161 year-old Rand McNally Files Suit Against Fast-Growing Startup ONE20 Inc.

MINNEAPOLIS, March 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ONE20, a Minnesota-based startup focused on improving life on the road for professional drivers, received notice on February 6, 2017 that Rand McNally had filed a defamation claim against the company in Cook County in the state of Illinois.  

The suit was a result of a GPS device trade-up program ONE20 launched in January 2017 to bring awareness to a free feature available on ONE20's Professional Driver Tablet promoting truck-safe navigation, a product feature for which other retailers charge upwards of $400. The ONE20 program advised consumers to "trade-up" to ONE20's navigation provider, and mentioned potential financial challenges facing competitor Rand McNally as a result of legal proceedings involving owner Lynn Tilton of Patriarch Partners.  

The complaint states ONE20 made "false and defamatory statements...either directly or by implication" regarding Rand's ability to satisfy warranties and provide adequate service and customer focus given the current lawsuits filed against Tilton. The suit also claims that the legal action "arises out of [ONE20's] wrongful attempts to ruin the professional reputation of what [ONE20] view[s] as their greatest competitor-Rand McNally."

"We expect to see a lot of so-called competitors get upset with the disruption we are producing. After all, we are giving away things like truck safe navigation and ELD subscriptions that others like Rand McNally are charging for," said Christian Schenk, founder, president and CEO of ONE20 Inc., who was also personally named in the claim.

ONE20 believes that it will prevail in this and any future frivolous lawsuits filed by Rand McNally. Moreover, consistent with its focus to put truckers and the trucking community first, ONE20 will not allow any litigation to deter it from continuing to give away software that renders Rand McNally's and other truck navigation devices obsolete.

"When is the last time you bought a DVD at Blockbuster instead of streaming a movie on Netflix or iTunes?" said Schenk. "The world is changing, and with that often comes displacement of former market leaders. They should be adapting their business models in order to stay competitive instead of trying to cling to market share by suing their competitors."

ONE20 has retained the services of Minneapolis based Johnson & Johnson Law, LLP to represent them in the matter. Inquiries can be directed to [email protected].

About ONE20

ONE20 is the first free membership built exclusively for professional truck drivers, with the sole purpose of making life on the road more convenient, enjoyable and cost-effective. Members join ONE20 to connect with other drivers, plan truck-specific routes and save with deals along the way. The ONE20 app is free and available on Android and iOS devices. Features include truck-safe navigation, trucking points of interests, ratings, reviews, parking availability and deals at the places that matter most. For more information go to www.one20.com

SOURCE ONE20

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