While an investigation into OIF is underway in Switzerland, there’s news about the European TM case and several letters have been distributed which you can read via the links given below. Ramateertha has responded to the letter by the Inner Circle on June 26, 2014 (PDF):
Dear friends,
On June 24th the Inner Circle [IC] sent out a letter to all the Osho Centres in the world commenting on the “Trademark” case in the European Union and the decision of the Swiss Government to dismiss the board of directors from Osho International Foundation Zurich and freeze the accounts of that institution.
Besides the usual allegations about me, which are being repeated again and again, there are some really interesting twists and turns to be pointed out:
First, suddenly, there is a Power of Attorney mentioned that was supposedly given to OIF’s lawyer in July 1989 for registering trademarks. Who gave whom a Power of Attorney? In the five years of litigation no such document has been provided to the court in Alicante [Spain]! It seems that OIF has a remarkable stock of documents available that provides “evidence” on demand…
Then it says: “None of these ‘discontented Osho lovers’ seem to have had any problems with the trademarks while Osho was alive…”
This is correct, because there was nothing to have trouble with: no trademarks for “educational services; yoga instruction; religious services; meditation services” had been filed. And no centre had been asked to sign a license agreement while Osho was alive. It was Sheela who had intended to create a franchise system!
Apropos Sheela: In the letter the IC continues: In 1985 Ramateertha himself was appointed to the board of directors of OIF by Osho’s former secretary Sheela.
Here the IC is wilfully and intentionally spreading a lie. In the attachment you find the minutes of a meeting held in Oregon on Nov 28th, 1985. It was the board of directors from Rajneesh Foundation International who appointed Swami Jayesh, me, and Ma Prem Geeta as the new directors of RFI! At that time Sheela was already indicted for the crimes she committed and may have already have been in jail. She had resigned her position in RFI before she left Oregon on September 14, 1985. Interestingly enough, Maria Kortenhost, then known as Ma Prem Arup and today known as Ma Garimo, was a member of the board of RFI and is a member today of the Inner Circle that is spreading this lie about me! ‒ Maybe loss of memory?
The important question that needs to be asked is: Why does the Inner Circle need to publicly denounce me?
They must be afraid of me and of what I am saying. If I was as much of an idiot as they are trying to depict me as, then why bother to contradict me at all? But they have to make me “wrong” so that their lies appear to be right.
If OIF was so sure about the situation, why did they have to produce a “Last Will of Osho” that is obviously a fake, as four graphology experts have pointed out?
The “witnesses” to that crude document are the same people who are saying that Osho wanted such a trademark and that Osho wanted me out of the board of OIF for reasons that are part of their propaganda and as fake as the so called “Last Will”.
Some comments on the Decision of the Swiss Government to dismiss the board of OIF, about which the IC is misleading people:
I do not think that the Swiss Government was sitting idle, waiting for the complaint of a “disgruntled” Mr. Doetsch, to swing into action!
The facts brought forth in the complaint were so alarming and overwhelming that the Government saw the need to act promptly, in order to protect the Foundation from total destruction. The board members are involved in other companies that are doing business with the Foundation. This is illegal because there are bound to be conflicts of interest when they are taking care of their own companies and OIF at the same time.
For example, on the www.osho.com website you find under corporate information: Osho Media International Ltd. doing business as Osho International. (There are a few more companies operating under that same name!) The company is registered in Ireland, and the owner of this company is “O International Digital Media Ltd,” a company registered in Hong Kong. The owner of this company, and therefore the beneficiary of all the websites income, is Michael Byrne, also known as Swami Jayesh. Here we have the president of OIF, owning a private company that is exploiting the rights of OIF.
I think these issues and, for example, why OIF lost its non profit status, do need attention and it will be interesting to see what the findings of the Swiss government will be.
I want to make one thing clear: I would be more than happy not have to dig into this kind of thing. My work is with the Uta Centre in Cologne and in working with people. Still, in the light of what has happened in Sheela’s time I cannot pretend not to be aware of them and just keep quiet.
After the shock of seeing the decision of the Court in Alicante and looking at the implications of this verdict it is almost certain that we are going to appeal this judgement. For this we do need also your financial support. Find the info at: www.osho.de
Cologne, 26th of June
Ramateertha
PDF documents:
Reply by Prem Geet to Letter from the IC dated July 7, 2014
Letter from the Inner Circle dated June 24, 2014
Summary of the decision in the OHIM invalidation action in which the OHIM Board ruled in favour of OIF dated June 23, 2014, sent by Keltie LLP, England
Appointment of Ramateertha as Director of Rajneesh Foundation Europe effective December 1, 1985, dated December 2, 1985
EU trademark ruling (14 pages)
Verfuegung – Abberufung des Stiftungsrats (translation below)
Order – Recall of the Foundation Board
Osho’s ‘Will’
Related articles in Osho News:
OIF: Swiss Ruling
Viha Connection article: Swiss ruling the entire Foundation Board of Osho International Foundation was provisionally suspended
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