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DOCUMENT TITLE: Copyright and Trademark Assisgnment, L. Ron Hubbard to HCO SUBJECT: L. Ron Hubbard's blanket assignment into perpetuity of all copyrights and trademarks to the Hubbard Communications Office (HCO), a division of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists, Inc. (HASI, Inc.) of Arizona PARTIES: L. Ron Hubbard; HCO, HASI, Inc. BACKGROUND AND NOTES On 15 November 1958, in official policy publications of the Hubbard Communications Office (HCO), L. Ron Hubbard permanently transferred, assigned, and bequeathed "all copyrights, marks and rights, by blanket assignment" to HCO, "the main office." The main office of HCO was the Hubbard Association of Scientologists, Inc. (HASI, Inc.) of Arizona, as Hubbard made clear in later HCO policy issues. Any assignment by the owner of such rights is unilateral, requiring no execution by the receiving party, and the relevant "HCO Policy Letters" (HCO PL) were registered with the Copyright Office, constituting a formal blanket transfer of the copyrights to HCO. His blanket assignment was into perpetuity, as he made clear in a further statement on the subject in a second HCO PL of same date: "All this applies now and later. And it will become more important as time goes on." Prophetic words indeed considering what ensued, as is laid out in full on this site, with copious documentation. It must be noted for full understanding of all that eventually happens with Hubbard's intellectual property, and to the organization that owned them, just how the corporate relationships evolved, and how they stood by 1966. We've devised a brief summary and accompanying graphic chart for that purpose, and recommend you visit it before going further. Here, though, are the quotes from the relevant HCO PLs: HCO POLICY LETTER OF 15 NOVEMBER AD8 [1958] THE SUBSTANCE AND FIRST DUTY OF HCO ...HCO must...first and foremost of all its duties, be the keeper of every seal, copyright, trademark, registered mark, master tape, master book copy, and master bulletin file... . All this applies now and later. And it will become more important as time goes on. ...[A]ny trademark, registered mark, or patent for any sign, symbol, shield, device or design for Dianetics or Scientology or their organizations must be secured for HCO. All these are registered to L. Ron Hubbard and by blanket transfer are the property of HCO only. HCO POLICY LETTER OF 15 NOVEMBER AD8 [1958] Issue III OUTSTANDING COPYRIGHTS AND MARKS ...[A]ll copyrights, marks and rights, by blanket assignment are the property and will remain the property of HCO...the main office. ...[I]t becomes...the property of HCO with no further administrative action by reason of existing contracts and franchises. |
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