08/14/98 - 2018

(Updated) Janmastami Celebrated Wordwide

USA (VNN) - "The Lord, out of His causeless mercy...(remaining text deleted)"

For the occasion of Janmastami Aug, 14th 1998 VNN had posted here 2 paragraphs from Krishna Book by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada with the following copyright notice: "from Krishna Book by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (© Bhaktivedanta Book Trust)", which is what is printed on the book.

Within hours VNN received the following email:

Subject: Copyright issue
Date: 8/14/98 4:15 PM
Received: 8/14/98 5:59 PM
From: William van den Berg, barney@atlantic.net
To: Staff, staff@vnn.org

ISKCON-BBT Internet Services
A branch office of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.

Copyright and legal matters department


August 14, 1998

Dear Sirs,

At the following address on your site you quote a substantial part of
a work of which the copyrights belong to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
International:

http://vaishnava-news-network.org/world/9808/14-2018/index.html

You have quoted this material without our prior permission.

However, we are willing to stretch it and consider it "fair use" if you
add the proper copyright notice to the quote, which should be:

From Krsna Book, vol 1, (c) The BBT International 1972.

We would appreciate it if you could get back at us on this matter.

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

Sincerely,

William van den Berg
Legal assistant
===========================
IBIS/BBTI
P.O. Box 13657
Gainesville
Florida 32604
U.S.A.
Tel/Fax: +1 (904) 418-0750
(end email quote)

How the BBTI considers 2 paragraphs from Srila Prabhupada's books to be "a substantial part" of Srila Prabhupada's work is quite amazing. But then, the BBTI, according to their own legal papers, claims Srila Prabhupada was a hired worker of ISKCON.

VNN staff decided to delete the text by Srila Prabhupada to avoid any unnessecary constipation at IBIS (former Cintamani Web Cartel). VNN has instead posted "Srila Narayana Maharaja Visits Gita Nagari".

(see also VNN stories #1752, 1738, 1834, 1854, 1987)