I am lacking some specific details, so here is a (perhaps faulty) summary:

With all kinds of wackiness going on, some seriously fanatical
middle-of-the-road-extremist organisations have popped up, one of these
being C.A.N., the Cult Awareness Network. CAN has engaged in what I would
describe as very questionable, even vile, activity, in the name of rescuing
your children from the clutches of the religious nasties (deprogramming is
often a very difficult issue for reasonable people). 

Recently, that is, within the past 2 years, they ran afoul of the church of 
$cientology and found themselves buried in litigation, for which the only 
recourse was bankruptcy. One might say that, after having popped up, they 
popped down.

But not quite. In the liquidation of assets, the trademark and logo for CAN
were bought outright by attorneys acting on behalf of $cientology. This
gives $cientology the opportunity to use an already established
organisation as a front. 

As far as I know, there is no legal requirement for forthrightness in business: 
Hills Bros. coffee and Carnation products are not required to display the
Nestle 
name on the front of the package, 7-up was never required to show that it was 
owned by Philip Morris Tobacco, and Evergreen Freight Lines are not required to 
reveal that they are run by the CIA (ok, that is a bit different). 

So a distraught family member calling for help from CAN will not be informed 
that CAN is owned and operated by $cientology ('yeah, we can deprogram you 
moonie [and turn him into a rabid $cientologist]').

This is a truly dangerous situation (which the press seem to be ignoring)
that calls for maximum public exposure forthwith.



>From UseNet:
_________________________________________________________

CAN LOGO AND SERVICE MARK SOLD

AFFILIATES SHOULD DISCONTINUE USE OF CAN LOGO AND NAME

On October 23, 1996 the Cult Awareness Network, Inc.'s service mark and
trademark rights, including rights to the use of the CAN stylized logo,
were sold as part of a $20,000.00 purchase of CAN assets in the federal
bankruptcy court.  Steven Hayes, of the law firm of Bowles & Hayes,
bought the assets.

The purchase becomes final in seven days. Mr. Hayes will control the
service mark and trademark rights at that time.  It not clear yet
whether Mr. Hayes, or others associated with him, could take action
against organizations using the words "Cult Awareness Network" in their
name without his permission, or merely for the stylized CAN/Cult
Awareness Network logo that appeared in the past on CAN's  literature.

Because of the uncertainty in this area, and to avoid any possibility of
liability on the part of organizations that have used the CAN name and
logo in the past,  the following recommendation is being made by Ben
Hyink, the Cult Awareness Network, Inc.'s bankruptcy attorney.

 Any organization which has been using the name Cult Awareness Network
 should change its name immediately.  Such organizations should cease
 distributing literature bearing the words "Cult Awareness Network" or
 the CAN logo.  The organizations should not answer the phone or have a
 recorded answering machine message bearing the words "Cult Awareness
 Network."  No financial business should be conducted under the name
 "Cult Awareness Network" or the CAN logo.

Hayes also purchased any service mark license agreements which the Cult
Awareness Network, Inc. held with its affiliates, although certain
portions of the agreement were stricken by order of Judge Ronald
Barliant of the United States Bankruptcy Court.  The portions of the
service mark agreement that were not part of the purchase were Paragraph
3 and the first sentence in Paragraph 4.  These sections read as
follows:

Paragraph 3:  "Licensee will permit duly authorized representatives of
the Licensor to inspect its books and records and its premises at all
reasonable times, for the purpose of ascertaining or determining
compliance with paragraphs 1 and 2 above."

Paragraph 4, First sentence:  "Licensee will immediately upon request
provide Licensor with samples of all letterheads, literature, brochures,
signs, advertising material, and solicitation materials prepared by the
Licensee, and the Licensee shall obtain the approval of Licensor with
respect to all such material bearing the Service Mark prior to the use
thereof."

The other assets which were purchased by Mr. Hayes included CAN's office
furniture and equipment (excluding the hard drives from its computers
and any computer software or electronic data), and final judgements
which CAN held against Scientologists in past legal cases which CAN had
won.

Not sold by the trustee were any documents from CAN's files, including
any correspondence, archives of articles, membership lists, or books.

Nor were any legal claims sold in which CAN is the plaintiff.

  



	*  Illegitimi Non Carborundum  *