This legal action is best understood with some background. For the Windsor family, it began in 1999.
Alcatraz Media, LLC was formed in 1999 by Rod Smith (“Rodâ€) and Ryan Windsor (“Ryanâ€). Ryan was 23 years old. Ryan attended college, but he did not graduate. After he left college, he worked as a car detailer, a bartender, and doing web site set-up for a company where his Dad (Windsor) was CEO.
Alcatraz was Ryan’s idea, and he worked hard to start it and build it. He started the business with just a few thousand dollars saved from money he earned working. Rod provided financial assistance in the early years, and he does some work, but he has a full-time job in Ohio, and he is perhaps best described as a “silent partner†and a very good friend. Rod owns 25%. Ryan never came to his parents for any money to be used in financing the start-up or operation of his business.
Alcatraz began as a tiny Internet Service Provider offering web hosting, email services, web design and development. The name “Alcatraz Media†was chosen after none of the names on Ryan’s first list of 25 potential corporate names were available in California. A second list of 25 names was submitted, and six names were available. Ryan’s basement apartment in Sausalito had a slight view of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz. The Alcatraz name was memorable, came up high on alphabetical lists, and it was the best of the six available names. So, the company was named Alcatraz Media, LLC.
The business really struggled the first two years. Upon information and belief, total revenues were approximately $20,000 for the first two years.