• THE HON. CHARLES A. LEGGE

    From Wes Thomas@RICKSBBS to All on Tue Apr 14 05:59:50 2026
    THE HON. CHARLES A. LEGGE

    O.T.O. v. Motta

    Judgment

    News of this Judgment deciding the outcome of the O.T.O.'s suit
    against Marcelo Motta was received on the morning of July 12, 1985
    E.V.--Caliph Hymenaeus Alpha's work was complete. He died peacefully
    later that day, before news of the victory reached his ears.--H.B.

    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
    NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

    GRADY McMURTRY, WILLIAM E. HEIDRICK, P. SECKLER, H. P. SMITH, JAMES
    WASSERMAN, individuals, ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS, a California
    corporation, THELEMA PUBLICATIONS, a business entity,

    Plaintiffs


    v.

    SOCIETY ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS, a corporation, THELEMA PUBLISHING
    COMPANY, a corporation, MARCELO RAMOS MOTTA,

    Defendants


    JUDGMENT


    THE action was tried from May 13, 1985, through May 17, 1985, before
    Charles A. Legge, United States District Judge, sitting without a
    jury. The plaintiffs appeared through their counsel Stuart I.
    MacKenzie. The defendants appeared through their counsel Robert E.
    Mittel. Evidence, both oral and documentary having been presented by
    both parties, the cause having been argued and submitted for decision,
    the court having caused to be made and filed July 10, 1985, its
    written Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law; now therefore,

    Judgment is entered as follows:

    1. In favor of plaintiffs P. Seckler, Grady McMurtry, H. P. Smith,
    and James Wasserman, individually and severally, and against
    defendants Marcelo Ramos Motta (hereinafter ``Motta'') and Society
    Ordo Templi Orientis (hereinafter ``SOTO''), jointly and severally, on
    the third cause of action of plaintiffs' complaint in the amounts of
    $10,000 general damages and $25,000 punitive damages for each such
    plaintiff.

    2. In favor of defendants Motta and SOTO and against plaintiff
    William E. Heidrick on the third cause of action.









    3. Declaring that:

    (a)On the first cause of action of plaintiffs' complaint, defendants
    engaged in unfair competition regarding the use of the name ``Ordo
    Templi Orientis,'' the initials ``OTO,'' and the insignia and other
    properties of plaintiff Ordo Templi Orientis (hereinafter ``OTO'').

    (b)On the second cause of action of plaintiffs' complaint, defendants
    infringed trademarks owned by plaintiff OTO.

    (c)On the fifth cause of action of plaintiffs' complaint, defendants
    unfairly competed in the use of the name ``Thelema.''

    (d)Defendants do not own or have the right to use any of the
    copyrights or publications of Aleister Crowley.

    (e)Defendant Motta is not the designated secular Outer Head of
    plaintiff OTO, and has not been designated by any secular authority as
    Outer Head of Ordo Templi Orientis.

    (f)Defendants' purported registration of copyrights of material
    pertaining to Ordo Templi Orientis are invalid because defendants did
    not and do not own the material purportedly copyrighted.

    (g)Plaintiffs did not breach any copyrights of defendants.

    (h)Plaintiffs did not violate defendants' alleged trademarks regarding
    the insignia of OTO.

    (i)Plaintiffs did not violate defendants' alleged trademarks regarding
    SOTO.

    (j)Plaintiffs did not violate any federal trademark regarding the name
    ``Ordo Templi Orientis'' or the symbol ``OTO.''

    (k)Plaintiff OTO is entitled to the exclusive use of the trademarks
    and names claimed by defendants, except that defendant SOTO has the
    continued right to use the name ``Society Ordo Templi Orientis'' and
    the initials ``SOTO.''

    (l)Plaintiff Grady McMurtry owns the interest in Magick Without Tears
    assigned to him by Aleister Crowley.

    (m)Plaintiff OTO is entitled to the possession and ownership of (i)
    all other materials copyrighted in the United States about Ordo Templi Orientis, (ii) the archives of OTO, and (iii) all other writings by
    Aleister Crowley which are not in the public domain.

    (n)Defendants' purported registration of trademarks are invalid,
    because defendants did not and do not own the marks, except those of
    SOTO.

    4. Defendants Motta and SOTO, and agents, servants, employees, representatives, successors and assigns acting for them, or in active
    concert or participation with them, are permanently enjoined and
    restrained from:









    (a)Using, registering, publishing, distributing, or infringing (i) the copyrights, trademarks, trade names, service marks, and service names
    held by plaintiff OTO; (ii) the name ``Thelema'' when used as the
    publisher or distributor of written material; (iii) all other titles
    of works used to date by plaintiff OTO in various publications; (iv)
    all writings and publications of Aleister Crowley which are not in the
    public domain; (v) the initials ``OTO''; and (vi) all titles of honor,
    emblems, insignia, registers, symbols, or any other property or
    articles of plaintiff OTO.

    (b)Representing (i) that Motta has been designated by any secular
    authority as Outer Head of Ordo Templi Orientis, or (ii) that
    defendant SOTO is authorized by any secular authority as the successor
    of the organization, beliefs, and practices established and developed
    by Aleister Crowley and Ordo Templi Orientis.

    5. All registrations undertaken by defendants, whether directly,
    indirectly, or in their name, or any of the matters adjudged herein to
    be the property of plaintiffs, whether purportedly registered as a
    copyright, trademark, service mark, trade name, service name, or
    otherwise, are invalid, and at plaintiff OTO's election, are to be
    rescinded and cancelled by the appropriate government registration
    office, whether the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the
    United States Copyright Office, or other.

    6. Defendants take nothing on their cross-complaint.

    7. Plaintiffs are entitled to their costs of suit in the amount of
    $1,245.21

    Dated: September 10, 1985.

    CHARLES A. LEGGE
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE


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