Re: permaculture trademark alert

[EFMonaco <EFMonaco@compuserve.com>]

Scott,
I know that you have been out front in the USA promoting permaculture and
perhaps stand to lose more than anyone else I know from the imprisoning of
the word, but I'd like to offer some metaphysical advice nonetheless:  Let
it go.  

RANT ON
As much as permaculture has done to raise consciousness most people never
heard of it.  And of those who have, most think of it as little more than
organic gardening.  The powers that be who run the corporations, the
governments, academia, the NGO's and non-profits, also for the most part
haven't heard of permaculture, and likewise, those who have don't really
know what it is either.  There's another group that may have heard of it
and may in fact know what it is, but they are already invested in their own
brandnames.  So we have terms like ecological design, or greenbuilding (as
promoted by the American institute of Architects).  We now have an
international standard for environmental management: ISO 14001.  And let's
not forget our cousin: Holistic Management.  Then there's those of us
working undercover in one of the other worlds trying to raise consciousness
wherever we find may ourselves, with our hair tucked up under our hats.  
My point is that there's probably dozen's of terms and good folks doing
what we call permaculture.  Once we start talking about "invisible
structures" we cross into the abyss of everybody else's world:  banking,
insurance, conflict resolution, social programs, religion.  Egos in those
worlds are just as protective of their terms as anybody else.
The real power you have is in your "sphere of energy" you carry around that
influences the cosmos concentrically, like a pebble thrown into the pond. 
It doesn't really matter what you call your personal medicine. 
Permaculture is cool and convenient, but we can survive without the name. 
The nostalgia we feel and the memories of hope for the future that we gain
during a PDC are something to remember and reconnect to when we need a
lift.  I too may spend some time depressed in a funk over the loss of the
word, but if it takes me longer than 15 minutes to get over it than I am
carrying an attachment that is ultimately unhealthy.
Last point:  Bill always said that policing wasn't necessary because the
bad teachers wouldn't attract enough students to sustain themselves. 
Living in a fear-based cloud (not that you are) about what might happen if
suddenly we're all prohibited from using the term is just too negative; and
it goes against everything that gives permaculture its power.  Let it go
and transmute any anger and rage you feel into a positive expression of
that which you have become, in short be your own medicine.
RANT OFF

Gene Monaco




Scott wrote:
>
In the meantime Bill and Lisa have been in contact with me through their 
lawyer threatening to sue me unless I turn the application over to 
them.  My feeling is that I have trusted that Bill had protected all 
graduates, as he has stated over and over in courses and interviews, with 
his copyright.  It turned out my trust was misplaced and no one is or has 
been protected for the past 28 years, the use of the word permaculture is 
available to anyone who chooses to use it.  The problem I have had is how 
do you turn over an application for trademark, nothing else exists,  it 
hasn't been granted so I can't assign the trademark to Bill and Lisa.  I 
applied in the name of the Permaculture Institute and have agreed to give 
the trademark to the Permaculture Institute in Australia once it is 
granted.  Now I am told to withdraw my application which cost close to 
$800. to file.  Any one out there with any bright ideas,  I am not a 
patent/trademark attorney nor do I have the resources to hire one, which 
seems to be necessary if I want to appeal the decision of the reviewer at 
the Patent and Trademark Office.
<