Osho Copyright Paradoxes: Dhanyam comments

The Publication Paradoxes of Osho International Foundation

(This contribution to the current debate is from Swami Dhanyam. Dhanyam has sold Osho books for some 25 years, and also laudably supported the community sannyas magazine based in California, “Viha Connection”, through all that time. )

Many people feel that it is important for OIF (Osho International Foundation) to own Osho trademarks and copyrights to protect the purity of Osho’s words and works from any distortion, dilution, and/or editing. However, this is happening all the time, and the biggest offender, in my opinion, is OIF.

Who is able to challenge OIF on their editing, dilution, and distortion of Osho’s work?

For example, OIF has produced 25 Osho compilation books (most of them were published by St. Martin’s Press, NY). These compilation books contain Osho’s words in some form, but they are not pure Osho books.

I remember that in the 1980s (when Osho was still alive) the “Rebel Press”, (the official publisher of Osho’s work) produced many popular compilation Osho books. When I later tried to order these titles, I was informed that Osho did not want His books produced as compilation books, and Rebel Press (at that time) stopped producing any compilations.

But there is another side to this story. The Osho compilation books produced (in the years since Osho’s death) by St. Martin’s Press and a few other publishers have sold worldwide in the millions, have made lots of royalty money for OIF, and have also brought lots of people to Osho. Due to good advertising and promotion, the compilations are very popular and outsell all original Osho titles.

I have been selling Osho books for 23 years and know that new people especially like the compilation books. When I went to Brazil a few years ago and visited the Brasilia airport bookstore I found eight Osho compilation books (in Portuguese) prominently displayed in the window. When I (currently) visit the local Barnes & Noble or Borders bookstores ( here in California) I see 10 to 20 Osho compilation books for sale.

OIF has done a great job in making Osho books available worldwide, but they are not pure Osho books.

In the past few years I have noticed an interesting trend: Some of my buyers insist on buying “Rajneesh” books as they know that these are pure, unedited books.

Love to you all,

Dhanyam

This entry was posted in Discussion, Osho and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

55 Responses to Osho Copyright Paradoxes: Dhanyam comments

  1. Heraclitus says:

    Not sure Dhanyam.
    The post Osho’s death compilation books may have sold very well, but the “many” people that they are supposed to have brought to Osho seems a more debatable point. Have not noticed great numbers arriving through them myself.
    The point of a Master is that he does not want to reach “everybody” he only wants to reach those who are already partly in tune with him, so the success or otherwise of the publications financially is neither here or there.
    It’s important the books and videos reach the right hands, and in the way the Master thought they would reaach the disciple best, which is in the unadorned non-compiled form, with each discourse being as Osho himself dictated and said as “Complete unto itself”.
    As you point out Osho did make a big point of this, and as I remember some “Rebel” publications were withdrawn in the late eighties because of his concerns.
    As you also point out it seems that the more discerning readers know how OIF have played around with the books, and ask for the original Rajneesh titles!
    Anyway whatever side of the coin one looks, I dont find any of the protaganists in this debate very “surrendered” to the Master’s will! Bet they would have been when he was alive!

  2. It seems this guy or girl Heraclitus is adament to prove every single point wrong, which does not fit with the minority view of the ruling class called OFI. it is like there will always be people who will defend Mugabe in Zimbabve.
    This way or that, Osho´s books have become like 365 versions of Bible, yet His readers and listeners are intelligent enough to find their way towards truth.

  3. Kartar says:

    You write something on a ballon you don’t like about OIF, then pop the balloon, and it all goes away. Give it a go. Here’s a pin, pop!

  4. Dhanyam says:

    Heraclitus, I have also thought that if millions of Osho books are sold every year and many people get turned on to Osho, then why aren’t the centers and the Resort flooded by new people? As Osho has said, Existence has its own timing.
    As I see it, I just plant various Osho seeds wherever I can, and whether they flourish or not is not my problem.

  5. Beloved friends,
    Love,
    All that is needed to print all his words in the order they were spoken.
    Then we need to have = translation printed with orignal.
    It is needed to keep his words pure.
    All hindi talks need to be translated in english as soon as possible.
    To keep Osho pure is the responsibility of every Osho lover not only of the OIF.
    I and many Indian Sannyasins can be of much use for this work which will be worship for next generation.
    Love from
    OSHO

  6. Samir says:

    I have translated three books of Geeta Darshan in English (only the sutra parts) out of my interest to do so. If anyone is interested, let me know. They are just pure gems.

  7. Heraclitus says:

    Would be nice for western readers to have all the Hindi Osho texts listed, and those that have been translated, and those that have not.
    The complete canon of Osho’s work can never (sadly) be available as one lecture of Osho was destroyed by Sheela in 1984, it was about tyranny within Osho’s own organisation – certainly a paradoxical issue!
    There is also said to be a “last” book of Osho from 1988 called by him something like “The Phiosophia of Existence” which OIF has never published, or some say “lost”! Anyone know about this?
    The whole business of the publication of Osho’s books is totally different to what it was in 1974 -81. The message from Osho was almost that they should be a lesson in “Aesthetics”, I remember myself working in the silkscreen dept and spending loads of time getting the covers perfect, etc.
    There was no question of the books being a kind of money-making venture. They were almost like gifts to his disciples, possibly done at less than cost and supported by rich followers. All efforts were made to make them very pleasing, not just to the reader but lavish with good photos, etc. they certainly helped to attract people to the then ashram.
    The opposite seems to happen now, loads of books apparently being sold, not so many people going to the ashram by a long chalk, and the quality of the books prosaic compared with the 74 -81 period.

  8. amrito says:

    yes, the book, “Meditation for Busy People”—made in China and photos were outsourced from Getty Images…

  9. Dhanyam says:

    Samir, I am very interested in your translations from Hindi. Perhaps Parmartha can put us in contact?

  10. Ashik says:

    Selling books -is that what osho told us ?
    The books are often beautiful
    but so are he woods the trees and the floers around us
    Do they not teach us too?
    I love the living vision that Dhanyam gives us
    And he was banned by the Resort too

  11. Heraclitus says:

    Yeah Ashik,
    t’is a strange thing, I’ve met a number of real total sannyasins, especially in Pune one, who had never read a book of Osho!!! They would say I’m too busy living, to read!
    But many arrived through a book at that time. One often heard stories of people tripping over a book, or a friend giving them one, or in one case a book falling from a shelf and hitting someone on the head!
    I rarely ever read a book cover to cover, but have a clear memory of a book called the “Open Boat” about Taoism from 1974, but I see no-one publishes it anymore…. and yet it was great for a westerner like me at that time, cos I had met zen, had met Buddhism, had met Jesus, and met Sufism before then, but never Tao, and it was so different, and Osho gave it such a clear exposition.
    Anyone know where a copy of that book can be found now?

  12. Dhanyam says:

    Dear Heraclitus,
    The title of the book is The Empty Boat. You can find it on amazon, but the prices are $100 or $80. I can put you on my backorder list if/when I find it. Please check oshoviha.org.
    Love,
    Dhanyam

  13. Still OIF is trying to kill Osho’s hindi talk from Youtube.
    Here is the recent letter/mail to jaiosho channel from Pramod ….
    Dear Aman,
    We are preparing some Hindi Osho videos which we will add to the OSHO International channel. Thanks for the suggestion to do so.

    As we discussed before we ask you now to remove the Osho material posted by you without the permission of the foundation. The material is made available by the foundation according to Osho’s instructions.
    We have spoken to Youtube and we have been given the possibility to remove your infringing material, which also result in the fact that Youtube will most probably delete your complete account – as you are in breach of your agreement of terms with Youtube, by uploading material which is not your copyright. This will unfortunately also remove all your own material.

    We have informed Youtube that we are communicating with you and we are optimistic that you will remove the martial on your own. Once we start removing these videos the issue is not in our hands and – your account might be closed and deleted by Youtube.
    Hope you can resolve this issue quickly – greetings, Pramod – OSHO International

  14. I need support of all Osho lovers worldwide to fight with OIF ON it’s right to delet Osho’s talk from YouTube.
    Love from
    Osho

  15. garimo says:

    Vismaya love,
    I understand your request for support and imagine how feeling oppressed must seem overwhelmingly unjust.

    I wonder if you can explain in more detail what kind of doable help you think would assist in reaching the outcome you desire?

    -garimo

  16. swami says:

    beloved aman.
    the least you could do is let utube know that you dispute osho foundation zurich/newyork/london’s right to the sole owner of copyright and direct them to oshoworld and their lawyers and to any appeals in progress..don’t take your own videos down as that will be agreeing with and helping to assert their copyright claims.
    best wishes.
    I love the site.. well done.

  17. Dhanyam says:

    Vismaya, could you please give me the YouTube link and Aman’s email address? Thanks!

  18. Matthew says:

    Swami Aman Vismaya,

    Yes, I agree with Swami, however, just as a precaution, make sure you have back-ups of everything on your account. This is a good isea for any1, actually. But espeacially in the circumstances you are facing. I wish you the best, Aman.

  19. Sw Aatmo Neerav says:

    Dear Aman,

    I would like to discuss about OIF trying to remove your account from you tube and I have some legal solutions also.

    Before also OIF has tried to stop people from publishing Osho’s contents on the internet but however when counter complaints were placed legally, OIF lost and the websites or the contents were re-incuded. OIF is only trying to corner you and youtube away from the reality that they cannot prevent you from publishing OSHO.

    So please mail me at kneerub@gmail.com for further details. I would like to help.

  20. Swami Aatmo Neerav says:

    I agree with Dhyanam that what OIF is providing as OSHO books are not pure OSHO books.

    I compared the chapters in Compiled books like Joy, Awareness, Courage etc with the original audio and books from where they were taken and found out these distortions.

    -Not only words but paragraphas have been deleted.

    -Many stories and jokes that Osho used in the discourse have been deleted.

    -Osho’s discourses on sannyas, the movement, master-disciple relationship have been removed from the chapters.

    -the most manipulative thing that i found is that Osho’s answer to one question from a completely different discourse series has been put into a completely different question from a different series.

    One can find these distortion by finding the orginal chapters from where they were extracted and then comparing it with the original. The e-book is a great hep for this. Audios can also be used.

  21. Alok john says:

    I do not know the actual context, but the Old Boy often went off at a complete tangent with regard to the question asked.

    If you wanted the create a book for newcomers, in a question and answer format,
    and wanted to find the best answer to a question, you might find it in answer to another question.

  22. Ashik says:

    But the books are not the OSho !
    The O I F has bastardised and “Readers Digested” the flavour and the essence .
    “They make Osho acceptable to a market ”
    That is fine but the original essential darshan diaries etc and the transcrtibed talks should not be withhheld
    Oh My – well I’m a fish in the sea that Osho caught
    Im not in the “market”
    for watered down homogenised OSHO
    I still have his books
    I hold embedded in me something from him
    I’m about as sad a bastard as you
    could meet but I’d rather be holding on
    wanting to experience Osho again
    than enduring recycled watered down O I F
    propaganda.
    Osho was an original man He was definitely not setting out to be acceptable.
    I think that the more his books are out there complete and uncastrated undefiled the better life will be.
    as the segment in the Mandala meditation goes or so I was told it went or are we allowed to still ( watch out for OIF thought police) Fuckyoufuckyoufuckyou…………………………………………………………………………………………..
    Of course that does not mean its directed at anyone on this thread or any one in particular totally non specific of course but if O IF thinks the shit fits well so be it
    Om shanti
    May the sun guide your footsteps
    and the road rise up to greet you

    Deva bear Ashik

  23. Heraclitus says:

    Liked the spirit of what you said Ashik.
    When the books were published like they were jewels, with no thought of expense, something quite extraordinary was happening, Osho was alive and a number of very rich people were attracted. Maybe someone like Dhanyam etc can correct me if I am wrong but i had the impression the books were heavily subsidised between 1974 and 1981, and were NEVER thought of as a money making venture, more like genuine bait to catch the fish that Osho wanted around him. I think it worked for those who were a bit cerebral etc, though many sannyasins at that time did not read the books.
    The paradoxes of present time publishing do not personally matter too much to me. In fact as soon as Sheela took over in 1981 the books seemed just poor imitations of what went before and presumably from that time (1981) economics came into it. In Pune 2 some nice volumes were produced though, with less pics than Pune one, but very acceptable.
    Many of those old books 74-81 still physically exist (they were well made) and as far as I see they do get passed on through the charity shops of the world and in nteworking amongst friends, etc. And a plug for Purnima they still have some of the 74-81 books and if you ask they will have a look for you.

  24. Anand Kavi says:

    Kartar
    Wonderful you got it all.
    Love
    Kavi

  25. Heraclitus says:

    What Arun says about this issue: I found this on another website:

    Recently the American court made a decision against the Osho International Foundation suspending their hold over the word Osho as their business trademark. Arun will you please comment.

    This is a rather late decision. It should have come much earlier. Because of the confusion created by the management of Pune resort, uselessly for ten years sannyasins had to fight a court case. Pune resort also spent a lot of money to protect their trademark and Sw. Atul and sannyasins also spent a lot of energy and money to make Osho free. So a lot of money and energy was wasted in something which was useless. Right hand had to fight with the Left hand and the energy which could have been put into Osho work was wasted in fighting. It was a nonsense decision to create Osho as a business trademark and have copyright over it. But thank god that truth and justice has prevailed and Osho is free from this trademark. All over the world people are happy except for a few managers who want to make a business out of Osho. This is a good decision.

  26. Alok john says:

    Just a thought…

    Osho often said his work was a discontinuity from the past and distinct from earlier enlightened masters such as Buddha.

    So just because the works of earlier enlightened masters were not copyrighted, it does not follow that Osho’s words should not be copyrighted.

    Of course, anyway, there was no law of trademarks and copyright in Buddha’s time.

  27. Heraclitus says:

    Arun doesn’t do much close thinking here. The Court Decision is for the US only, and could easily be reversed on appeal, so it is not the sort of watershed he (wishfullingly) wants.
    When Osho was alive his books were certainly copyrighted.

  28. swami says:

    arun unlike you has been closely involved in the trademark resistance for ten years so he does know about it…..
    the court decision was so strongly against management circle that there is absolutually no chance at all..zero..null..nada chance of it being reversed on appeal..
    in fact the only thing that would warant management circle even attempting to bother appealing would be throw money away to … ….no …. there is no reason for them to appeal only a fool would bother..
    and as for the decision being only in the u.s.
    well the u.s. is like a global benchmark and basically if you lose it in the u.s. no country will support the same claim ..so you have lost it globally.
    best wishes.

  29. swami says:

    in reply to alok john
    you talk about what Osho said…
    and I have to disagree with your statement.
    he talked about a discontinuity from the past but not as you have used it,,…

    from osho…
    My sannyasin heralds the new man, a new beginning, a disconnection from the past, a discontinuity from the past. I don’t want you to be hypocrites: I want you to be real, authentic human beings. Love your body, live your body to its totality. Love your instincts, your desires, and live them in their totality.

    he more meant imo the dropping of the past but not in the way you imply as he repeatedly restated and communicated in new ways the teachings of the buddha and other enlightened ones,.
    best wishes.

    and sorry to still be having to point it out ..but this is a trademark issue and has nothing to do with copyright at all/.
    the copyright resistance is still going on and the court case is as yet undecided.
    although in the respect of copyright the position of management circle is flimsy to say the least that is why they have been selling everything they can b4 the pack of cards fall around them.
    best wishes.

  30. amrito says:

    Heraclitus writes:

    “Arun doesn’t do much close thinking here. The Court Decision is for the US only, and could easily be reversed on appeal, so it is not the sort of watershed he (wishfullingly) wants.”

    However, Sw. Anand Arun and Osho Tapoban have been tremendous vehicles with or without a trademark law in spreading Osho’s work. There are more than 100 Osho Meditation Centers in Nepal itself (such a tiny country too!) and when I took a trip last—almost every bookstore carried Osho Books.

    You’ll be surprised to know that even in the base camp of Mount Everest, Namche Bazaar, Osho has reached! Now you can do Dynamic Meditation near the highest peak in the world (the choatic breathing I assume helps oxygen intake in those high altitudes).

    So in places like India and Nepal where Osho really hasnt been copyrited nor is infrigement even possible. Look at bollywood films, they have so many tags for FBI persecution and copyright infringement warnings but they still reach millions illegally…and you know what? Bollywood is now accepting the fact that this pirated underworld actually has helped them tremendously for exposure (promotion?)

    Soo we’ve seen things like Osho Dhara come out but they havent stopped Osho’s work at all. In fact many people within the Dhara camp sooner or later hit a wall…and its not because someone prosecuted them for copyrite infringement.

    But if Sw. Arun’s wishful thinking has created a paradise like Osho Tapoban, 100 meditation centers in Nepal, Osho books in everybook store, and now a refreshed movement of meditation centers around the world——I’m a fan of wishfull thinking!

    -Amrito

  31. Alok john says:

    My, albeit limited, experience of the law, is that where there are really complex legal matters, these tend to be decided on appeal, or another higher court.

    Obviously, trademark decisions concerning a new religionless religion, is about as complex as it gets. (It is not someone trying to sell Koca-Cola).

  32. swami says:

    yes well …alok john..

    .are you also hiraclitus?

    to appeal here would be like getting caught with holding the knife in the dead body and saying you were just about to take it out.

  33. Alok john says:

    Amrito,

    It may be that no-one in India or Nepal would misuse Osho’s name, but surely anything is possible in America : Osho Aromatherapy Oils, Osho Bathroom Products, Osho Tantrika Condoms. There are people in America who will do anything legal for a living. That is part of the culture. You can make a living in America going on TV saying you were abducted in a space ship by aliens. Now that “Osho is free” who knows who will take advantage of this.

    I don’t know everything, I am just here in London guessing what is going on. But I guess that OIF have some awareness of this, that friends from India and Nepal do not have. Even when OIF held the trademarks worldwide, there was (I think!) little trademark litigation. Osho Leela is allowed to use the name though it is a therapy and “growth” centre, not an Osho centre. OIF need the trademark to prevent gross misuse of Osho’s name, which we may soon see in the USA. Or at least that is what I guess the motivation of OIF is.

  34. Alok john says:

    No I am not Heraclitus.

  35. swami says:

    oh and bigus-clitus..
    I don’t mean to be rude..but in case your enlish is as a second language then….wishfullingly.. is not a word!…

  36. swami says:

    Iwas wondering cos you answered his reply!
    easy done!

  37. MESSAGE TO PRAMOD OF OSHO INTERNATIONAL
    Beloved Pramod,
    love,
    You have not posted any Osho’s hindi video till now. How long it will take for you to “preparing some Hindi Osho video” which you will post on youTube?
    If you see video’s with “Osho” tag on youtube there are 2660 videos.
    You posted only very very few of them.
    On youtube videos are there in many western languages Posted by Osho lovers without your permission. you are not removing them. You are removing only Hindi videos. Can I ask why/
    You are not posting osho’s hindi videos. You are removing videos posted by other OSHO lovers if they are in hindi.
    If you go on doing like that then it will be seen as anti hindi, anti Indian and anti India.
    This is election year in India. If you go on doing like this then you will invite fundamentalist and nationalist group in front of the commune.(To me it is still commune)
    India already has many problem. If you can not help to solve them then please do not increase them.
    Also do not do anything which may create communal roits and law and order problem to govermet of India and Government of Maharashtra.
    I hope you have not forgotten 1997 when government of India warned you not create law and order problem and communal roits.
    Now I ask you to Post Osho’s hindi videos as soon as possible before this news goes in press and TV.
    Or do you answers why you are not posting hindi video and only removing hindi video from youtube?
    If you have then get ready to give this answer to press and TV news channels.
    The video that you have removed you can post even that video.
    I hope you will behave inteligently.
    If you have all copyright then why all the Osho material is there on http://www.oshoworld.com since more then 8 years.
    What are you doing about it?
    Please tell someone to translate Osho’s hindi book “Anant ki Pukar” for you where Osho hiself has explained how to do his work.
    I want to do Osho’s work. I do not want any money for it. I have enough by Osho’s grace. Can you guide me what should I do?
    I want to translate Osho’s Hindi books to English. Do I need to ask your permission for it? If so then permit me.
    Any way now lets laugh little bit.
    I am sending a video for you. Show it to Jayesh and Amrito also.
    Love to all friends there.
    I am waiting for your answer.
    His Blessing
    love from
    OSHO

  38. swami says:

    alok john
    I think the fact that as you say …you are in london guessing what is going on just about says it all.
    though why in this reality you have such held opinions is beyond me .. and I find myself thinking ..asking .. are you ok?

  39. Dhanyam says:

    From reading all the comments here it seems to me that there is still some misunderstanding about copyrights and the US court decision on the trademark. I suggest you check the details on http://www.oshofriendsinternational.com/index.php/uspto-decision. There is a lot of great info on this website.

  40. Alok john says:

    I did look at Dhanyam’s site and I did find one statement that I think is untrue.
    From the Claims and Facts page (which really should be called the Claims and Counter-Claims Page)….

    “Claim: Trademarks allow OIF ZURICH to prevent people from using OSHO as a trademark for other goods and services like hamburgers, brothels, tissue, etc.

    Fact: OIF Zurich has not been able to do this, even with Trademarks. Trademark law allows the same trademark to be used for goods that won’t be confused by the public. For example, two companies couldn’t use the same trademark for computer accessories and computer programs, because the public would confuse them. Two companies probably could use the same trademarks for cars and stuffed animals, or some other products that the public wouldn’t confuse.

    There is already a trademark for OSHO in the US for a Japanese restaurant. Internationally there’s a brand of OSHO bicycles. OSHO is a Japanese word that has several different meanings. No one who had a trademark for OSHO as related to the teachings of OSHO could prevent anyone else from having trademarks of OSHO for some other kind of goods or services.”

    I am very doubtful about this. You do not see Ben and Jerry’s automobiles, or, in the UK, Marks and Spencer’s Restaurants. People would take advantage of respected brands such as these, if it was possible in law to do so.

    See this link for a good overview of trademark law.
    http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm

    Osho Hamburgers, brothels and tissue, would be trademark infringement or dilution; see paragraphs 7 and 8 in the link.

    (Okay, in Japan it may be different because the word Osho is already in use.)

  41. Alok john says:

    (Okay, there is already a trademark for OSHO in the US for a Japanese restaurant. But this is just one factor a court would take into account, and probably only a minor factor)

  42. amrito says:

    “It may be that no-one in India or Nepal would misuse Osho’s name, but surely anything is possible in America”

    Whatt!!!

    “There are people in America who will do anything legal for a living.”

    This is more true in India!!

    Indians, Americans: its wishy washy and mixed up now: India seems more American than America sometimes and America has some more indian-loving people than India sometimes!

    My point is, the world has all sorts of idiotic people and America is not a monopoly in stupidity nor have the trademarked “stupid” yet!

  43. Heraclitus says:

    Swami, you seem as always quite misinformed and out of date.
    The Osho trademark US decision has already been appealed.
    Osho is quite a common west African name, Alok, and also a name used in Japan. So things get quite complicated. I understand from friends that in West Africa there are garages etc with names like Osho Automobiles so everything practically speaking is a little difficult.
    Keerti and Arun do not respect copyright or trademark law in the sub continent anyway, so they have been quite happy to publish Osho or get others to publish Osho books over the last ten years anyway, so their work in Nepal and India is not being held up by any legal cases.
    In fact if in the US it has taken 10 years for a trademark decision, then it would definitely take 20 in India!
    However one is interested in why OIF has never taken out copyright or Trademark cases in Nepal or India? Anyone know? They have in many other countries.

  44. swami says:

    appealing are they…hahaha..
    lets see the outcome… hahaha..
    where is evidence of this this appeal to be found?

  45. Nirguna says:

    To Alok John, post Feb 3, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    You say, “I am very doubtful about this. You do not see Ben and Jerry’s automobiles, or, in the UK, Marks and Spencer’s Restaurants. People would take advantage of respected brands such as these, if it was possible in law to do so.”

    There is a German trademark “Osho” since 1996. It is a trademark for clothing, but it is not owned by OIF. The registered German trademark has the no. 39621509.2. The owner is Inditex, S.A., Arteixo, Spain.
    Website company: http://www.inditex.com/
    Basically special clothing for women (“bohemian woodstock”, “rock princess” and the like), see http://www.oysho.com/en/
    The trademark is also written “Oysho”, but registered only for “Osho”. Oysho is a Spanish form of the name.

    You can look for yourself in the search site of the public databases of German Patent and Trademark Office
    https://dpinfo.dpma.de/protect/mar_e.html

    Btw. the claims and facts site is really good. It is absolutely necessary to expose all the lies of OIF people. They have built a wall of lies around them and a wall of money. They have NOTHING, I say it again NOTHING legally in their hands, neither a copyright of Osho’s words nor a publishing right. They just claim it. It is a gigantic bluff. But everybody who doesn’t accept this bluff has to got to court and this is expensive and takes much time and energy.

    OIF is a paper tiger, a hot air balloon. OIF was founded in 1984 by Sheela as Sheela’s get-away letterbox company in Zurich called Rajneesh Foundation Europe, later taken over by Jayesh and named Osho International Foundation. Already the name is a lie. It should be Sheela International Foundation or Jayesh International Foundation. Osho’s instrument was Rajneesh Foundation International and related organizations in India, but never Sheela’s letter-box Foundation in Zurich.

  46. Beloved friends,
    love,
    There is a letter for all Osho lovers for new situation in Osho Movement at http://www.oshoworld.com in sannyas news artical.
    Love from
    OSHO

  47. Alok john says:

    Nirguna writes :
    “There is a German trademark “Osho” since 1996. It is a trademark for clothing, but it is not owned by OIF.”

    But this is irrelevant. “Apple Computer and Apple Records can peacefully co-exist, since consumers are not likely to think that the computers are being made by the record company, or vice versa.”……..from my link http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm

    Okay I am sure it gets a bit more complicated if there are two identical trademarks in the same country. In the example you give, if OIF held the trademark, it could stop Osho Hamburgers and Osho Tissues but maybe not Osho Jeans. There would be tons of precedents for this sort of thing. Maybe an agreement would be reached so that the identical trademarks are distinguished by different typefaces.

    Just joking around now I thought of a great slogan for Osho Sportwear USA
    “Be as cool as a Buddha in Osho Zennis Sportswear.”

  48. Heraclitus says:

    Dhanyam started this string and his issue seems lost to me.
    OIF have more power and money than some of the guys writing here imagine.
    The books continue to stream out of them and they have a lot of resources and have showed at least major stickability over the years. I feel there is a major unaddressed issue here, over and above the legal niceties.
    The “best” books that were ever produced for Osho’s words were those of Pune one, 1974 -81. They were works of art. Does Dhanyam agree? Maybe not. They contained authentic phtos of what was happening in the ashram groups, etc and could easily be seen as putting the average reader off, and I do think this was Osho’s intent.
    Because i could not get the original books, or could not afford the prices on ebay etc, I just got a copy of the Tao commentary from 1977 called The Pathless Path published by St Martin’s New York.
    To me a pathethic little thing, no pics at all, and very selective text. In fact the orginal series of the The Pathless Path contained lectures and answers to questions that stretched over the period Feb 11th to March 10th, 1977. This book shrinks all that down to just five lectures and one question and answer session.
    Poor Osho, I wonder really what he would have made of that.
    It may explain why many people seem to buy these books but few turn up in Pune or anywhere else to follow up the original interest.

  49. Alok john says:

    I understand of course that OIF still holds the trademark in Germany, anyway.

  50. Alok john says:

    Heraclitus writes
    “It may explain why many people seem to buy these books but few turn up in Pune or anywhere else to follow up the original interest.”……refering to the difference between modern books and the Pune 1 books, which I agree were works of art.

    I doubt it is because of the new books. You have to be in quite a crisis to want to visit a meditation centre to do dynamic or to desire to visit Pune. At any one time on the planet there are only so many people in such a (an existential?) crisis.

  51. amrito says:

    They say hundreds of thousands visit OIMR (resort) every year. They say its been much since Osho was in the body.

    But, disney land has millions of people visit every year and does that make a huge movement for Disney so that people who go their create mini-disney lands for themselves at home? No.

    I have the impression that those orange people who were around Osho (few comparable to the proporrted large numbers now–who knows) had a larger exponential impact for Osho than the thousands that go now. Its simply a Disney Land for many, a vacation spot.. But even Disney land won’t ban you if you are critical of them..

    In those beautiful books and darshan diaries Osho used to tell everyone who came to the ashram to start a meditation center back home. “You just start one…”

    I think very soon we may see Osho Centers, but they will be more like franchises upholding the rules and regulations of the mother corporation.

    But why so? Why can’t the wildfire remain wild? Osho was one wild man, and now to even wear his Mala inside the resort is considerred rebellious. In india I wore it everywhere except the place where it was invented…what an ironic situation!

    And some will say…”you just go in and dont be concerned about the outside”—unfortunately out is in.

  52. Nirguna says:

    “I understand of course that OIF still holds the trademark in Germany, anyway.”

    There is no German trademark “Osho” of OIF. I have made an investigation about Osho related trademarks in Europe – EU trademarks, international trademarks and German trademarks. You can download it as pdf-file
    http://www.megaupload.com/?d=67X4V9XB
    For other national trademarks in Europe one could do a similar research with the specific public databases.

    “Just joking around now I thought of a great slogan for Osho Sportwear USA
    ‘Be as cool as a Buddha in Osho Zennis Sportswear.’ ”

    Well yes, why not, that’s great! Osho alias Oysho has trendy sexy cloths for young woman, why not? With greetings form Pune 1 and the hippie and sex guru. A juicy way of life. Quite different to the suppressing ways of religions, especially suppressing sex and enforcing moral rules. Osho reaches as well into realms we do not even imagine. We are here to live it and to help it grow, not to control it. Control is the old, rotten way of Sheela and her followers in the so-called Osho International Foundation. Sheela created nothing but a concentration camp in Oregon. OIF created another concentration camp, a concentration camp for the creative energies of Sannyasins around the world. Closing down of Osho websites and blogs of Sannyasins with legal steps by OIF is not the way. It is high time that these controllers get out of the way of Osho and his people around the world.

  53. Alok john says:

    PS

    I claim copyright to

    ‘Be as cool as a Buddha in Osho Zennis Sportswear.’

  54. deepak says:

    wow..
    good gibrish is going on….
    :-)
    I am laughing my head off…

    good keepit on….

    with love,
    deepak

  55. ESTUDIO LLONA & BUSTAMANTE
    ABOGADOS

    Alvaro Llona Bernal
    Manuel Bustamante Olivares
    Raúl Villavicencio Pedraza
    Juan Prado Bustamante
    Carlos Herbozo Perez-Costa
    Ursula Cortés Gutiérrez
    Rómulo Morales Hervias
    Lus F- Alfaro Garath
    David Zamora Reátegui
    Raúl Villavicencio Bedoya
    Ursula Herbozo Ibáñez
    Ana Vidal Stiegler
    CARTA NOTARIAL

    Lima, April 20, 2009

    María Emilia Jaramillo Ruiz
    (Also known as Ma Gyan Darshana)
    Calle Juan Fanning N° 304
    Miraflores, Lima
    Perú
    Pone: +51 1 445-5375
    Mobile: 996-899-889
    emilia_jaramillo@hotmail.com
    oshogyandarshana@gmail.com

    Re: Copyright infringement and ilegal distribution of books

    Dear María Emilia Jaramillo Ruiz,

    Our law firm represents OSHO International Foundation, Switzeland and a number of licensees for the works of Osho in Spanish languaje.

    Osho International Foundation has found and documented in detail your illegal activities to distribute on a massive scale, digital translation of works by Osho in the Spanish language, on several internet sites including your own blog. The illegal copies carry your name and are distributed in your name on different web site accounts like http://www.scrib.com

    As such you are in serious brench of international and national copyright law.
    You are no doubt aware that Perú is a signatory to the international Copyrights conventions which protect works by authors, including Osho.

    The works you illegal distribute are copyrighted by Osho International Foundation, Switzeland and the Spanish translation are the copyrights of a number os Spanish publishers who hold exclusive licenses for these works and have paid for these translations.

    These publishers include: Random House Mondadori (and several of their subsidiaries and prints), Distribuciones Alfaomega, Editorial Kairos, Editorial Edaf, and others.

    The foundation and publishers will through our legal representation pursue this matter to the greatest extent allowed by law, including recovery of damages and our legal fees.

    In the alternative we give you the option to withdraw, remove and delete for all time, these illegal files from any internet systems where you have placed them and to sign a legal settlement agreement with Osho International Foundation and the Spanish publishers.

    You have one week from receipt of this letter to remove the illegal files from all internet system and to sign a settlement agreement.

    RAÚL VILLAVICENCIO BEDOYA

Leave a Reply