Copyrights

Copyrights and the Forced Closing of Websites

In February 2008, the sannyasworld.com site was closed down for a few days as a result of their server being lent on by Osho International Foundation (OIF). This on the grounds of abuse by sannyasworld of the Osho copyright.

Protecting Osho′s Work

(Written by Sangeet in 2000 but still interesting. )

The claim made by OIF and by the Management Team is, again, that the purpose of copyrights is to protect Osho′s work. However, the greatest threat to the integrity of Osho′s work is not from some amorphous "them" outside. The greatest threat comes from, perhaps well-meaning, sannyasins who believe they know what Osho′s teaching is and will edit and interpret it for others. This can be done by limiting access to some of the work, changing Osho′s words, and creating an official "Vision." It is because of this threat that a broad-based control of Osho′s copyright is so important.

One of people who has demonstrated a willingness to change Osho′s words is Amrito. Shortly after Osho left His body, and after He had said that Anando would be His medium, Amrito suggested to Anando (in front of me) that she give some messages that Amrito had prepared and say they were channeled from Osho. Anando refused to do it, but Amrito remained insistent that it was a good thing to do.

Since then, others have reported to me instances where Amrito has changed Osho′s words. I have one example of a "Zen Stick" which appeared on Osho.org that takes several paragraphs of From Death to Deathlessness, Chapter 26, completely out of context and does not indicate deletions. This pseudo quote was used to criticize the press for attacking Bill Clinton′s sexual activity in the Oval office.

One example may not be too important, but the willingness to change and use Osho for one′s own purposes and to support one′s own views is important. I suggest that we review videos, audios, recently published books, and past issues of magazines to look for further deletions, additions, and changes in Osho′s work. Several people have reported various deletions from The Book of Wisdom recently published by Element, but I have not yet seen it myself.

...

We need to protect Osho′s work by providing a broad-based group to caretake, not control, it. Osho created a model group process for taking care of His work in which every participant would be respected and decisions would be made by consensus. He placed a wide variety of people in the original group; people with various points of view and perspectives. In contrast, the current Inner Circle seems to have been selected on the basis of loyalty to a small faction of the original group, and the Inner Circle has allowed a small group of men to claim full control of all aspect of Osho′s work. This, I believe, constitutes the greatest danger to Osho′s work.

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