21st of that series, concerning their deal with EEStor. Their sum and substance was embarrassment, regret, and denial. You don't have to believe me. Call them. But you really should have been at that world conference yourselves, as opposed to merely being avatars on this site.
Auf Wiedersehen.

Obviously, Istivan is attacking not only Zenn Motor Company & EEStor Inc but also Cormark Securities Inc's' Vice Chairman Jim Kofman who now runs Zenn.  Lest we forget Kofman is...an .attorney and accomplished former UBS Securities bad ass who happens to be  the brother of ABC News correspondent Jeffrey Kofman.  Let's not candy coat this statement by Esquire Istivan. His statement, if extended reasonably, is in direct contradiction to Zenn CEO Kofman's statements at Zenn's 2011 Annual General Meeting in which he said, "I take joining a board very seriously due to the liability so you have to ask yourself why a guy like me would join this board." Has Istivan asked himself Esquire Kofman's question? We don't know yet mostly because I'm a lazy & admittedly incompetent journalist (but hanging in there til relief arrives).

Not a lot of investigative journalists have investigated members of their own family.... for obvious reasons.  But the EEStory presents this possibility as a question worth considering since Jeffrey Kofman has produced several stories related to legacy and renewable energy issues including stories on environmental topics.  The conflict in play would be one advanced by traditional energy market players who could reasonably say that Jeffrey Kofman underplays or will underplay genuine obstacles to the success of renewable energy enablers like EEStor. It would be ridiculous to think Jeffrey Kofman would comment on this situation? But it would be equally silly to think traditional energy titans would disregard Jeff Kofman's potential connection to brother Jim Kofman's renewable energy enterprise in relation to future renewable energy stories.  Before you roll your eyes out of their sockets, keep in mind, we're not talking about an incremental improvement to a wind turbine or solar panel, we're talking about an energy storage capability which changes the entire economics of renewable energy in relation to traditional energy markets which equate to around $7Tril/yr.  This is a very very very big deal.  Theoretically, if Jeffrey Kofman created another widely viewed story on renewable energy, he could be attacked on his family connection to Jim Kofman....rightly or wrongly.

Wait a second. Stop the production of this article right there. Stop!  Woh, Nelly....wooohh!!!  These last two and a half or so paragraphs appear now to be the lunatic ravings of a deranged mind loose on the keyboard with a bottle of juice and an intermittent muahaha.....all crazy talk!  This is NOT--I repeat NOT-- a fight between Rud Istivan and ABC Correspondent & accomplished investigative journalist Jeffrey Kofman.  This is a fight between Rud Istivan and Tom, Dick, Betty & Greg Weir and probably Lucas Pettey. It is also a fight between Rud Istivan and Ian Clifford and now of course, Cormark Securities Inc's Vice Chairman, attorney Jim Kofman. The part dragging in Jeffrey Kofman was so far of a stretch it is ludiridiculous.  Forget I said any of that. Really Dumb!   Let's get back to the rest of this article with that clarification and edit now applied herewith.

What about Lockheed Martin?  According to Istivan, a "senior exec" spoke for "their" or Lockheed's "sum and substance" in regard to EEStor.... declaring the relationship created no more than "embarrassment, regret and denial" for Lockheed.  That is one hell of an indictment to attribute to a multi-billion dollar organization and I look forward to learning whether or not Lockheed's official spokesman for the Missiles and Fire Control business unit, Craig Van Bebber will establish clarity on what's going on here.  Query is submitted.

Rud Istivan Moving & Shaking

Now, let's get down to business here. Who in the world is Istivan referring to in relation to the claimed statements?  Well, the only 21st edition of a storage conference I am aware of personally is the International Seminar on Double Layer Capacitors & Hybrid Energy Storage Devices organized by Nikola Marincic.   If we look at the Program for this particular conference, we see a familiar cast of characters hereto referred to affectionately as "the establishment" of capacitors and energy storage.  Yes, all the greats were here--the ones who have no reason other than physics to be upset with EEStor.  Let's see, there's John Miller.  Long ago famed commentator, Andrew Burke.  Wait a second, could it be? Could it? Yes, here he is holding court with his own views on energy storage breakthroughs, Mr. Rud Istivan.

Nice R. Brewer aka Mark Twain IV

The only Lockheed person on the agenda is a one R. Brewer, who, submitted a presentation on "Electrical Energy Storage to meet Evolving Aircraft Needs."  Brewer hails from Marietta, GA, location of the fabled energy storage production facility involving EEStor.  Question for Istivan. Is this researcher really a "Sr Executive" at Lockheed? He looks like a very nice energy storage researcher and part time re-enactment actor for events requiring a Mark Twain lookalike.  I'm not sure he is an executive, however.

To wrap up here, a second look at Istivan's statements reveals less rigidity than one might think. Note the use of "likely" "appears" "most likely" etc. Plenty of wiggle room.  Actually appears to be a carefully architected statement by a man who knows how to cover his ass.  Ah shit, forget this whole article then. There's no fight here to be had. Please disperse.  Go back to your Lockheed cubicle, your Cormark executive lounge or retirement barcalounger.  Watch more UFO documentaries on the History Channel.  Eat peanuts. Wait for Dick Weir.  Wait & wait. Wait, wait & wait.

Where are you Y_PO!? In there somewhere muttering 'idiot' is my guess.

Is this the sun setting on the Lockheed / EEStor Friendship Contract Agreement?

Photo Credit: The photos linked to in this article are published at http://supercapseminar.com.