Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt01149)

Carlos, 

You made this comment:

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But, did you help Algeo steal John Cooper's work on "HPB Letters" ?
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Nope, I didn't steal anything.  

I simply gave input, advice and feedback to TPH/John Algeo about 
HPB's letters just as I had given similar input to John Cooper.  The 
other members of the editorial  committee also gave input, some of 
which I saw, other material of  which I never saw.  

You continue:

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Has, Algeo then, and has the TPH-USA unlegitimate copyrights, as 
Gregory Tillett has told us?
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I have no idea if Tillett is right about this (that is, if this is 
what Tillett acutally claims.)

Boris de Zirkoff had certain copyrights on the letters he collected 
and the huge letters manuscript he had composed.  TPH/TS Wheaton had 
certain copyrights on this material as it was given to them at Boris' 
death.  I assume John Cooper had certain copyrights on his 
contributions.  If there are conflicts between these parties or their 
heirs/families, etc. then this is something maybe that should have 
been determined in a court of law.

I have no opinion on the matter since I never saw John Cooper's 
contract with TPH.  I never had access to all the legal opinions, 
etc. that may have been offered on one side or the other.  I did read 
some of the material emanating from both sides, including what Dara 
Eklund told me but had no means to determine what was what.  

I do know that I shared one opinion and goal with Dara Eklund.  We 
both wanted to see HPB's letters published.... so that interested 
readers and students could have access to them.

If I had been in charge of the letters project, I would have first 
published ALL of the  600 plus letters of HPB with no 
commentary..period.  Just to get them out in the public domain 
instead of them coming out over the next 10 or 20 or 30 years.  Then 
maybe a volume of commentary could have been added later.  That might 
have been my approach if I was in charge...but I wasn't in charge.

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Are these embarassing questions to you, and so you evade answering 
them?
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Nope these are not embarassing questions and I'm not evading 
answering them.  

It is just that you assume this that and the other without apparently 
knowing any thing firm.  And your questions have been so vague and 
loaded that it would be hard to answer them unless you clarified them 
and reworded them in a more objective and neutral way.

Furthermore, you write:

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Tell us all what is the truth in your view; and let us know if you 
believe dr. G. Tillett is wrong in that.
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I have no idea what the truth is.  Dara and I discussed this aspect 
way back.  I know that Dara wanted the letters published because she 
had been the executor of Boris de Zirkoff's estate and all the 
letters and work that Boris had done on the letters was given to TS 
Wheaton/TPH Wheaton for eventual publication.  She wanted that 
material published.  I shared her view in this regards.

I have always had friendly correspondence/email with both Dr. Algeo 
and Dr. Tillett.  But I do NOT know either one of them on a personal 
level.  I have never met either one of them.  Have only corresponded 
with them about Theosophical historical subjects.

My only desire was to see that the HPB letters were eventually 
published instead of being delayed indefinitely due to various 
conflicting claims, etc. etc.

Daniel
http://hpb.cc