Copyright Hare Krsna?

[theist]

Letter to: Dinesh

--

New Vrindaban

10 June, 1969

69-06-10

 

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June, 6, 1969 and the copy of the agreement which you sent. The first thing is that I have already given you my word, so there is no need of an agreement with me. My word is final agreement, but if you want it for business reasons, I have no objections to sign it. But the wordings are not always clear. Another thing is although I have brought this Sankirtana Movement to the Western World we cannot make it copyrighted. The Sankirtana Movement is not my invention. So how can it be copyrighted? Besides that, as you will find in the album of my previous recording, the chanting of Hare Krishna is going on since time immemorial. So Hare Krishna cannot be copyrighted, although the tune in which I sing with my disciples, that may be made copyrighted. I have no objection to sign this agreement, but don't be misled that the chanting of Hare Krishna or Lord Caitanya's Movement can be made copyrighted.

There are some points in the contract which are not very clear, so you may explain them to me further by post. The points are as follows: ``ISKCON shall have the sole and exclusive right and authority to collect preserve and distribute all tangible expressions of said sound vibrations.'' ``Said sound vibrations shall be fixed in a tangible form solely by ISKCON'' ``ISKCON shall have the exclusive right to any existing sound recordings contained in any medium of fixation that have been previously recorded by the SWAMI'' ``ISKCON shall have the sole and exclusive right to use the name and likeness of the SWAMI for all purposes and activities encompassed by this agreement.''

So upon hearing from you on these points I shall send you back the agreement duly signed by me. I am very much encouraged by the statement of your letter, but I must let you know the pros and cons of this agreement.

Please convey my blessings to Krishna Devi. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

http://www.vina.cc/

 

VINA.cc is the official News-site of the World Vaishnava Association.

1998-2005 VINA.cc. All rights reserved by the Supreme Lord.

[Guest guest]

yes also :

http://www.vrindavan.org/

 

© No claim of

Copyright

 

Please use everything for

your own spiritual service.

 

--

that is a very nice idea

the founder of that site (Srila B.A> Paramadvaiti) has written a number of artciles on the issue of Copyright to Vnn and such - I like his writings on the subject:

 

http://www.vrindavan.org/English/about/Copyright.html

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

Still there are some dubious people who may use Prabhupada books or any devotees for some other purpose. But all-in-all it all belongs to Krishna!

 

So I'd say unless you want your work Protected best to Copyright this is Kali-yuga!

 

 

[theist]

I understand Iskcon has obtained a trademark propriotorship over the term Hare Krsna Movement. Not sure of the exact details.

 

We don't control the name, the name controls us and will go freely where He wills. We are to be simple servants of that going.

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

We don't control the name, the name controls us and will go freely where He wills. We are to be simple servants of that going.

 

 

Use this Mantra fro next time you chant, I think there is a Ritivk Movement called The Hare Krishna Movement, maybe thats a factor.

 

[theist]

I understand they, Iskcon, threatened to sue Narayana Maharaja's group for advertising a "Hare Krsna" festival in NZ or Australia a few years back. How offensive. Narayana Maharaja has been chanting Hare Krsna mantra on this earth since before most of us were even born and he supposedly has no right to advertise a Hare Krsna festival? Pure madness.

 

I think I'll go back and reread Paramadvaita Swami's articles from VNN.

 

It strikes me similar to trying to copyright the name Jesus Christ. Just absurd.

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

Copyright Mad!

 

I don't know about what you said. Its like when some people say you can't chant Gods Name. 'The nameless'. So we should copyright the name, only devotees can chant.!

 

Joking.

 

Anyway about Srila Narayana Maharaja I thought we are meant to be servants of the servants.?

 

I think we should Copyright Blasphemy. Anybody doing anything about this?

 

[krsna]

Krishna's name is not mere combination

or utterance of letters:

 

 

<font color="blue"> So the chanting of Krishna's name is the only meditation, the only sacrifice,

the only worship in this Kali-age -

Name is the means,

Name is the end.

 

But is should be noted with the utmost care

that Krishna's name is not mere combination

or utterance of letters.

 

A similarity in utterance and appearance is not identity.

 

The fire and the glow-worm

though similar in appearance are not identical.

 

The minutest spark of fire set consciously or unconsciously,seriously or playfully

will instantaneously burn an inflammable thing,

whereas a thousand glow-worms

will not act in a thousand years.

 

Krishna's name is identical with Krishna Himself

and

pregnant with all the properties and attributes of Krishna.

 

So His name, unlike all other names,

is full of energy, perfect, eternal,

pure, devoid of illusion and eternally free.

 

Aurora is sufficient

to dispel the darkness of night

and to drive the wild animals to their lairs

and thieves and dacoits to their resorts,

enables us to distinguish the various objects of senses and ushers the advent of the glowing lamp of heaven.

 

So does Namabhasa

(the utterance of name avoiding the ten profanations)

stop poverty from planting our pillows with thorns, destroy our worldly hankerings and

dispel the illusory gloom,

so that we may see the Name face to face.

 

When the everburning lamp peeps out of the eastern horizon,

its ever-effulgent rays make us see it face to face

and feel its golden rays

and enable us to see all objects bathing therein.

 

The sun is seen and felt by us

with its own rays and heat

and not with the help of any other glowing object.

 

The brightest candles of the universe put together

can not make the sun visible to us.

 

When our dreamy nights are at an end -

when we shake off the torpor,

open our eyes,

turn them to the east,

we see the Name-sun

with all his glory and beauty.

</font color>

 

 

- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta;

from 'Vaisnavism : Real and Apparent'

 

 

[Kulapavana]

the copyrighting is always done out of desire for material profit - all other arguments are just lies meant to cover that fact.

 

so many people took material avantage of what Srila Prabhupada created for all humanity... /images/graemlins/frown.gif these are the "disciples" whose "closeness" to him Srila Prabhupada compared to the "closeness" of a mosquito sucking his blood...