Setting the Record Straight: The Truth Behind the BikeYoke Lawsuit
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In order to set the record straight on the legal action against BikeYoke, we are publishing the full timeline, evidence, and court documents related to the ongoing IP dispute.
This legal action is related to the wireless dropper technology that was developed by OG Bikeworks, and more specifically, Paul Gallagher. It is the tech that was demonstrated by BikeYoke at Eurobike 2023 and 2024, and featured in numerous magazine reviews.
At no point was there a signed agreement granting BikeYoke any rights to the intellectual property. In fact, numerous times I clearly stated in writing, that no rights would be transferred. They proceeded anyway—and in secret.
BikeYoke played no significant role in the development of the underlying invention.
The core concept, design, electronics, and firmware were conceived, developed, and funded independently. All technical work was completed by me—long before any patent filings or legal agreements were ever discussed.
This is not speculation. It is a matter of record, with documents, timelines, and forensic evidence to support every claim. This page exists to ensure that the truth is known and preserved.
Had they been honest, we would both be selling the product right now. There’s zero doubt it would have been a success. The design was strong, the market was ready, and there were paths forward. But instead of signing a contract, they forged documents. Instead of negotiating, they threatened me. I may never fully understand why they made that choice—but now they’ll have to live with the consequences.
Timeline of Events
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2021: BikeYoke approaches me to develop a wireless dropper post based on my prior work and expertise.
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2021–2024: We work under a collaborative agreement. I provide engineering, firmware, mechanical design, and cover all development costs.
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June-2023: The prototype is demo’d at Eurobike, and well accepted.
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Mid-2024: The product is nearly complete. BikeYoke suddenly refuses to enter into a manufacturing agreement.
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October 2024: After repeated warnings, I finally withdrew from the project cooperation.
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November 2024: A forged Power of Attorney is filed at the USPTO bearing my name and signature. I never signed it.
- March 2025: I discover that BikeYoke had secretly filed patent applications in July 2023 using my technology
- April 2025: A federal lawsuit is filed in the Eastern District of Virginia for fraud, forgery, and intellectual property theft.
The Forged Document
At the heart of this case is a forged Power of Attorney (POA) filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The document was submitted to give BikeYoke legal authority over a patent application involving my invention.
I never signed it. The signature is a forgery.
Forensic analysis has revealed:
The document was based on a pre-filled POA template previously emailed to me by Stefan Sack. I refused to sign it, and still hold the originals.
The application number and date were digitally inserted after the document was forged and scanned.
Font mismatches and pixel-perfect overlays confirm that this is not a legitimate signature or form.
Forgery is a federal crime. Filing a forged POA with the USPTO is a serious legal offense, punishable with significant fines and imprisonment.
The Lawsuit
A formal complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria. The case outlines:
Fraudulent patent filing
Forged Power of Attorney
Breach of contract
Unjust enrichment
The complaint also names other individuals and entities involved in the conspiracy to misappropriate my work.
Why This Matters
This wasn’t just an idea—it was a solution. Making a wireless dropper actuator that compact required deep technical skill, clever design choices, and countless hours of refinement. It wasn’t theory. It was execution. That’s what they tried to take. Not just a concept—but the culmination of years of work, packaged into a working product they could claim as their own.
This case isn’t just about one stolen design. It’s about the ongoing erosion of trust between inventors and manufacturers.
Over the years, our intellectual property has been stolen or infringed on multiple times—often by companies who assumed we were too small, too isolated, or too under-resourced to fight back. These repeated violations have crippled our ability to commercialize groundbreaking innovations, and it’s something inventors everywhere are quietly forced to endure.
It needs to stop.
This lawsuit is about holding the line—not just for our company, but for every independent inventor who deserves a fair chance to succeed.
