November 30, 1999

Dear Readers of The Urantia Book,

            Many of you are aware that Mr. Harry McMullan III has published and is now distributing all but the first paper of Part IV of The Urantia Book as a separate volume.  This publication, with Salvador Dalí’s painting of Christ of St. John of the Cross on the cover, bears the title Jesus—A New Revelation. 

All efforts, on our part and on the part of numerous individuals, to avoid a confrontation with Mr. McMullan have been unsuccessful.  Mr. McMullan’s actions leave us with no choice but to defend the copyright in The Urantia Book through the United States legal system.  The Trustees have filed suit to enjoin the Michael Foundation, Inc. (which was established by Mr. McMullan and which publishes Jesus—A New Revelation) from its continued infringement of the copyright in The Urantia Book. This was a unanimous decision.  In spite of this action, we are willing to continue to engage in dialogue to reach an amicable resolution if Mr. McMullan is willing.

We feel that failure on our part to defend the copyright in The Urantia Book would be a violation of our duty and our trust, to deliver The Urantia Book to the world as it was delivered to us by the Revelatory Commission—as a complete and integrated whole.  The Foundation’s copyright in The Urantia Book makes possible the preservation of the inviolate text for the next fifty years.  By that time, quality translations will be available so the majority of the world’s peoples can read the book in their native language. Failure to defend the copyright would place the translation project at risk, prematurely frustrating our attempts to deliver high quality, accurate translations to our non-English speaking fellows.  This we cannot risk.  After the copyright expires, the inviolate text will be identifiable by the registered marks: “URANTIA” and the Concentric-Circles Symbol.  These too must be protected.

If the Foundation fails to defend the copyright, there are individuals waiting to use, misuse, and abuse the text. Without the protection of copyright law during these years of the infancy of the revelation, distorted and fragmented text could reach the world, with bits and pieces of truth commingled with error or distortion, resulting in further confusion for Urantia. We doubt that even those who believe little harm may come from this separate publication would be pleased with the result were the Foundation to surrender its copyright in The Urantia Book.

            There is much that readers can do to disseminate the teachings of The Urantia Book besides publish the book.  Reader activities complement the Foundation’s publishing and translation activities.  We can work together cooperatively and in harmony.  The fifth epochal revelation is a preparation for the sixth epochal revelation, and each of us has a responsibility to participate in preparing the soil for the implantation of this next epochal revelation.

We ask all readers to join us in supporting translations, printing, and worldwide distribution and in disseminating the supernal teachings of the book to our fellow man. Donated funds earmarked for projects such as these are not used on lawsuits.  Let us move forward together as a unified, cooperative body of readers for the sake of the future stability of our young movement and for the sake of the Urantia Revelation.

Sincerely,

The Trustees of Urantia Foundation