TROPHY CLUB, TX – Some people never learn.
For years now, a certain contingent of self-appointed provocateurs in Trophy Club has delighted in sowing discord, dressing up their grievances in the tattered cloak of free speech while trampling over intellectual property laws with impunity. They’ve tried it before—multiple times, in fact—and each time, they’ve been met with the same fate: legal action, public admonishment, and the swift, decisive closure of their ill-fated ventures.
And yet, like moths to a very dim, very flickering flame, they return.
In the latest episode of this long-running saga, a group of social media misfits has once again attempted to create a knockoff version of Trophy Club Voice, the long-established and legally trademarked publication owned by Michael Pipkins. The counterfeit operation was short-lived—taken down as quickly as it appeared—but history suggests that the schemers won’t be dissuaded for long.
One might imagine that after years of legal reprimands and embarrassing defeats, these would-be usurpers would learn their lesson. But in Trophy Club, some grudges never die.
A Familiar Cast of Characters
This latest attempt to hijack Trophy Club Voice’s identity is hardly an isolated incident. The same group—or, at the very least, the same type of group—has been behind previous efforts to undermine Pipkins’ media ventures. They are the same names that surface whenever local controversy bubbles up, the same individuals who seem incapable of leaving well enough alone.
Their history is well-documented. It began with a rogue Facebook group that deceptively used the “Trophy Club Voice” name, misleading residents into believing they were engaging with the legitimate publication. When that group was taken down, another one emerged—brazenly branding itself as The REAL Trophy Club Voice, as though trademark law were subject to their personal whims.
Facebook, to its credit, has not been fooled. With each attempt, the platform has responded to takedown requests, recognizing that the name Trophy Club Voice is legally owned and that any unauthorized use constitutes an infringement.
And yet, the offenders persist.
Admonishment from the Top
Michael Pipkins, the publisher behind Trophy Club Voice and its sister publication, Trophy Club Journal, has remained unyielding in his efforts to protect his brand. “We’ve seen this happen before, and we’ll see it happen again,” Pipkins remarked in a statement on Trophy Club Voice’s official Facebook page. “But we will continue to defend our trademark, and we will not allow bad actors to mislead our community.”
Pipkins has been both the target and the victor in this ongoing battle. His firm stance against the impostors has earned him the ire of the town’s more unsavory digital agitators, but it has also cemented his reputation as an unwavering defender of legitimate local media.
The Real Motive?
So why do they keep doing it? If history is any guide, this isn’t really about media ownership or the right to free expression. It’s about something much smaller, pettier, and infinitely more pathetic: personal vendettas.
The individuals behind these counterfeit groups have long harbored resentment toward Pipkins, Trophy Club Voice, and, more broadly, the idea that community discourse should be based on facts rather than factionalism. When their attempts to discredit the publication fail, they resort to impersonation. When that fails, they retreat into the shadows—only to emerge again, under a new name, with the same tired tactics.
It’s a game they will never win, but one they seem determined to keep playing.
What Happens Next?
If past incidents are any indication, this won’t be the last attempt to clone Trophy Club Voice. The same names will resurface, the same arguments will be made, and the same outcome will inevitably follow. Pipkins will act, Facebook will remove the infringing content, and the agitators will skulk away—until their next ill-fated venture.
For the law-abiding citizens of Trophy Club, the best course of action remains the same: support legitimate news sources, reject deception, and remember that in a town this small, it’s never too difficult to tell who the real players are.
And as for the usual suspects? One can only hope that, at some point, they take the hint.
Stay tuned.