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Copyright Lawsuit: Defenses Glorifying the Aga Khan filed in federal Court - 2010-04-29

Date: 
Thursday, 2010, April 29
Location: 
Source: 
Heritage News
20100429-court-filings.jpg

In a surprisingly rapid twist of events, both Mr Tajdin and Mr Jiwa have filed their respective statements of Defense this 29th of April 2010. They affirm to being devoted followers who will unconditionally abide by the wishes of the Aga Khan, whom they glorify in their defense.

Mr Tajdin declares that:

He has not been served yet but the ethics imposed upon him by his faith demands that he should not keep in ignorance the public by being silent on the issue and should clarify all of the facts, pertaining to this lawsuit, of which he is aware.

He reaffirms his allegiance to the Aga Khan, is willing to submit to any of his wishes, and is ready to surrender himself and all his possessions to the Imam.

He has been printing Farman books since 1992 with approval and instructions from the Imam received on August 15, 1992 in Montreal.

He has not received any communication from the Imam from 1992 to 2009 instructing him to stop publication.

He cannot stop publication without instruction from the Imam as this would be a breach of his oath of allegiance to the Imam.

All Farman publications were financial deficit projects done as a volunteer service and large numbers of books were distributed free of charge.

Farman sharing is a historic Ismaili tradition which still continues today.

The current Ismaili Constitution does not restrict the right to publish Farmans

Mr Tajdin concludes that:

He has no choice but to await further direct instructions from the Imam.

He reaffirms his allegiance to the Aga Khan, is willing to submit to any of His wishes, and is ready to surrender himself and all his possessions to the Imam.

Mr Jiwa states that:

"This action does not appear to have been authorized personally by the Aga Khan .."

"In distributing Farman books obtained from Tajdin to other Ismailis, he has not violated either the Ismaili Constitution or any Farmans"

He has not violated the copyright act as "Tajdin was given express authority by the Imam" and regardless of the fact that "the limitations period provided for by the Copyright Act also bars this action as the books containing the Farmans were commenced publication in the year 1992", he will still do whatever the Imam tells him to do.

Mr Jiwa clarifies finances:

He "obtains these books for C$50.00 and sells them for C$50.00 or gives them free, without any profit.

"All monies received by him from the sale of (other) books after 2005 were delivered to the Jamatkhanas"

Mr Jiwa further states that:

"If the Imam edited the Farman before releasing to the Jamats, in effect he is superceding the Farman he made orally previously."

He "unconditionally reconfirms his oath of allegiance to his Imam" and "if the Imam does not desire his Farman books to be distributed to the Jamats (...) this defendant will submit to the instructions of His Imam without reservation whatsoever"

Replies From the Plaintiff are due within 10 days, and Affidavits of Documents are due 30 days later.

[Update from May 6: Ogilvy Renault, the law firm which launched the case has asked for an extension of 15 days to reply to the Defense. They claim delays due to breakdown of email servers, blackberry communication, travel of senior lawyer, time difference with Paris etc...The more delays in this file, the more damage it creates to the reputation of the Ismaili community, the Imam and the defendants. It is to the advantage of all parties that this case be withdrawn from the courts.]

[Update from June 22: Defendants have filed a Motion for summary Judgement to have the case dismissed.]

[Update from September 5:
Online Book that gathers court materials as well as articles that are currently available for the ongoing 2010 Lawsuit:

Copyright Lawsuit 2010: Online Book of All available Materials
News on cross-examinations:
Copyright Lawsuit: CROSS_EXAMINATIONS Table of Contents - 2010-09-04
Latest Development
Copyright Lawsuit: Imam Appears for Discovery and Ends the Case - 2010-10-15
As users are asking to read the letters from Nagib and Alnaz on the court docket, the latest have been attached on the following link:
A. Various Court Filings

Revised Factums have been posted Here:
2010-11-29 Summary Judgment : Plaintiffs Revised Combined Factums of Reply and of Motion
2010-11-29 Summary Judgment: Defendants' Revised Factums of Motion and of Reply

There has been proven fraud in the recent past in the Aga Khan's domain by the Aga Khan's agents:
Aga Khan Lawsuit: Fraud at Aga Khan Studs - 2000-02-22

2011-05-25: A Jamati Member who has never met the Defendants volunteered as his brotherly duty to pay the $30,000 that was demanded in the Plaintiff''s submissions and that was accordingly ordered by the judge.
Read the full details of the $30,000 payment directly to H.H. The Aga Khan.

2011-06-16: The Appeal Memorandum of Fact and Law against the Summary Judgment has been filed in court by the defendants on June 16th, 2011.
Read the Full Appeal Memorandum of Fact and Law

Link to Court Docket Case T-514-10
Link to Court Docket Appeal A-60-11
Link to Court Docket Appeal A-59-11
Link to Court Docket Appeal A-156-13

Latest News Comments

AttachmentSize
Tajdin Defence Apr 29.10.pdf491.02 KB
Jiwa AK Defence Apr 29.10.pdf543.82 KB

Comments

My reply in general on certain recent points ...!

Dear All - Ya Ali Madad - We are right in finding out / submitting , faults of our leaders - it is one side of coin - another side is jamat/s , are we in position to take pride , in attitude of jamat/s in their duties also , forget india , in international level also ?, let us see that leaders are not doing their duty , but are jamats doing their duty ? or suppose , if one , who , as an ismaili only ( non leader - and there are so many ) , is ready to do any thing / every thing , for jamat/s , then is / are jamats ready to speak a few words only , in appraisal / appreciations , of that non leader working for jamats or take note of him even ? mine is the life time experience / as well as learnt from experiences of others also , so many things , but it is duty of jamats , also to encourage , who works for jamats ..... no doubt , Imam knows any working of any worker , on duty or non duty ....... i was replyless , during my/our meeting with NC President , the present RC President of western india ( former Darkhana Mukhisaheb also ) , on 11 / 4 / 2012 , when he cross examined me , on the issue of , making arrangements of Gym , facilities for jamat/s , ( which according to me is must ), he asked me , that , mansoorbhai , are you sure , that , if gym facilities arranged , jamats will definitely come for ?, how many are coming to jk regularly or non regularly even ?..........i dont blame jamats in general , but , that , RC President was well aware of NAAD of jamats ........according to me jamats should / must remain first present regularly in morning / evening jk time , rights start with duties , we are having enough reasons for not going to jk - but if doctor says to get admitted in hospital ( for number of days even ) , we will not waste a moment then !

........in india , i should not give name of that village in saurashtra , but a boss , in society , when comes jk , sits behind m/k sit , looks , in line for taubo - taubo , if that boss found any person not suiting with him , will order m/k , not to accept his taubo taubo , and he then gets redirected by m/k......m/k can't entertain anything against order of boss .... .

............so far as the percentage of poors in our jamats are concerned in india , i challenge figure of 20% ..... in fact it is 80% , .....15 % middle , and 5 % rich ( mostly leaders - past or present )....hardly somebody knows even , MHI has provided us with our constitution , and it is there in existence in india , sorry , it was there in existence in india ..... because , now , since long , our constitution , is not available from any where in india , NA RAHE BAANS , NA BAJE BAANSOORI , .......leaders in india , since long back , hiding the real figure , just to get WAH WAH and to get chance of reappointment only , from / by Aiglemont ....... in fact , from India , for any information provided to aiglemont , there is no base , only like reported by sky vision visit from helicopter and reported , not any report from ground , so such reports are , reported to make a show only , ground realities are different , i challenge , out of 100 rupees , allotted for india jamats , hardly , 10 % , reaching to / for in direct touch with jamats ,...... other 90% , either , few managed in the name of administrative expenses , remaining going in the pockets of those , who can digest them .....and dear bloglaw , for me now question of farmans /ginans is there but main question is of establishment of system . through world jamats , i see if done during meetings , as they have promised , to respond fairly on submissions , otherwise , there are techniques also ( in legal ways only ) , if required to use , then , on use of which , SS / MM , will have to rush to India , to provide Ginans / Farmans etc ........i just came from , morning j/k ..... for the whole night , i was awaking... up to 3/45 am , on laptop for jamati works e mails , then jk ....then again here writing this post ......so i take permission to sleep for a while .... next again .....thank you .....ya ali madad ....!


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