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From:
Sanford J. Hodes
Epstein Becker & Green
One Riverfront Plaza
Newark, NJ 07102
phone: (973) 639-8268
fax: (973) 642-0099
shodes@ebglaw.com
Re:
NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
Dear
------------:
This
firm represents the Foundation for "A Course in Miracles,"
Inc. (FACIM) and the Foundation for Inner Peace, Inc. (FIP).
I
write on behalf of our clients to ask that you discontinue your
unlawful copying and dissemination of the improperly obtained early
manuscript of "A Course in Miracles," referred to as the
Hugh Lynn Cayce manuscript, and that you cease encouraging and
cooperating with others in this illegal activity.
The
manuscript is copyright protected material, registered with the
United States Copyright Office and bearing registration number TX
421-821. For your information, this copyright is enforceable under
the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention in
Canada and elsewhere around the world. This version is an earlier
draft of the published work "A Course in Miracles, " the
copyright of which is owned by FACIM and licensed by FIP.
Dr.
Helen Schucman provided this unpublished manuscript to Mr. Hugh Lynn
Cayce in 1970, in confidence, so that he could provide his advice
and comment about the work. His comments, as well as the comments of
a few others who received this version, assisted Dr. Schucman, her
colleague Dr. William Thetford, and their associate Dr. Kenneth
Wapnick to edit and revise Dr. Schucman's early manuscript into what
ultimately became the published version of "A Course in
Miracles."
The
Association for Research and Enlightenment (the ARE), started by
Edgar Cayce, held the manuscript in its archives. ARE has advised us
that it did not permit anyone to copy the work. Thus, in addition to
the unlawful copyi ng of the material in violation of copyright law,
if the material was obtained from the ARE's archives, it was
apparently done so illegally. Regardless of how this manuscript was
obtained, it has been copied without the permission of the copyright
owner in violation of law.
Neither
FACIM nor FIP wishes to stop anyone from discussing, reading,
commenting upon, or writing about "A Course in Miracles,"
its ideas, philosophy or spiritual thought system. Our clients
merely seek to prevent the verbatim copying of the work or other
similar infringing activities. Scholars, students and teachers who
are interested in this material are welcome to read the Course and
to use their creativity to write about it in their own words. Please
understand, however, that U.S. and world copyright laws require
copyright owners, like our clients, to diligently protect their
works from known infringements, which is essential to maintaining
the integrity of a published work.
Accordingly,
we write to secure your assistance and must direct that you stop
copying our clients' copyright protected materials and otherwise
cease publicly disseminating these works over the Internet, by
email, or through any other means or by encouraging others to do so.
Of course, if you wish to quote from the published work in something
you have created, please do not hesitate to contact the publications
director at FACIM to discuss your materials. You might be surprised
to learn that almost all persons who request permission to use
quotations from "A Course in Miracles" in their own
creative works, are granted permission, without charge, and
regardless of the views or opinions expressed in that work. FACIM
denies permission only to those persons who seek to copy substantial
portions from the material or who seek to create derivative works as
they are defined by law. In those instances, FACIM will discuss the
matter and work to overcome the objections, if possible.
It
is not, and has never been, my clients' desire to employ litigation
to stop infringements like that in which you are currently engaged.
For this reason, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate
to contact me directly or to contact FACIM, the current copyright
owner, to discuss the matter. We trust that you now understand our
clients' position, and hope that we can communicate amicably about
these issues. In that way, it is our hope to avoid the necessity of
filing legal action. But if you persist with your infringing
activities, we will have no choice but to consider filing that
action, which my clients' consider to be their course of last
resort.
Very
truly yours,
/s/
Sanford J. Hodes
Sanford
J. Hodes
-----------transmitted
by FACIM Correspondent -------------------
FACIM
Correspondent is a volunteer agency providing Internet and Web
services for the Foundation for " A Course In Miracles"(r)
and its attorneys Epstein Becker & Green, One Riverfront Plaza,
Newark, NJ 07102, phone: (973) 639-8268, fax: (973) 642-0099, email:
shodes@ebglaw.com |
