This has got to be good enough to make someone’s weird news section.
PRESS RELEASE: Church of Reality founder granted Trademark on REALITY®
DATE: 09-17-2014
CONTACT: Marc Perkel – marc@churchofreality.org
WEB: http://www.churchofreality.org/wisdom/trademark/
Marc Perkel, founder of the Church of Reality was granted a renewal of his registered trademark on the word REALITY in the religious and spiritual counselling category. This is the 5 year renewal period where the Church of Reality was granted the highest trademark status under federal law under Section 15 Declaration of Incontestibility.
In theory, Church of Reality founder Marc Perkel can enforce this trademark against infringement by other religions and demand a license fee for the use of the word REALITY. “If they use the word Reality and pass a collection plate then I deserve a piece of that.”, say Perkel. “Just like if I were to call my church Catholic and pass a collection plate I would be infringing on their trademark.”
After 15 years of trying to get people interested in Reality Church of Reality founder Marc Perkel is going to try a different approach by enforcing his trademark and prohibiting the use of the word Reality. “Maybe if I tell everyone that that can’t use the word Reality then they might become more interested in it? If I take it away then maybe it will wake them up.” Perkel is thinking about charging preachers 25 cents every time they say “Reality” and collects money from it.
The issuance of the trademark itself raises religious and philosophical questions. “Maybe I am God?”, Perkel asks. “Isn’t the definition of God he who owns Reality? The United States government has declared me to be the owner of Reality. And if I’m not God, then what was God’s plan to make me the owner of Reality?” Perkel adds, “This has got to mean something!”
Perkel has owned the trademark on Reality for 5 years. During the application for the Reality trademark, and in the 5 years after it was issued, no one has contested the trademark. That is why the trademark office granted Perkel the strongest trademark possible under US law. It would seem that Perkel might be the only person in America that’s interested in Reality. “And isn’t that just a little sad.”, says Perkel.
Marc Perkel
Founder
Church of Reality
“If it’s real, we believe in it!”
DETAILS OF TRADEMARK – yes – I’m not kidding – this is real!
Serial Number: 78735626
Registration Number: 3598515
Registration Date: Mar 31, 2009
Mark: REALITY
Owner: Marc Perkel
Sep 16, 2014
NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE UNDER SECTION 8
The declaration of use or excusable nonuse filed for the above-identified registration meets the requirements of Section 8 of the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. §1058. The Section 8 declaration is accepted.
NOTICE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT UNDER SECTION 15
The declaration of incontestability filed for the above-identified registration meets the requirements of Section 15 of the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. §1065. The Section 15 declaration is acknowledged.
The registration will remain in force for the class(es) listed below for the remainder of the ten-year period, calculated from the registration date, unless canceled by an order of the Commissioner for Trademarks or a Federal Court.
Class(es):
045
TRADEMARK SPECIALIST
POST-REGISTRATION DIVISION
http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=78735626&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=documentSearch
Maybe I’ll sell the trademark on Reality to the Church of Scientology!
So what you are saying is that anytime someone says or uses raelity we get to send you money?
Talk to the squirrel buddy.
Yep – pay me!
https://thepiratebay.se/search/reality/0/99/0
Nice full bore skewering a la Colbert’s forming a pac.
Well done. But kinda like scientology===you can take a joke so far, it becomes “real.” In that fake overblown way.
History has shown that you will eventually have a flock of believers.
If you can convince the caliphate to oppose you, or have a fatwa issued against you, you’ll be golden.
Hmmm…right off the bat, I’d look into contributing my entire “real pay check” to the church as a tax dedecutible charitable contribution, then pay myself some salary as the Poop of the COR. Live in COR provided domicile?
Good pragmatic reason to find religion.
……… and you certainly wouldn’t be unique.
I’m told I’ll need to be martyred before I get noticed. Maybe they will crucify me on a + sign?
no + for you {lucky bastard}….
out the door, line on the left, one alt-tilde each…
I can recall a time when I tried drugs to escape reality. Now, all I need is access to the Internet (and a way to sue people for infringing on my total bullshit copyrights/patents)!
“Church” of reality? Church?! Are you sure that isn’t just another definition for OXYMORON?! Because any church I’ve been to couldn’t be more disconnected with reality than if God himself were running it.
(Are you scratching your head right now? Try this little bit of reality: there is no god.)
Yes – I never said there was a god.
“Goods and Services
For: Counseling in religious and spirtual matters ”
lol
I’m confused. Is Elon Musk this church’s Jimmy Swaggert or its antiChrist?
This is great news, Mr. Perkel! Congratulations on all your work crafting the philosophy / theology of the Church of Reality — it’s a very impressive web site. I first grew aware of your earlier web site (www.perkel.com) through the “People before Lawyers” saga, now you’re First One of a recognized 501(c)3 organization. Upward and onward!
Question: What are members of the church called, Realitarians? This makes more sense to me than becoming one of those radical pirate Pastafarians. 😉
Just Realists – keeping it simple.
Reality changed my life – it can change your’s too!
They’ll be called RoNs — Reality or Nothing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Lazarus#Plot
Extremists? Terrorists? You bet. Could be worse — they could advocate WordPress.
“Just like if I were to call my church Catholic and pass a collection plate I would be infringing on their trademark.”
There are churches that do not recognize the papacy that have the word “Catholic” in their name – for example, several of the Old Catholic churches of the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and North America. These faiths had their start in the 19th century.
““Maybe if I tell everyone that that can’t use the word Reality then they might become more interested in it? If I take it away then maybe it will wake them up.” Perkel is thinking about charging preachers 25 cents every time they say “Reality” and collects money from it.”
The above paragraph sounds like an attempt at enforcing a copyright – not a trademark. There are other trademark holders of Reality. One is in the bottled water field.
Some of the trademark holders spell the word with just capital letters, “REALITY”. Some spell it with just the first letter capitalized, “Reality”.
Are you REALITY®? (Didn’t see the registered trademark symbol in your writings.)
Good point about the ®
Not to be pedantic, I found a typo on your Church of Reality home page. At the underscore you or whomever typed probably heard the “to” in their head but neglected typing the word. I like what I’ve read so far. Very progressive. The mistake is directly before the sentence about right and wrong. Fittingly placed error or just an error in Reality.
“Religion 3.0 is about the authority of evidence. This is a process we call the Evidential Reformation. We attempt __ answer the great questions that other religions address, like what is right and wrong, what is the meaning of life, how do people live together in a community, and what are our responsibilities to ourselves and to each other. We address these concerns in the context of Big History, our present Reality, and our future evolution.”
Ok, I clicked the link to join as a Realist and found a spelling and grammar error link.
Very funny Marc, “The Church of Reality is a non-prophet organization.” I like your sense of humor.