The beleaguered ISO certificate mill G-PMC LLC, through its owner Daryl Guberman, has built its marketing machine largely on rambling, nonsensical arguments against his competitors, including ISO, the IAF, and ANAB. Guberman operates both G-PMC and its alleged “accreditation body” ABAC, working via a “virtual mail box” address in NY City. Alongside partner and wrecking ball stunt double Don LaBelle, the two issue certificates for nearly everything under the sun, festooned with a host of graphics alleging accreditations by companies that don’t actually exist. Recently, they were discovered using photos of dead people to make their “staff” look larger. Guberman once posted an antisemitic rant against the Orthodox Union, against which G-PMC competes for its unaccredited “Kosher 9000” certifications; previously, he made racist comments against Indians in order to defend his self-accredited certificates, saying “we don’t really know where those Indian doctors got their degrees from.”
For years, Guberman has simultaneously accused ANAB of being a corrupt organization foisting an international “scam” on the world, while at the same time claiming ANAB endorsed G-PMC LLC. Recently, if was discovered that Guberman posted a fraudulent ISO 9001 certificate which claimed G-PMC LLC itself was certified; the certificate was deemed a “fraud” by the registrar it allegedly was issued by, Generic Management Systems, as well as the accreditation body RENAR. The certificate features the logos of both RENAR and IAF, in violation of international intellectual property rights laws. The fallout caused Generic Management Services to permanently lose their accreditation under RENAR.
Well, ANAB and IAF executive Randy Dougherty has finally had enough. After having put up with years of Guberman attacking him while, at the same time, claiming an endorsement, Dougherty has sent a blistering email to Guberman. He includes some swipes at yours truly — I don’t blame him — but does grant permission to republish the email in its entirety. (I haven’t included the attachment, since it’s already published here on the Oxebridge site.)
It’s likely the Dougherty letter was prompted by my harassing the IAF to — goddammit — finally do something. I have argued that the IAF does not maintain suitable in-house counsel, and as a result the bad actors know that the IAF will never sue them, so people can issue fake certifidate all day long.
Whatever the reason, here’s Randy going nuclear on the Goob, opening up the possibility of the IAF suing the pants off of him after all. Enjoy.
Dear Mr. Guberman and Mr. Paris,
The purpose of this email is to communicate the results of an investigation of a complaint made by Christopher Paris regarding misuse of the registered marks of IAF (as well as of RENAR and GENERIC MANAGEMENT SERVICES PVT. LTD) by G-PMC, LLC and G-PMC GROUP, LLC., and to take exception to a recent electronic publication from you that misrepresents ANAB and IAF.
I am including Mr. Paris on this email in order to be transparent in what is communicated to you. I am making this communication to you because I was copied in on the complaint by Mr. Paris, and because I represent ANAB at IAF, and ANAB is a US accreditation body that is a signatory to the IAF MLA for QMS. I am also copying RENAR, the accreditation body in Romania that is an IAF MLA signatory for QMS and whose mark is on the certificates, and also the Secretary of IAF.
As to the relationship of IAF or ANAB or myself to either of you, each of you are to us an “interested party” to accredited certification to management systems, and we have no other relationship to either of you.
The complaint from Mr. Paris included the following link, http://www.g-pmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/GMS-RENAR-Certificate.jpg, to an ISO 9001:2015 certificate allegedly issued to G-PMC Group, LLC by Generic Management Services Pvt. Ltd of Delhi, India. The certificate bears the mark of RENAR and IAF. However, a review of the website at http://www.gmscert.com” which is on this certificate, has the following statement: Notices Regarding Unauthorized Use of the RENAR Accreditation, IAF & GMS Symbol and Name A fraudulent ISO 9001:2015 certificate posted on the website “http://www.g-pmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/GMS-RENAR-Certificate.jpg” of organization name “G-PMC Group, LLC” is not issued by Generic Management Services Pvt. Ltd. GMS confirm that G-PMC Group, LLC is not certified by GMS & posted certificate is Fraud.
As this certificate is fraudulent according to the certification body, it is bearing the RENAR and IAF marks without authorization.
The complaint from Mr. Paris also included a copy of a certificate which is attached to this email. The certificate was issued to G-PMC, LLC to Amplitech Inc. for ISO 9001:2015 and bears the GMS, RENAR and IAF marks with authorization.
As the RENAR and IAF marks are legally registered marks their use without authorization creates a risk for G-PMC, LLC and G-PMC GROUP, LLC.
I do not have the authority to decide and initiate any action by GMS, RENAR or IAF about this, but if action is not taken by you to cease the unauthorized use of these marks, I will be advising RENAR and IAF to initiate specific actions, which may include public notices of the misuse or legal action.
I have also become aware of a recent electronic communication from you, at http://www.einnews.com/pr_news/362382219/connecticut-ag-office-asked-to-investigate-connstep-for-alleged-business-defamation-and-mishandling-of-federal-funds . The article is dated January 17, 2017. In the article you state “The complaint addresses concerns of CONNSTEP allegedly using tax payer money to compensate staff engaging in business defamatory practices while promoting an anti-competitive accreditation scheme in collusion with ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB® ).” I take exception to this statement; it is incorrect and without any foundation in fact.
I also take exception to the next paragraph in this article which states: “Guberman said ANAB® leadership accepts and recognizes his accreditation body (ABAC™) and therefore, CONNSTEP should apologize for making misleading statements about certifications issued by G-PMC Group, LLC. The Vice President of ANAB® Randy Dougherty stated in a recent email to Guberman, “We recognize and accept that there are conformity assessment bodies and accreditation bodies, such as your body and your AB.”” What I actually wrote to you in an email on 14 November 2016 is the following: “But we recognize and accept that there are conformity assessment bodies and accreditation bodies, such as your body and your AB, that are not part of the IAF and ILAC structure. While my colleagues and I at ANAB can attest to confidence in the integrity and competence of CBs accredited by IAF member ABs, we cannot attest to this for your body. But we are also careful to not disparage your body…when asked we will simply respond that you are not accredited by ANAB or another IAF member AB.” You took my words out of context and by doing this misrepresented my statements to you.
I find it incredible that in one paragraph you falsely assert my body participating in an anti-competitive accreditation scheme and then in the next paragraph quote me and my body to justify and legitimize your body.
This electronic communication also includes a video “ISO Certification Myths and Scams”. This alleged newscast alleges a corruption, a pricing scam, industry scam and monopoly in the ISO certification process mentioning the “myth of ANAB accreditation”. Almost everything said in this video is incorrect and without basis in fact.
I am aware, from personal communications with you and separately from personal communications with Mr. Paris, that there may be legal disputes between the two of you. Both of you have published electronic communications about these disputes. Further, both of you have published electronic communications that are critical of IAF, ANAB and of me specifically. To the extent possible IAF, ANAB and me personally are limiting communications to either of you because with both of you, on occasion, our communications are taken out of context in order to best support your views and not accurately represent what we communicated to you. I cannot stop either of you from doing this. But I do request that if either of you wish to publish anything about this communication to you, that you publish it in its entirely.
Sincerely yours,
Randy Dougherty
ANAB International Technical Specialist
IAF Treasurer
Christopher Paris is the founder and VP Operations of Oxebridge. He has over 30 years’ experience implementing ISO 9001 and AS9100 systems, and helps establish certification and accreditation bodies with the ISO 17000 series. He is a vocal advocate for the development and use of standards from the point of view of actual users. He is the writer and artist of THE AUDITOR comic strip, and is currently writing the DR. CUBA pulp novel series. Visit www.drcuba.world