Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 18:33:39 -0800
From: Grady Ward <grady@netcom.com>
To: ask@eff.org
Newgroups: comp.org.eff.talk, alt.censorship, comp.org.cpsr.talk, misc.legal
Subject: Re: Scientologist Demand Compliance
: Dear Mr. Ward:
: I represent Religious Technology Center ("RTC"), the owner
: of the confidential Advanced Technology of the religion of
: Scientology, and the holder of exclusive rights under the
: copyrights applicable to the Advanced Technology materials.
: Among these copyrighted and confidential materials are the
: Advanced Technology materials of certain levels known as
: "Operating Thetan Section III," "the L Rundowns The L-12 Rundown
: Step 6," and "NED for OTs Series 1."
: We have been informed that you have posted 11 pages of
: "Operating Thetan Section III," 4 pages of "the L Rundowns The L-
: 12 Rundown Step 6," 3 pages of "NED for OT's Series 43," and 5
: pages of "NED for OTs Series 1" onto the Internet without the
: authorization of our client, who, of course, would not have given
: such authorization had it been requested. Your action violates
: our client's legal rights in that it is the unauthorized making
: of electronic copies of the copyrighted material and the
: unauthorized disclosure of trade secrets materials.
: These actions constitute violations of the United States
: Copyright laws entitling our client to damages, an injunction,
: and impounding of materials and equipment used in perpetrating
: the infringing acts. It is essential that you take immediate and
: effective action to remove the unauthorized copies from the
: Internet, and that you refrain from any repetition of this or
: similar acts in the future.
: I will expect an immediate response from you with a
: statement of your willingness to comply with these demands. If
: you do not comply immediately, I expect to be authorized to
: initiate legal action to compel compliance.
: Very truly yours,
: Helena K. Kobrin
___________________________________________________________________
Assuming this post is not a prank by some disturbed individual,
I am shocked that anyone would believe that I would infringe their
copyright under the US and Berne Copyright Convention.
You can be sure that I never have had infringing material in my
possession or transmitted the garbage you call your holy scrip.
If I did you can be sure that I would dispose of it in a way that
would express my disgust at your attempted trampling of the First
Amendment rights of the millions of people on Usenet internationally
and the continuing, possibly criminal, enterprise of Scientology and/or
Dianetics.
I encourage all Usenet users to fully explore their rights under the
"fair use" doctrine of the US Copyright Law to expose the sham
enterprise known as "Scientology" and to assert their freedom to fairly
comment on an important public issue that, you, Helena Kobrin and
RTC Inc. have thrust into the vortex of public comment.
Secondly I have heard reports that you, Helena Kobrin and RTC have
instituted the tactic of cancelling posts to Usenet by fraud. This
interference of data in interstate commerce is a violation of both state
and federal law and if substantiated will subject you and officers
of RTC to both civil and criminal damages, including civil forfeiture.
Under RICO statutes, you may be liable for treble damages as well as
forfeiture of all assets used in such a continuing criminal enterprise.
I will expect an immediate response from you with a
statement of your willingness to comply with this demand. If
you do not comply immediately, I will file a complaint with
the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California State
Attorney General. Continued harassment may also be grounds for
dismissal from the California Bar.
Lastly, since you are aware of the effectiveness of the cryptography
privacy and authentication program called PGP (telnet to net-dist.mit.edu
and use passowrd "getpgp" for more information) I have reason
to doubt that this unsigned PGP message is actually from Helena K.
Kolbrin, esq. Please register your key and sign your messages in the
future or use standard methods of legal service.
Grady Ward
3449 Martha Ct.
Arcata, CA 95521
+1 707 826 7715 (voice /24hr FAX)
grady@netcom.com
I am all for religious freedom, including *my* religion, which includes
the sacrament of free speech.
--
Grady Ward +1 707 826 7715 (voice / 24hr FAX) grady@netcom.com