4th of May, 1997
Dear Peter, After exactly 5 years in 1992, copyright story between Breeze and us got new chapter. Jasmina Bogdanovic, chief of Yugoslav (Serbian) OTO tried to ask Jovan Milenkovic from biggest rights agency in Belgrade (also biggest for Eastern Europe) to start copyrights process against us. Milenkovic refuse and said that he don't know who is Jasmina. After this she involved Breeze in whole thing and Mr. Milenkovic got his fax, which I enclosed to you down (together with contract,7 pages). I orally explained to Milenkovic complexity of Crowley copyright situation and we agreed that I write letter which he will send by fax to Breeze (who calling each 3 days by phone from Texas to Milenkovic to ask what's new in this). I wrote long answer, which is also enclosed to you at the end of this E-mail message. With this I wanted to completely inform you about this new events in this sad story. I think that you will have great fun, specially because he also wants to suit you (paragraph 4 in his letter). Please, inform me of all interesting events regarding this. Also, we didn't get your last 3 books, 7th, 8th, and 9th - we only got your last E-mail information about publishing your last, 9th book.
Please, send us one copy of those 3 new titles. Publishing of your OTO-Phenomen is finally very close, I think after all delays it will be at summer 97. We just published Secret rituals of OTO, first 2 Grant titles, and some new Crowley, Regardie and other authors. I will send you copies by airmail. Our publishing house is working very good now, with about 100 new titles per year. Many regards also from Maja & others. I hope that your health is good. Vladimir Madic PS. Milenkovic photocopy for me letter of Breeze, but without his signature, for reason that I can not use it as document. At the end of his letter, after sincerely, you could see that Milenkovic covered his signature with white paper. I wrote his name.
MY ANSWER [to Breeze's letter]
PERMISSIONS & RIGHTS PRAVA I PREVODI Koste Jovanovi}a 18 Belgrade, YU 26. 04. 1997.
Dear Mr. Milenkovic, I'm writing you this letter as answer on Mr. Breeze fax from April 9, 1997. On our meeting we agreed that you send him by fax my answer, so this letter is written more for Mr. Breeze than to you, because I explained you orally situation and my opinion about this matter. This is the reason why I'm writing on English. My opinion is mostly based on information's that I got from our friend Peter Konig from Switzerland. He is today one of the best investigators of 20th century occult history, including history of OTO over documents. He published it in Germany in several titles, which we will also publish here on our language. My first contact with Konig was in 1992, when I exchanged 2 letters with Mr. Breeze regarding same Crowley copyrights, like as now. At my long letter of May 5, 1992, I offered to Mr. Breeze several propositions, but he never answered me, until present demand. After this, I contacted Mr. Konig, and he suggested me how to react about Crowley copyrights. (I gave copy of this letter to you, Mr. Milenkovic). I will try not to go into details more than it is necessary.
Shortly, because unclear document situation after Crowley death in 1947, and after death of his successor Karl Germer in 1962, New York OTO branch HAS NO copyrights for Crowley works in Europe. Good example and confirmation of this Crowley copyright chaos is that publishers in England and in Germany are publishing Crowley titles without paying royalties to anyone, specially not to Mr. Breeze OTO (Several OTO organizations are also exist in today's world - in Switzerland, England, Brazil etc.). On court suit in Germany, OTO versus German publisher (even not about copyrights), OTO lost. Mr Breeze knows very well this situation, but he's trying again and again with threatening, but unsuccessfully. Also, some Crowley copyrights are with Mr. Symonds in London, and maybe with some other individuals or organizations throughout world, and some Crowley titles are, as also Mr. Breeze said, in public domain, which all together making complete chaos of Crowley copyrights. For all this reasons, I suggest to you, Mr. Milenkovic, not to agree to represent OTO in Eastern Europe. There are also some Italian, Check, Russian, and maybe Polish, Spanish and probably some other editions of Crowley titles, which are also not agreed with Mr. Breeze.
Also, their demanded 10-14% royalties are out of every discussion, because most of today royalties are 6-8%. In his present demand to us, important role has Jasmina Bogdanovic. This is small digression, but I have to write to Mr. Breeze what I think about her, because she probably push him to write this demand and she caused this present discussion because of her publishing ambitions. In publishing area (I will not discus about her other capabilities) she is very incapable, because she have done in publishing Crowley works less than 10% of what we have done here. Similar situation is with Oliver Legradic from Slovenia. Publishing of Crowley titles demand real, big publishers, not incapable individuals, whose publishing ambitions have not base in their capabilities. We met Jasmina several times, when she tried to stop us in publishing Crowley with threatening, also she tried to get some money or books for imagined royalties, but unsuccessfully. I explained her that if she suit us here on court, she has no chance, because Yugoslav OTO is not legally registered as organization here, and that she will only loose money for lawyers (money which she hasn't). She could only be angry in her impotence.
Also, there is big campaign in Yugoslav media in last several years against OTO as satanic organization, caused by Orthodox Church. As Crowley publishers our publishing reputation was also have been damaged, so we are angry on OTO for this situation. If Jasmina or OTO try to suit us, we will use all our media power to present our Publishing House as victim of OTO. Regarding upper, I will repeat what I wrote to Mr. Breeze in my letter from 1992: Without false modesty, my opinion is that we have done for spreading out Thelemic, New Aeon energies, Crowley's teachings more than most of YU-O.T.O. members together, in last 8 years. I 'm just trying to be realistic, because you Mr. Breeze, as a Publisher, know the valuable of publishing Thelemic publications for growing up International O.T.O. The results and fruits of our work will be known maybe just for several years. If you and HQ would persist in opinion that our popularization of Crowley teachings, O.T.O. and Thelema are making damage to Order, I will accept your demand to stop with publishing Crowley materials. It would be very great loosing, not just for "Esotheria" and O.T.O. but for all people all over (old) Yugoslavia, who is expecting our future Telemic projects.
Also, leader of Norway OTO was very surprised why we nave been expelled from OTO before several years, because we have done so much in publishing Crowley titles. He even sent to Belgrade his mission (one member) to investigate the truth. Also, maybe main thing is that before my expiation from OTO I have had good will to cooperate with NY OTO, but after that moment, I'm not see any reason why to cooperate with somebody who already expelled me because we didn't agreed about some imaginary royalties. Now, I will answer to Mr. Breeze point by point on demands from his letter: 1. Only thing that we could eventually discuss is regarding our publishing of Thoth Tarot Deck. I don't know details about copyrights of it, but Mr. Breeze also must approve that he has copyrights for Crowley Tarot, specially for Europe. I doubt that copyright situation about Crowley Tarot is different than about books, so maybe Mr. Breeze on some magic way convince AGMuller to pay him royalties. I said this because we got offer from Belgium to print for us Crowley Tarot, but without demand to show them or arrange copyrigts to them.
Anyway, we are ready to cooperate with AGMuller on printing of Crowley and maybe some other Tarot decks, if we conclude that this is necessary for us (we need best print for Tarot decks). Regarding Greek bootleg, I even didn't know for it - we don't cooperate with anyone outside Yugoslavia in publishing area. 2. We are always trying to make best translations of Crowley works, like for all our other titles, but specially for Crowley, because he was Master of language. It is not necessary that anyone check it (we doing it), specially not somebody like Jasmina Bogdanovic. Dear Mr. Breeze, you are free to compare all our Crowley editions to editions published by Oliver or Jasmina, and you could find enormous difference in professionalism regarding translations, and specially equipment of books - covers, computer preparation of text etc. Publishing House ESOTHERIA is the best choice for publishing Crowley works in Yugoslavia (and maybe some other countries), to represent Crowley as he deserves - as best as possible, and you know that we already approve this with his 10 titles we published. We are one of biggest publishers here now, not even amongst esoteric publishers, but in generally, with 100 new titles per year. 3. Not comments. 4.
Secret rituals of OTO are just published. Titles of Peter Konig will be publish soon. No one of these titles are not including any materials for which copyrights holds Breeze. Francis King wrote in his introduction how he got these initiations. All complaints to books written by Mr. Konig, Mr. Breeze have to discus directly to Mr. Konig, and not to threat us if we publish his books. Konig gave us copyright to us to publish here his books (9 titles till now) and we are as publisher responsible only to him. This is not our fault if Mr. Breeze is not satisfied with some of these titles and publishing in it documentary investigated materials that he is not what he wants to be, but our duty is not to fulfill his wishes. 5. Only point where we fulfilled his wish is that we canceled publishing of Jack Parsons book. Main reason is small interest among our customers for it. If you Mr. Milenkovic or Mr. Breeze wants to communicate with us faster, you could use our Internet E-mail address: esother@Eunet.yu, or fax numbers 602-368 or 558-275. Sincerely yours, Vladimir Madic, edit.
