A Fight for Religious Freedom: A Lawyer's Personal Account of Copyrights, Karma and Dharmic Litigation

The Inside Story of a Noble Battle

A Fight for Religious Freedom

In 1990 Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) sued Ananda (another spiritual organization following the same teachings) to prevent them from using “Self-Realization” as part of their name; SRF claiming they “owned” that ancient spiritual term. Soon SRF insisted that they also owned all rights to the name, image, writings, and voice of Paramhansa Yogananda—revered guru to both groups, and author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi.

Ananda faced a stark choice—to fold up their tents and slink off into the night, or risk their very existence by fighting for the cause of dharma (righteousness). They boldly declared, “Yogananda is for the World!” By the end of a grueling 12-year struggle they had won 95% of the case, set important legal precedents, and preserved fundamental religious rights for everyone.

In A Fight for Religious Freedom, Jon Parsons, the lawyer representing Ananda during the lawsuit, tells the tale of Ananda’s struggle—one that went all the way to the steps of the United States Supreme Court.