Backcountry CEO Jonathan Nielsen says he received an online threat from someone last week after he released a public letter of apology regarding the company’s trademark-enforcement strategy.
The Park Record reported that the online retailer’s general counsel reported the threat to law enforcement on November 7 and the executive temporarily relocated his family.
The message over Instagram read, “I know where you live a nice little place in (Summit County), and you will suffer dire consequences,” according to the Park City newspaper.
Backcountry has offices in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office added Nielsen’s home and the company’s corporate headquarters to its property watch list, the Record reported.
The company and Nielsen have received major criticism over filing petitions and lawsuits against smaller businesses for using the word “backcountry.” Thousands of people have expressed outrage on social media and through direct messages to the brand.