- We request that you remove these copyrighted
materials
- and
trademarks immediately
-
- A mail
from the Scientology to «anti-scientologie.ch»
(11
october 2005)
Dear Sir
:
Our office represents Religious Technology Center
("RTC"), the L. Ron Hubbard Library, Church of Scientology International
("CSI") and Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization ("Flag"),
non-profit religious corporations, with respect to intellectual property
matters.
RTC is the owner of the confidential Advanced Technology
of the Scientology religion and the holder of exclusive rights under the
copyrights applicable to the Advanced Technology materials. The Advanced
Technology materials are unpublished, copyrighted works. RTC's works
include, among others, the individual works comprising levels known as "OT
III" and "Class VIII Assists". These works are registered with the United
States Copyright Office under registration numbers: TXu 290 496 and TXu 593
514.
The L. Ron Hubbard Library and Flag are also the owners of the
copyrights of a number of photographs appearing in its various publications.
RTC is also the owner of the federally registered trademark and
service marks of the Scientology religion which includes the "Scientology
Cross," "Configuration of the E- meter", the signature of Mr. L. Ron Hubbard,
the founder of the Scientology religion, and the "Sea Org Symbol." These
marks are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office under
registration numbers 1,302,525; 1,012,452; 1,325,117; 2,056,778; 1,821,751,
1,334,758; 1,326,867, 0877, 948, 1,317,343. RTC also owns the common law
trademark rights to the "SeaHorse Symbol" consisting of a detailed
artistic rendition of a seahorse. CSI is the licensee of these
trademarks.
CSI and its sub-licensees use these trade and
service marks in connection with providing religious and humanitarian
services and counseling, seminars, books, classes, and lectures, among
others. These marks are also used extensively on the Internet. For
example,
many of these products, including a great number of books of the
Scientology religion and services are promoted through various web sites,
including "scientology.org", "dianetics.org", etc.
I. Unauthorized
Use of Copyrighted Materials.
We have been advised that you have
placed RTC's, the L. Ron Hubbard Library's, and Flag's copyrighted works on
your website without their authorization. These works can be found under the
following URLs :
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/nouveau_fichier190.htm
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/secret-course.htm
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/croyance-ot3.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/xenu.htm
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/croyance-lrh.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/nouveau_fichier110.htm
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/ot3.gif
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/nouveau_fichier191.htm
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/secret-course.htm#OT%20III
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/margery-wakefield.htm#murduf
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/puissance.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/clearwater.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/portrait.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/ron.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/ronadept.gif
Your action in
this regard violates United States and Swiss copyright law. As you may know,
copyright subsists in Switzerland in our client's materials by virtue of
the Berne convention. Accordingly, we request that you remove these
infringements immediately.
Our clients have obtained numerous
permanent injunctions concerning Internet infringements of these and similar
works. In RTC v. Lerma, Case No. 95-1107-A, the court ruled in favor of RTC,
permanently enjoining the defendant infringer from posting on the Internet,
the same OT III work that is one of the subjects of this letter. A jury
in the United States District Court in San Jose, California assessed damages
in the amount of $75,000 against a Mr. Henson for copyright infringement, for
posting another of RTC's Advanced Technology works on the Internet. Mr.
Henson was also permanently enjoined by the court against further
infringements. Three other United States courts have issued permanent
injunctions against Internet infringements of these and
related works.
A Swedish court enjoined a defendant who infringed
the OT III work (among others), in addition to finding that his actions in
placing our client's copyrighted works on the Internet violated the owner's
rights under Swedish copyright law. He was also fined for his illegal actions
and ordered to pay $161,000 in litigation costs. Thereafter, this same
infringer was separately found guilty of criminal violations of the copyright
act with respect to RTC's materials.
II. Unauthorized Use of
Trademarks.
You have also placed the above specified trademarks on
your website and have done so without the authorization of our client, RTC.
These infringements can be found under the following URLs :
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/contrat-sea-org.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/e-meter.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/trs1.jpg
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/images/croixsci.gif
The use of our
client's trademarks in this manner violates Swiss trademark law. Trademark
rights subsists in Switzerland in our client's trademarks by virtue of the
Paris Convention (to which Switzerland and United States are signatories)
which provides that United States citizens shall be given the same treatment
in Switzerland with regard to trademark protection as that available to Swiss
citizens.
Accordingly, we request that you remove these copyrighted
materials and trademarks immediately.
I appreciate your
prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Ava Paquette
Moxon
& Kobrin
3055 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 900
Los Angeles, California
90010
Tel: (213) 487-4468
Fax: (213) 487-5385