Osho And His Meditations
Free of Trade Marks
And His
Meditations
Free of Trade Marks
"Things can be
copyrighted, thoughts
cannot be copyrighted, and
certainly meditations
T he strongly worded unanimous verdict by US Trademark
Trials and Appeal Board, part of the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO), an agency of the United States
government on 13 January 2009, has established that “Osho” cannot
be trademarked. In response to the opposition lodged by Osho
cannot be copyrighted. Friends International (OFI) India, an association of Osho Meditation
They are not things of the Centres and Osho lovers, against Osho International Foundation
(OIF) Zurich, the Appeal Board ruled that Osho's name is used to
marketplace. Nobody can
describe the teachings and meditation techniques of the mystic Osho
monopolise anything. But and the spiritual and meditative movement that grew up around
perhaps the West cannot him. Since “Osho” does not identify only one Osho group as the
understand the difference source, it cannot serve as a trade mark owned by Osho International
between an objective Foundation. As a result defendant OIF can not foreclose others from
utilizing the term Osho.
commodity and an inner
The Board has cancelled all trademark registrations and
experience. For ten applications filed by the Zurich entity that were challenged by Osho
thousand years the East has Friends.
been meditating and Soon after “Osho”, the mystic formerly known as Bhagwan Shree
nobody has put trademarks Rajneesh, left His body in 1990 Osho International Foundation (OIF )
Zurich, started to register the name Osho and His Meditations as
upon meditations.
trade marks in the USA. Friends alleged that OIF attempted to hijack
-Osho control of the meditative and spiritual teachings of Osho and his
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti movement.
In March 2000, a web site www.oshoworld.com dedicated to
FEBRUARY 2009 49
making the huge volume of Osho Intellectual Property and centers were to be free of outside
discourses freely available on the Technology practice in the Chicago control forever. The current
internet, was served with a notice office , came forward with his decision is a step in that direction.
and pulled down from the net. whole hearted support to the Osho Osho knowingly and willingly
Relying upon their registrations of Friends, in their cause for freedom put His meditation techniques in
trademarks, the Zurich entity tried of spirituality and meditation. the public domain decades ago by
to force Osho Dhyan Mandir to During all His life, Osho was not only allowing, but encouraging,
abandon the domain name against all forms of organized people to use His techniques and to
www.oshoworld.com and transfer religions and did not want to create teach them to others. Osho wanted
its ownership to them. In its verdict another religion around him. He the techniques made available to as
on July 28, 2000 the National had insisted that all sannyasins and many people as possible, and
Arbitration Forum of USA decided all centers remain independent of Osho's people took those
in favor of Osho Dhyan Mandir and any hierarchy and controls. The techniques and spread them around
stated that: connection was always considered the world.
to be directly between Osho and
“To grant ( OIF, Zurich's ) individuals. Sannyasins and other “Nobody is my follower.
request for relief would be to lovers of Osho have always been a Nobody is going to be my
permit virtual monopolization group of individuals engaged in successor. Each sannyasin is my
on the Internet by Complainant their own individual understanding
representative. When I am dead,
( Zurich entity) of any domain of religiousness rather than
you all—individually—will
name which includes the name becoming followers of another
have to represent me to the
organized religion.
of a great spiritual teacher and world. There is not going to be
During His life He owned
leader. While making no any pope. There is not going to
nothing in His name and there had
judgment on the relative merits been no legal connection, be any shankaracharya. Each
or validity of the world's organization, or authority by any sannyasin, in his own capacity,
religions or spiritual movements central organizational entity over has to represent me.
or any leader thereof, this hundreds of Osho centers involved This has never happened
Arbitrator finds that permitting in spreading His work. This —but it is going to happen! You
this would be as improper as decision makes it clear that the
are all my successors.
doing the same with Zurich entity cannot usurp control
When I am dead, that simply
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, of religious teachings or Osho
means I have left this body and
religious movement by claiming
Zorastrianism, Hinduism, entered all the bodies of my
ownership of the word Osho. The
Buddhism, Taoism, people. I will be within you. I
unanimous decision stated, “
Confucianism, Shintoism or any because the evidence of record will be part of you.”
of the several hundred other of shows that ( people ) identify the -Osho
the world's religions and/or term Osho with a series of
spiritual movements.” meditative and religious teachings,
defendant (Zurich entity OIF) can
When the Zurich entity not monopolise such teachings by
continued to work towards legal asserting trademark rights. “ For more information about
ownership and control of Osho Osho had repeatedly pointed Osho trade marks visit website :
movement and centers around the www.oshofriendsinternational.com
out that His work was not His, but
world Osho Friends decided in 2000 simply truth. No control of the
to file for cancellation of the said people doing work in His name was
trademarks. Mark Feldman, lead necessary or desired. In fact, control
counsel and partner in DLA Piper's was to be avoided at all costs. All
50