Posted On: 8th August, 2009

UPDATE ON TRADEMARKS OF OSHO IN USA

Following the order by the United States Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit, Washington, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) cancelled the trademarks of Osho on July 31, 2009.

The USPTO website www.ttabvue.uspto.gov is now showing the cancellation.

Osho Friends opposed various applications for registration of trademarks related to Osho and also filed for cancellation of trademarks already registered. The list of above mentioned trademarks are as follows:

Trademarks Registered - Now Cancelled
All the below registered Trademarks were cancelled on Jul 7, 2009 as a result of Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings.

1. Osho

Application for registering as Trademark was first filed on January 07, 1992 and registered on January 11, 1994 under the category of Books and printed materials for education purpose in the field of religion and philosophy in International Class 16

Applied for registration on March 17, 1997 and registered on August 11, 1998 under the category of Pre-recorded audio and video tapes in the field of education, religion, philosophy and science in International Class 9

Applied for registration on March 17, 1997, and Registered on July 21, 1998, under the category of Providing religion, philosophy and science information via a global computer network in International Class 42

2. Osho Rebalancing

Application for registering as Trademark was filed on December 29, 1997 and registered on February 29, 2000 under the category of Books and printed materials for education purpose in the field of religion and philosophy in International Class 16

Applications made for Registrations - Now Refused
All the below Trademark applications were abandoned on Jul 7, 2009 as a result of Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings.

1. Osho Active Meditations

Applied for registration On October 29, 1999, under the category of Educational services, namely, conducting individual sessions, workshops, retreats, seminars, groups, courses and training in the field of the teachings of the Mystic Osho in International Class 41

Also applied for registration under the category of Spiritual counseling and meditations, in International Class 42

2. Osho Kundalini Meditation

Applied for registration on November 03, 2000 under the category of Educational services, namely, conducting individual sessions, workshops, retreats, seminars, groups, courses and training in the field of the teachings of the Mystic Osho in International Class 41

Also applied for registration under the category of Spiritual counseling and meditations, in International Class 42

3. Osho Nadabrahma Meditation

Applied for registration on April 15, 1999 under the category of Educational services, namely, conducting individual sessions, workshops, retreats, seminars, groups, courses and training in the field of the teachings of the Mystic Osho in International Class 41

4. Osho Zen Tarot

Applied for registration on November 03, 2000 under the category of Instructional books and playing cards for the game of Tarot in International Class 16

Also applied for registration under the category of Entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game under International Class 41

5. Osho Transformation Tarot

Applied for registration on November 03, 2000 under the category of Instructional books and playing cards for the game of Tarot in International Class 16

Also applied for registration under the category of Entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game under International Class 41

6. Osho Meditation Resort

Applied for registration on February 14, 2001, under the category of Educational services, namely, conducting individual sessions, workshops, retreats, seminars, groups, courses and training in the field of the teachings of the Mystic Osho in International Class 41

Also applied for registration under the category of Spiritual counseling and meditations, and providing meditation information via a global computer information network in International Class 42

7. Osho Multiversity

Applied for registration on November 03, 2000, under the category of Educational services, namely, conducting individual sessions, workshops, retreats, seminars, groups, courses and training in the field of the teachings of the Mystic Osho in International Class 41

Also applied for registration under the category of Spiritual counseling and meditations, and providing meditation information via a global computer information network in International Class 42

8. Osho Times

Applied for registration on November 02, 2000, under the category of On-line periodical relating to the spiritual and mystical teachings of the Mystic Osho in International Class 42

It may be recalled that soon after Osho, left His body in 1990, Osho International Foundation (OIF) Zurich, started to register the name Osho and His Meditations as trade marks in the USA. Friends alleged that OIF attempted to hijack control of the meditative and spiritual teachings of Osho and his movement.

In March 2000, a web site www.oshoworld.com dedicated to making the huge volume of Osho discourses freely available on the internet, was served with a notice and pulled down from the net. Relying upon their registrations of trademarks, the Zurich entity tried to force Osho Dhyan Mandir to abandon the domain name www.oshoworld.com and transfer its ownership to them. In its verdict on July 28, 2000 the National Arbitration Forum of USA decided in favor of Osho Dhyan Mandir.

It was during that time the trademarks of Osho registered in the US came to the notice of Osho Friends.

When it became clear that the Zurich entity is working towards legal ownership and control of Osho movement and centers around the world, Osho Friends decided in 2000 to file for cancellation of the said trademarks. Osho Friends is an association of sannyasins, friends and lovers of Osho from around the world.

The trademarks of Osho in the US now finally stand cancelled.

The cancellations are reflected on the website of USPTO where the trademarks have been listed.

For United States Patent and Trademark Office Website Click here
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AN UPDATE ON THE TRADE MARKS OF OSHO AND HIS MEDITATIONS IN THE USA

Zurich files an appeal against the TTAB decision.

Osho International Foundation (OIF), Zurich, filed a Notice of Appeal on March 12, 2009 with respect to the January 13, 2009 decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.  OIF filed their appeal in the Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit in Washington DC. The appeal is about the correctness of the decision rendered by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board on January 13.

It may be recalled that in a decision by US Trademark Trials and Appeal Board, part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), an agency of the United States government on 13 January 2009, established that “Osho” cannot be trademarked. It was in response to the opposition lodged by Osho Friends International (OFI) India, an association of Osho Meditation Centres and Osho lovers, against Osho International Foundation (OIF) Zurich, the Appeal Board ruled that Osho’s name is used to describe the teachings and meditation techniques of the mystic Osho and the spiritual and meditative movement that grew up around him. Since “Osho” does not identify only one Osho group as the source, it cannot serve as a trade mark owned by Osho International Foundation. As a result defendant OIF can not foreclose others from utilizing the term Osho.

It may be noted that soon after “Osho”, the enlightened master, left His body in 1990 Osho International Foundation (OIF) Zurich, started to register the name Osho and  His  Meditations as trade marks in the USA. Friends alleged that OIF attempted to hijack control of the meditative and spiritual teachings of Osho and his movement.

In March 2000, a web site http://www.oshoworld.com dedicated to making the huge volume of Osho discourses freely available on the internet, was served with a notice and pulled down from the net. Relying upon their registrations of trademarks, the Zurich entity tried to force Osho Dhyan Mandir to abandon the domain name http://www.oshoworld.com and transfer its ownership to them. In its verdict on July 28, 2000 the National Arbitration Forum of USA decided in favor of Osho Dhyan Mandir.

When the Zurich entity continued to work towards legal ownership control of Osho movement and centers around the world Osho Friends decided in 2000 to file for cancellation of the said trademarks, the decision for which came in January 2009.

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