Editing Scientology controversies (section)

==Secrecy==
The Church of Scientology maintains strict control over the use of its [[symbol]]s, names and religious texts.<ref>{{cite book|title=Teaching New Religious Movements|last=Bromley|first=David|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2007|page=295|isbn=978-0-19-517729-9}}</ref> Although U.S. intellectual property law allows for "[[fair use]]" of material for commentary, parody, educational purposes, etc., critics of the Church such as [[Gerry Armstrong (activist)|Gerry Armstrong]] have argued the Church unfairly and illegally uses the legal system to suppress "fair" uses,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gerryarmstrong.org/50grand/disclaimer.html |title=Gerry Armstrong-Everything Scientology Shysters Need to Know |publisher=Gerryarmstrong.org |date=2002-03-28 |access-date=2012-09-05 |archive-date=April 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426015904/http://www.gerryarmstrong.org/50grand/disclaimer.html |url-status=live }}</ref> including suppressing any mention of the [[Space opera in Scientology|space opera]] aspects of the religion, including the story of [[Xenu]].<ref name="Lewis09">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtW90YkkB3gC|title=Scientology|last=Lewis|first=James R.|date=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199715954|location=Oxford|oclc=320624058}}</ref><sup>:371-383</sup>{{r|urban|p=104}}

One example critics cited is a 1995 lawsuit against the ''[[Washington Post]]''. The [[Religious Technology Center]] (RTC), the corporation controlling [[L.&nbsp;Ron Hubbard]]'s copyrighted materials, sued to prevent a ''Post'' reporter from describing church teachings at the center of another lawsuit, claiming copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and the circulation of their "advanced technology" teachings would cause "devastating, cataclysmic spiritual harm" to those not prepared.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age|last=Godwin|first=Mike|publisher=MIT Press|year=2003|page=[https://archive.org/details/cyberrightsdefen00godw/page/218 218]|isbn=0-8129-2834-2|title-link=Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age}}</ref> In her judgment in favor of the ''Post'', Judge [[Leonie Brinkema]] noted:

{{blockquote|When the RTC first approached the Court with its ''[[ex parte]]'' request for the seizure warrant and Temporary Restraining Order, the dispute was presented as a straight-forward one under copyright and trade secret law. However, the Court is now convinced that the primary motivation of RTC in suing Lerma, DGS and the ''Post'' is to stifle criticism of Scientology in general and to harass its critics. As the increasingly vitriolic rhetoric of its briefs and oral argument now demonstrates, the RTC appears far more concerned about criticism of Scientology than vindication of its secrets.|U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, ''Religious Technology Center v. Arnaldo Lerma, Washington Post, Mark Fisher, and Richard Leiby'', 29 November 1995}}