For more than 40 years both during his life and afterwards the Osho Foundations have always acted on Osho’s request to protect his name, his copyright and his work and will continue to do so. As part of this work Osho is now a protected trademark in more than 40 other countries around the world.

 

Recently the Patent and Trademark office in the US decided, in a trademark dispute brought against the Osho Foundation by a group of so called “Friends of Osho,” that the name Osho is generic and cannot be registered as a trademark in the United States.

 

Generic means that Osho is now in the same category as computers and tissues. This decision is appealable in the American courts. It is interesting to note that the same group, Friends of Osho, that brought the US action, and who today claims victory in the US action, is the same group applying to register “Osho” as a trademark in India for their personal business.

 

Osho Foundation’s main reason for applying for the Osho trademark is to ensure that Osho’s name would be used as a way of identifying his work. If this decision stands this will no longer be the case.

 

As the decision now stands anyone in the United States can use the name Osho in any manner they may choose. They may create their own meditations and call them Osho Meditations or even change any of Osho’s meditations as they wish. They may create and sell “Osho paintings” even if they are painted by someone else, or any manner of such things.

 

It is strange that the Foundation’s success in making Osho’s proposal available, including in the United States, was the source of the board’s view that Osho, in the United States, is considered generic.

 

This decision has no effect on Osho’s copyright which is protected by international treaties around the world. So, Osho Foundation’s efforts to make Osho available around the world will continue to expand exactly as is currently the case.