Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: dennis.l.erlich@support.com
Subject: PRODIGY RIPS-OFF BUS[
Message-ID: <9509290756.0B5QZ00@support.com>
Organization: L.A. Valley College Public BBS (818)985-7150
X-Mailer: TBBS/PIMP v3.35
Distribution: world
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 95 07:56:37 -0700
Lines: 99


drogers@csun.edu (David D. Rogers)

    [btw, it was the consensus of ars back in April that I drop
    the bus bit from the newsgroup - it's just not that funny -
    but it's still mine <and Sirilyan's>]

>: Me:
: : >Faithful Reader,
: : >I hope you will be as outraged as I was when I saw the new
: : >Prodigy commercial with featuring the Crosstown Bus to Toad'l
: : >Freedom[tm].  Barry White (!) was driving.  He didn't have a hat
: : >*or* a badge.  The bus represented a newsgroup "music" and kept
: : >changing to different occupants each time the subject changed.
: : >I was not contacted or asked for permission to use *my*
: : >trademarked logo.  Royalties are being paid to neither me nor
: : >Sirilyan (my partner in the busline).

    I saw another of Prodigy's ads where there was a bus full of
    fly fishermen and they were definately headed crosstown.

: >Phil <project@phoenix.net> wrote:
: >: Good Point here!   Especially in your case, a professional journalist
: >: first with the Informer, and now with the DEpersona and creative
: >: endeavors on the net...The Cross Town Bus(tm) and Road toad'l Freedom(tm)
: >: are Your copyrighted concepts.... and they have used these in context
: >: as well.
: >: I'd say the case is rather cut and dried especially in view of your
: >: book in progress, songs, and probably involvement in the movie of the
: >: century.
: >: Phil
>: David:
: >Is Pl*digy censoring these posts? Let's hope not!!
: >Is this bus-line a church?
>:     It can't be both?
David:
>No, of course it can't! A lot of things can be a Church, but a bus isn't
>one of them! (There's a law about that somewhere... drat... can't find
>it... but I'm SURE I've got it lying around here somewhere!)

    I'll call your bluff!  And raise you.  If you don't come up
    with the statute and jurisdiction you have to send $100 to
    the Crosstown Busman's Retirement fund.  So put up or shut
    up.

>Oh, but to be sure, there's a lot of ways to get around the restriction.
>You can move to another state (such as Nevada, or maybe even New Jersey).
>Or you could de-license the bus and register it exclusively as a church
>(perhaps you can use some snappy name such as "Temple of the Bus"). Of
>course, having a trademark and all, you don't want it to be just any
>temple; you'll want them weeping at its hubcaps. So you'll give it special
>powers, like the ability to drive. :)

    I think you're sacriligizing the bus.

>      "Oh, but it can fly! I'm sure it can! I've never actually SEEN
>       it fly, but I KNOW it can do everything they say it will!"

    Of course it flies.  Have you ever seen it go over any of
    those bumps on the westside?

>Be creative! Give it the ability to TRANSFORM ordinary liquified dino-dung
>into a 65-MPH onslaught! That oughta give Plodigy a run for its money. :)

    I need a lawyer to take the case.

: : >Prodigy is hereby put on notice:  Either contact me and make
: : >arrangements to reimburse me for the use of my mark, or prepare
: : >to face a costly lawsuit being prepared by your humble narrator.
: : >This is no joke.
: >How much is this commercial costing you, Dennis? :)
>:     Very funny, David.  But I said it was not a joke.  Stop
>:     making fun of me.
>I'm not making fun of you. This could have a tremenous impact on the, uh,
>donations that you and your bu--err, I mean Church, collects.

    The Crosstown Bus to Toad'l Freedom[tm] is not a business.
    It's a state of mind you have to pay for.

>Hey! Perhaps you could recruit a bunch 'o guest celebrity bus drivers to
>your cause?

    Like Troutman?  And Pisky?

: : >ps. Barry, I don't know how you could rip me off so shamelessly.
: : >I usta think you had more class than that.
: : >Well, actually ... I didn't really. - DE
: >He's making a comeback. He should be able to pay should Sears and IBM go
: >broke. :)
>:     Barry's making a comeback?  The Johnnie Mathis of soul music?
>Do you know how much MONEY Johnnie Mathis makes? I sure don't. :P

    More than I do.  Sh*t!  It costs me to do what I do.

            +--------------------------------------+
           Rev. Dennis L Erlich  * * the inFormer * *
      dennis.l.erlich@support.com  +  inForm@primenet.com
                           "tar baby"