"BKW sue" becomes "BKWS you"

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"BKW sue" becomes "BKWS you"

Post02 Jun 2008

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Posted February 22nd, 2008

“The Brahma Kumaris recognize the intrinsic spirituality and goodness of all human beings and share their understandings that ... this lifelong learning process is assisted by products from the Brahma Kumaris.”


Hot on the heels of the domain name dispute involving this website, a legal attack in which the BKWSU attempted to take away our domain name thereby shutting us down, comes the latest news of the trademarking of the terms “Brahma Kumaris”, “Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University” and “BKWSU”.

In its application, the BKWSO of San Antonio, Texas informs the US Patent and Trademark Office in its recent application, here, that BKWSU stand for ... “BKWS You“!

Commentators question the use of the new religion’s use of the term “University”, or its acronym BKWSU, to give credibility to its teachings. Especially in developed nations, like the United Kingdom and USA, where the use of the word University is protected for genuine use only by governments and educational authorities or institutions with valid accreditation. In some states of USA, the misuse of the term “University” is a misdemeanor and a class C felony when committing fraud.

With the main Brahma Kumaris’ website in India, having just recently been seen sporting a ® registered sign, although no such mark appears in the Indian government’s record to date, what is the purpose of the trademark? “Operating an online shopping site in the field of spirituality and meditation“.

A fall from being the “Unlimited Godly University” but perhaps ... business as usual ... for the organization whose own followers are criticizing the profit margins put on some of its devotional materials. Concerned individuals highlight that certain select groups within its followers are also making money selling their products to “the family”. More details available at the US Trademarks website. See applications; 77212561, 77212153, 77313590, 77212547, or search terms “Brahma Kumaris”.

In a newly launched Bookstore site, http://bkbookstores.com, the BKWSO states;

RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF MATERIALS:

No material from may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way, without prior written permission of the copyright owner.

TRADEMARKS

The Brahma Kumaris marks, including, but not limited to, BKWSU, BKWSO, Brahma Kumaris, Brahma Kumaris WORLD SPIRITUAL UNIVERSITY, Brahma Kumaris WORLD SPIRITUAL ORGANIZATION and PRAJAPITA Brahma Kumaris ISHWARIYA VISHWA VIDYALAYA are the exclusive properties of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU).

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization (BKWSO) is the United States branch of BKWSU and is the exclusive owner of the Brahma Kumaris marks in the U.S. Some or all of these marks are pending registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. Not all trademarks owned by BKWSU are listed on this page. The absence of a mark from this page does not (i) constitute a waiver of any intellectual property rights that BKWSU has established in its marks or (ii) mean that BKWSU is not the owner of any such marks.

opening up a can of worms for all those authors, many now ex-BKs, who dedicated their work to God, in goodwill and the service of humanity. Remember the saying, “where there is a hit, there is a writ“, did those authors sign over their life-long, international intellectual property rights to the BKWSO? Does the BKWSO claim commercial right over God words? “No material from BKbookstores.com may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way, without prior written permission of the copyright owner”.

With the “Destruction”, the End of the World BK-style, yet to appear on the horizon does this mean licensing deals for other American BK Raja Yoga center-in-charges and their sub-centers ... terms and conditions for followers ... even non-disclosure forms for those wishing to read the channelled messages that make up the organization’s core teachings?

Elsewhere, the organization’s professional front takes a tumble. See below ...

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