Title

Author: David Christopher Lane
Publisher: Alt.religion.eckankar
Publication date: 1995

E-mail David Christopher Lane directly at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu

I want to go back to the home base now.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ECKANKAR'S LEGAL THREATS

1. In 1977 when I finished my first term paper on Eckankar (and one year prior to the second and more infamous term paper, The Making of a Spiritual Movement ) Eckankar's attorney, Alan Nichols, stated in a personal and confidential letter that Eckankar would sue me if I published my term paper. I did publish it. In the span of some six months there were a series of letters between Eckankar's attorney and my sister, who is also an attorney, concerning my legal rights to publish my term paper. Eckankar eventually backed off, even though they sent out world-wide memos claiming that I was part of the Kal forces from the beginning of time.

2. In 1983 when Brian Walsh (via Del Mar Press) published the first paperback version of the book, Eckankar legally threatened to sue me over the cover, which they claimed violated their trademarks {there was an Ek symbol on the cover, with a no-smoking sign over it--and partially covered up by the line going through the Ek symbol). They were also greatly troubled by my claims about Eckankar's history. This time Eckankar was very serious and I had to get top notch representation. I was represented by Rogers and Wells, the well known legal firm. After several months of intense legal pressure (I think Eckankar even went so far as to file suit), there was an out of court settlement, which worked both to my advantage and to Eckankar's. I am not allowed to publicly comment on it since it was agreed to be kept private.

3. In the late 1980s I also received another legal threat from Eckankar; this time concerning new editions of my book.

4. In 1993 when Eckankar learned that Garland Publishing, Inc., was going to publish a hardback version of my book, they sent a series of legal threats to Garland. These threats were serious enough to force Garland to cancel publication of the book, even though it was proof-read and ready for the press and advertised in their catalogs.

E-mail The Neural Surfer directly at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu

I want to go back to the home base now.