YELM, Wash., July 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, July 19, 2013, Judge Gary Tabor of the Thurston County Superior Court in Washington awarded $600,021 in attorney's fees and court costs to JZK, Inc. as the prevailing party in its lawsuit against Virginia Coverdale, case no. 12-2-02241-8, for illegally disseminating proprietary videos on YouTube without permission.
Last month, Judge Tabor granted summary judgment in favor of JZK, Inc., disagreeing with Coverdale's interpretation of the law.
JZK, Inc. operates Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE). Virginia Coverdale is a former student of RSE. JZK, Inc.'s attorney, Jeffrey Grant, said, "The legal effort devoted to this case reflects the value of the teachings of RSE to the thousands of students who have enjoyed their benefit and were offended and hurt by Defendant Coverdale's conduct."
"RSE's efforts to protect its proprietary material were reasonable and necessary, both because of the value of the material and the plethora of obstacles hurled by Defendant Coverdale as part of her misguided campaign to injure the school," Grant said.
"It saddens me to see anyone burdened by an enormous debt but that is the law," said JZ Knight, President of JZK, Inc. "This case could have been over last November. Instead, Virginia chose to raise a host of reasons why she should not be accountable for posting our videos."
Prior to filing the lawsuit in October 2012, RSE wrote a letter to Coverdale telling her to cease her online dissemination of RSE's materials. That letter expressly reminded Coverdale she would be responsible for the reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred by JZK, Inc. in connection with the enforcement of the agreement she had signed. The letter was ignored.
After a preliminary injunction was granted to JZK, Inc. in November 2012, Coverdale filed eleven affirmative defenses and four counterclaims with the Court.
"The law gave her those options. We had to defend our contract, our business, and our reputation against her attacks," Knight said. "Winning on summary judgment is rare, but when it happens it saves everyone the greater costs of a jury trial."
In making his summary judgment ruling in June, Judge Tabor stated he had reviewed the case in great detail the day prior to the hearing. Because of the amount of thought Tabor expended in considering his decision from all viewpoints, Knight said it is unlikely Coverdale "will win if she appeals. And if she does appeal, her costs will increase even more."
The current judgment is already accruing interest at about $200 per day. If Coverdale continues hercampaign and pursues an appeal, JZK, Inc. has the right to ask for attorney'sfees on appeal. If Coverdale pursues her appeal in the same way she conducted her case before the trial court, those fees could become significant as they did in the trial court.
About Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE) was established in 1988 by Ramtha the Enlightened One as an academy of the mind that offers Retreats and Workshops to participants from all over the world and from all walks of life. Using ancient wisdom and the latest discoveries in neuroscience and quantum physics, RSE teaches students how to access the extraordinary abilities of the brain to "Become a Remarkable Life®." Ramtha's teachings are not a religion. They offer a unique perspective from which to view the mystery of life. Ramtha is a legendary Master Teacher who mastered his own humanity centuries ago and returned in our modern times to tell his story and teach us what he learned. Ramtha communicates his wisdom by channeling through the body of JZ Knight. The campus sits on 80 acres of pastoral, lush grounds and towering evergreens in Yelm, Washington. RSE facilitates live events and internet streaming in ten languages. For more information, please visitwww.ramtha.com.
Contact:
Rob Wynne, 310.540.7204, rob@wynnepr.com
SOURCE Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
