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Ananda
Wins More Than 95% of a 12-Year Lawsuit Filed by Self-Realization
Fellowship (SRF)
Self-Realization
Fellowship Lawsuit Update Below- 1/3/03
 A
12-year legal battle between Self-Realization Fellowship and Ananda
Church of Self-Realization (Ananda) may have ended on October 28,
2002 when a jury rendered its verdict on copyrights in 50-year-old
writings and sound recordings by the Indian guru Paramhansa Yogananda.
The case began
in 1990 after Ananda added the term "Self-realization"
to its name. Self-Realization Fellowship responded by filing a massive
lawsuit for trademark, publicity rights, and copyright infringement.
Self-Realization Fellowship, after the start of the lawsuit, registered
trademarks in the terms "Self-realization" and "Paramahansa
Yogananda," the parties' common guru.
By the start
of the October trial in United States District Court in Sacramento,
85% of the case had already been conclusively decided in Ananda's
favor according to Judge Edward J. Garcia, who had presided over
the case since the beginning. After Judge Garcia made that comment,
the remaining 15% of the case was decided by a jury, mostly in Ananda's
favor.
Regarding the
remaining 15%: the jury found that although Self-Realization Fellowship
owned the copyrights in writings by Yogananda published in its magazines,
Ananda's religious, non-commercial use of those writings was a "fair
use." The jury's decision that Ananda's use was a "fair
use" was tantamount to a verdict of "not guilty."
Accordingly,
the jury refused to give Self-Realization Fellowship any of the
$6 million in damages it sought for Ananda's use of the writings
published in its magazines. The law on fair use did not apply to
sound recordings, so the jury awarded SRF the nominal sum of $29,000
on its claim that Ananda had infringed on its rights to certain
sound recordings.
In the middle
of the trial, SRF abandoned its claim that it owned copyrights to
numerous photos of Yogananda, so Ananda also prevailed on those
claims.
Ananda's other
legal victories over the past 12 years were not affected by the
verdict. These include:
1.
Self-Realization Fellowship's trademarks in the term "Self-realization"
were cancelled. Ananda presented voluminous evidence of the term's
generic nature. Thirty-five American Hindu-Yoga organizations submitted
statements supporting Ananda's position.
2. Self-Realization
Fellowship's trademarks in the name of "Paramahansa Yogananda"
were cancelled.
3. Self-Realization
Fellowship's claim that Ananda was trying to "pass itself
off" as Self-Realization Fellowship was dismissed.
4. Self-Realization
Fellowship's claim that it's reputation would be "tarnished"
if it was confused with Ananda was dismissed.
5. Court ruling
that Self-Realization Fellowship did not own Yogananda's publicity
rights. Self-Realization Fellowship's claim was based on a California
law that gave the heirs of celebrities control over their name,
image and voice.
6. Court ruling
that Self-Realization Fellowship did not own the copyrights in
certain books by Yogananda published before his passing. Based
on this decision, Ananda later published the first edition of
Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi.
7. Court ruling
that Self-Realization Fellowship did not own the copyrights in
various photos of Yogananda.
Twice during
the course of the lawsuit, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) filed
appeals to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1994 SRF unsuccessfully
appealed the cancellation of its trademarks in "Self-realization"
and "Paramahansa Yogananda." In 1998 SRF appealed copyright
rulings in Ananda's favor on books, photos, writings published in
its magazines and sound recordings.
SRF lost the
appeal on books and some of the photos, but won the right to a jury
trial on the writings in 50-year-old magazines and sound recordings.
SRF unsuccessfully petitioned the United States Supreme Court to
review the copyright rulings. At trial, SRF's claims in the remaining
photos were dismissed.
SRF has said
that its goal in proceeding to trial was to win a ruling that it
owned the copyrights at issue, not the 6 million in damages the
jury refused to award. If true, the jury's decision may finally
end this 12-year battle.
Update:
January 3, 2003
Self-Realization Fellowship Lawsuit Officially Comes To An End
On December
16, 2002, the Federal District Court in Sacramento entered a Final
Judgment officially terminating Self-Realization Fellowship's (SRF)
lawsuit against Ananda.
After the jury
rendered its verdict on October 28, 2002, SRF and Ananda agreed
to settle the rest of the case. Here are the main points of the
settlement: Ananda and SRF agreed (1) that the jury verdict was
final; 2) to waive all rights to attorneys fees and costs, and any
other post-verdict motions, and 3) to waive all rights of appeal.
For those who
like to read the legalese, here's the pertinent language from the
Final Judgment ending the case:
"Judgment
now having been entered on all legal and equitable claims in this
action, this document, in combination with the Judgment entered
October 29, 2002 in accordance with the jury verdict and the Judgment
entered October 20, 1997 in accordance with the Court's order of
the same date (as modified by the Judgment of the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals dated March 23, 2000) shall represent the complete
Final Judgment of this action. As the parties have by settlement
waived any and all post-trial motions and rights of appeal, the
date of entry of this Final Judgment shall represent the final termination
of this action." (dated) December 16, 2002
Now that this
long, costly lawsuit has finally ended, we at Ananda hope that there
can be increasing harmony between the two organizations in the years
to come, and that we can, in time, become friends. We feel that
communication is most important for future understanding between
the two organizations. Meanwhile, we extend our sincere love and
friendship to all our gurubhais (fellow disciples) in Self-Realization
Fellowship, and everywhere.
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