Validity and Foundation's Ownership of Copyright and Registered Marks Upheld

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On March 17, 1977 in the United States District Court, Central District of California, an order and judgment was entered in the case of "URANTIA Foundation vs. William Burton King, Urantian Research, Urantian School of Research and Doris George, Barbara A. King." This judgment granted URANTIA Foundation, the plaintiff, its motion for Summary Judgment in all respects.  The defendants were ordered to deliver up for destruction all materials which were found to infringe the copyright of "The URANTIA Book" or the registered mark "URANTIA" and they were enjoined from further infringement of the copyright in and to "The URANTIA Book" and the registered mark "URANTIA."  This judgment was not appealed by the defendants. In the supporting document issued by the Court entitled "Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law," the Court stated among other things that:

• "The copyright in The URANTIA Book is valid."
• "Foundation owns the copyright in The URANTIA Book."
• "Registration Nos. 915,734 and 948,104 issued by the United States Patent Office for the trademark and service mark 'URANTIA' are owned by Foundation, and are valid and subsisting."

This is the first time the copyright to "The URANTIA Book" and the registered marks have been tested in court, and this decision is, therefore, an important precedent.