Szymon Niemiec, a former archivist in a pornographic publishing house, cabaret artist, „journalist” and „photographer,” as well as a former priest and controversial activist, now a therapist, has been unlawfully profiting from the name „Equality Parade” for years. The Equality Volunteering Foundation (FWR), organizers of the annual event, lost the dispute over the paradarownosci.eu domain before the Czech Arbitration Court. This verdict sheds new light on Niemiec’s activities and raises serious doubts about his ethical standards.
The Czech Arbitration Court, responsible for .eu domain matters, unequivocally rejected FWR’s accusations against the Basta Foundation for allegedly unlawfully using the paradarownosci.eu domain. The Basta Foundation pointed to the Patent Office’s refusal to grant Niemiec exclusivity over the name „Equality Parade,” arguing that reserving this term for one entity could overly interfere with free economic exchange in Poland.
Despite this refusal, Niemiec claimed for years that he had exclusivity over the name „Equality Parade,” demanding licensing fees for its use. This unlawful action not only undermines his credibility but also erodes public trust in activities carried out under this banner.
The court also rejected FWR’s arguments about the Basta Foundation acting in bad faith, which is a huge success for the volunteers who, despite attempts by FWR to deprive them of access to social media, continued organizing this year’s Equality Parade. The event, scheduled for June 22, has gained the patronage of the European Commission, and the number of applications has exceeded the organizers’ expectations.
It is outrageous that for years, Niemiec, using his position and false claims, collected money for something to which he had no right. His actions are not only an abuse of public trust but also a dishonest exploitation of the ideas of equality and justice for his own benefit.
Intervention
We asked a question on social media to the Equality Volunteering Foundation and Szymon Niemiec: How much did Szymon Niemiec earn from the equality parades?
