BKWSO lose legal action against BrahmaKumaris.Info

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admin

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BKWSO lose legal action against BrahmaKumaris.Info

Post11 Sep 2007

Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization commenced legal action against BrahmaKumaris.Info.

On 12.24 pm Sept 10 2007, the BKWSU or BKWSO filed a National Arbitration Forum dispute against the registrant of the domain.

At present it is not clear what actions the BKWSU as a whole, or certain Brahma Kumari members within the organizations, are considering but we would suspect it is an attempted "Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy" [UDNRP] dispute. The purpose of such a dispute would be to gain control of the BrahmaKumaris.Info domain name, removing the content and service we provide from the internet.

To file a UDNRP it costs $1,300 to $2,600 plus whatever legal fees one choses to involved. At present the domain name is "locked" and cannot be transferred. It is expected that the case will take approximately two months to complete until legal ownership is decided and we will be defending it. The moderators of BrahmaKumaris.Info remain committed to supporting a forum which documents and openly discusses all matters relating to the BK life. All data has been backed up, can be moved and will not be lost but please make your own copies.

The BrahmaKumaris.Info website was freely registered with the intent to counter what many see as an increasing trend towards secrecy, favoritism and commercialization within the BK Family. It was established to be inclusive of all elements within 'the BK family', rather than exclusive, in the hope of returning the BK family back to its spiritual roots. We have always attempted to support and empower all by giving free and open access to "The Knowledge" - which is considered to be God given to all of humanity - to be honest of our experiences within the BKWSU and help others understand theirs.

In doing so, we have not been afraid to raise and encourage the overdue discussion of commonly acknowledged controversial issues within 'the family'. Issues widely felt by a broad spectrum of individuals affected by the BKWSU both inside and out. Whilst welcoming and publicizing the view points of a variety of splinter groups within 'the family', we have together discovered and continued to make public serious revisions in the history and philosophy of the BKWSU. By doing so, it is hoped others have been inspired to review 'The Knowledge' at a far greater depth than they had done so before.

We also keep on record incidents of what many feel are lamentable failures in the organization's duty of care; the suicides, the handling of mental illness, the physical violations of splinter groups and the leadership's response to child sex abuse.

Whereas we would have preferred that the leadership of the BKWSU had engaged in open discussion and co-creation with other forum members on an equal basis, we welcome the opportunity the engage in an official Domain Name Dispute as the final report will enter public record.
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tinydot

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Post11 Sep 2007

Assuming BKWSO won the case due to the fact that they are singing sweet songs to the politicians, our entire database can be moved to another domain names like:

    bkmembers.info
    bk-members.info
    bkforum.info
I mean, there are thousands of combination we can think of.
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ex-l

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Post11 Sep 2007

What they have done is just about the most ill-advised thing that ... I'd love to know if this has been instructed by or Shrimat from BapDada. It would put a whole different spin on the affair.

Are those donations they are using or has some individual BK stumped the money up to do it? Well, that would still be a donation that could be used to feed the poor or dig some clean water wells.
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arjun

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Post11 Sep 2007

Omshanti.

This decision by BKs has not come as a surprise for PBKs since they have already passed through such experiences when one of their sites was usurped by the BKs. The present decision of the BKWSU only poorly reflects on their so-called high spiritual status and also shows their feelings of insecurity. BKs who claim to be direct children of Almighty God and pride themselves in being Master Almighty Authorities should not have filed such a case when they already have so many websites in their name.

What they are doing to this site is a royal form of the violence that they inflicted/inflict upon the PBKs. Since they could not cause any physical harm to the PBKs based abroad or the members of this forum, they might have thought that closing down this site or usurping the name of this site would solve their problems permanently or to a great extent. But they have miserably failed in understanding that truth cannot be subdued with money or physical power.

Instead of snatching away the rightful space of someone else, and proving its ill-intentions to the world, BKWSU should come and share the space of this website with us. They have been given a separate section where they could propagate their own ideas with full freedom. In the epic Mahabharata, the Kauravas had a vast Empire under their control, and their cousins - the Pandavas sought just three feet of land to survive after spending 13 years in forests as a punishment for losing a game of dice with the deceitful Kauravas. But the Kauravas refused to part with even a space occupied by the pinpoint. Everyone knows who triumphed in the end.

This decision perhaps also reflects upon the policies that the new leadership of BKWSU is going to adopt to suppress truth. In fact, one of the Dadis who has been promoted to the rank of Additional Chief of BKWSU in the recent reshuffle, in one of the private meetings with an ex-PBK many months ago had said that something is needed to be done to fix the PBKs. May be now the new Administration of BKWSU would get the freedom to do so.

So, all the emails of Sister Jayanti offering a hand of friendship were a farce/eyewash.

Hoping for the best,
Regards,
OGS,
Arjun
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john

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Post11 Sep 2007

arjun wrote:So, all the emails of Sister Jayanti offering a hand of friendship were a farce/eyewash.

ArjunBhai

I agree and I think we openly and within our hearts realized this. However, any of the members may have criticized the BK Org., it was/is I believe with a genuine concern.

Of course, we will march on towards the truth, whatever happens.
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arjun

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Post11 Sep 2007

John wrote:I agree and I think we openly and within our hearts realized this. However any of the members may have criticized the BK Org., it was/is I believe with a genuine concern. Of course, we will march on towards the truth, whatever happens.

I am sure that most members would support the Admin. in his efforts to keep this website functional.
On 12.24 pm Sept 10 2007, the BKWSU or BKWSO filed a National Arbitration Forum dispute against the registrant of the domain.

Can the members of this forum do their bit by sending emails supporting this forum to the National Arbitration Forum? If so, what is their official emailid where such emails/letters could be sent? In which country is this National Arbitration Forum based?

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun
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tinydot

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Post11 Sep 2007

arjun wrote:In which country is this National Arbitration Forum based?

I believe it is US-based since US invented the internet and they have a say of who gets who. Watch the Chinese invent their own internet and perhaps there might be more freedom of information in the world.
john wrote:On what grounds could they hope to close the site and forum? I feel sad that they are even trying, it says a lot about them.

There is no really solid ground for this case but IMO whoever sticks to the dirty politics run by human arbitrators, can potentially win the case.

bkdimok

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Re: BKWSU commence legal action against BrahmaKumaris.Info

Post11 Sep 2007

Admin wrote: At present the domain name is "locked" and cannot be transferred. It is expected that the case will take approximately two months to complete until legal ownership is decided and we will be defending it.

Om Shanti. I suppose 2 months is more than enough to stop this case.

Shankar
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tinydot

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Re: BKWSU commence legal action against BrahmaKumaris.Info

Post11 Sep 2007

Admin wrote: At present the domain name is "locked" and cannot be transferred. It is expected that the case will take approximately two months to complete until legal ownership is decided and we will be defending it.

As Admin said, all data is backed-up meaning we can create hundreds of variant domain names mirrorring this website folder by folder and file by file.

They are after the name, but they cannot have the soul (contents) of this website.

Nothing to worry really.
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paulkershaw

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Post11 Sep 2007

First Opinion that comes to mind:

"So much for the emails sent to Admin by Jayanti offering "meetings for mutual benefit" - again proof for the public domain that shows when they cannot get their way they turn like mangy dogs on the supposed source of their problem ... so much for being peaceful beings. They're certainly presenting aggression and domineering controlling attitudes and showing their true colours once again.

Nice - I think not.

My concern is Admin's funding availability in counter-defence of the BKWSO's claim?
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tinydot

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Post11 Sep 2007

paulkershaw wrote:First Opinion that comes to mind: "So much for the emails sent to Admin by Jayanti offering "meetings for mutual benefit" - again proof for the public domain that shows when they cannot get their way they turn like mangy dogs on the supposed source of their problem ... so much for being peaceful beings. They're certainly presenting aggression and domineering controlling attitudes and showing their true colours once again. Nice - I think not. My concern is Admin's funding availability in counter-defence of the BKWSO's claim?

We can utilize ex-BK lawyers who will drag the BKs to the court of law system and expose their true teachings.
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ex-l

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Post11 Sep 2007

arjun wrote:In the epic Mahabharata, the Kauravas had a vast Empire under their control, and their cousins - the Pandavas sought just three feet of land to survive after spending 13 years in forests as a punishment for losing a game of dice with the deceitful Kauravas. But the Kauravas refused to part with even a space occupied by the pinpoint. Everyone knows who triumphed in the end.

Its a strange thing but more and more my faith in all this grows and I was thinking of the Pandavas and Kauravas too. I do not think of the "Pandavas" as just relating to BKs, as they see themselves but universally, in the broad drama, of those seeking and fighting for the truth against those immersed in pomp and show. I'd be proud to be a Pandav. How real it all starts to look!

What interests me is BapDada's role in all this. If he was consulted and what he said. I guess we will never be told. May be we should wait until we see what the BKWSU is accusing but here is the National Arbitration Forum website. It will tell us a lot about where the BKs souls are at. The address is;

    National Arbitration Forum
    PO Box 50191
    Minneapolis, MN 55405-0191 USA
    E-Mail: domaindispute@adrforum.com

    Telephone: 952-516-6400, or toll-free 800-474-2371
    Toll Free Fax: 866-743-4517
Funnily enough, a recent domain name dispute NAF handled was for angels.com and the complainant lost.

Internet Domain Name Disputes rely on the complainant (BKWSU) proving 3 main elements;
ICANN wrote:(1) the manner in which the domain name(s) is/are identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; and

(2) why the Respondent (domain-name holder) should be considered as having no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name(s) that is/are the subject of the complaint; and

(3) why the domain name(s) should be considered as having been registered and being used in bad faith[/color]

If, and I have no seen any of the paperwork in this dispute, this is what they are up to then it will be interesting to see what their claims are. Evidence of registration and use in bad faith would be:
ICANN wrote:(i) circumstances indicating that one has registered or acquired the domain name primarily for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name registration to the complainant for more money than documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the domain name; or

(ii) registration of the domain name in order to prevent the owner of the trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that you have engaged in a pattern of such conduct; or

(iii) registration of the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor; or

(iv) intentionally attempting to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to the web site or other on-line location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of this web site or location or of a product or service on the web site or location.

In order to claim, someone has to demonstrate their rights or legitimate interests to the domain name;
ICANN wrote:(i) before any notice to you of the dispute, your use of, or demonstrable preparations to use, the domain name or a name corresponding to the domain name in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services; or

(ii) you (as an individual, business, or other organization) have been commonly known by the domain name, even if you have acquired no trademark or service mark rights; or

(iii) you are making a legitimate noncommercial or fair use of the domain name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the trademark or service mark at issue.

So, the funny thing is, in order to press this case, the BKWSU has to present itself as a MORE of a business and the name as its trademark. But is "Brahma Kumari" a trademark or the name of a certain type of religious follower? Can you demand a trademark rights on "Christian" or Buddhist"?
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abrahma kumar

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Post11 Sep 2007

ex-l wrote:So, the funny thing is, in order to press this case, the BKWSU has to present itself as a MORE of a business and the name as its trademark. But is "Brahma Kumari" a trademark or the name of a certain type of religious follower? Can you demand a trademark rights on "Christian" or Buddhist"?

Very interesting.
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proy

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The Gift

Post11 Sep 2007

What the BKWSU have done here is firstly to expose the fact that Jayanti's initial approach to the forum was disingenuous. She obviously did not ever really want a dialogue, that was a lie; and secondly, to expose themselves to the full glare of publicity involved in any legal dispute.

This is a gift to those of us who want to see reform in the BKWSU. Now the whole world will see what they are really like behind the mask of false smiles and pretended nice-ness. I will be interested to see how they prove to the arbitration people that the Murlis are copyright. Also, how can "Brahma Kumari" be copyright, given what it means?

They have begun an action in which they can only lose, but what they will be losing is the dishonesty, greed, and corruption that has possessed them for so long. The contents of this forum and the information it contains can never be lost. Have they no understanding of the internet? I know for a fact that many more domain names are already registered and waiting should this one be suppressed by the BKWSU George Orwell Style "Ministry of Truth". The IT team goon squad who try to suppress all information that does not favour or enrich the BKWSU.

Bring it on!
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abrahma kumar

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Bring on The Gift and unveil the sideshow

Post11 Sep 2007

Thanks proy. Nothing much intelligent to say on all this right now. Just want to watch and see what happens. In the meantime, your ending words, "bring it on", triggered a recollection of a song in my record collection that dates from way, way back in the day.

The song is Sideshow performed by Blue Magic and i find myself hooking your "bring it on" to the following sentiments taken from the song's lyrics:
Hurry, hurry, step right up
See the sideshow in town for only fifty cents

Step right up, hurry, hurry before the show begins, my friends
Stand in line, get your tickets, I hope you will attend
It'll only cost you fifty cents to see
What life has done to those like you and me
...
So let the sideshow begin
Hurry, hurry, step right on in
cannot afford to pass it by
Guaranteed to make you cry

The thing is that any human being with www access can find this site and read it for themselves (and ought to be able to form their own opinions). So what is the point in this action? I never bought all that "mutual benefit" corporate speak.

Now that we can now see the "underbelly" of that approach i understand why i could not bring myself to feel enthused about its prospects. So, yes, Bring on The Gift & unveil the sideshow for maybe their G-O-D will get revealed at last.

We see how it goes ...
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