Scientology and the Internet

<p>There are a number of disputes concerning the <a href="/facts/Church_of_Scientology/7ymYWP74">Church of Scientology</a>'s attempts to <a href="/facts/Censorship/gwTgKVuv">suppress material</a> critical of <a href="/facts/Scientology/6U2NeyaG">Scientology</a> and the organization on the <a href="/facts/Internet/Xw1rVvJU">Internet</a>, utilizing various methods – primarily lawsuits and legal threats, as well as <a href="/facts/Front_organization/GehX8Qql">front organizations</a>. In late 1994, the organization began using various legal tactics to stop distribution of unpublished documents written by <a href="/facts/L._Ron_Hubbard/s3h0I2wy">L. Ron Hubbard</a>. The organization has often been accused of <a href="/facts/Barratry_(common_law)/7DbkSgzK">barratry</a> through the filing of <a href="/facts/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation/WVJ9kDef">SLAPP</a> suits. The organization's response is that its litigious nature is solely to protect its <a href="/facts/Copyright/7GHEWEx9">copyrighted</a> works and the <a href="/facts/Trade_secret/VgJ1cAz5">unpublished status</a> of certain documents.
</p><p>Various critics of the Church of Scientology have characterized the organization as a <a href="/facts/Confidence_trick/1XNPz6wR">confidence scam</a> and say that these secretive writings are proof, or that they contain evidence that the organization's medical practices are <a href="/facts/Law/luzxWkg0">illegal</a> and <a href="/facts/Fraudulent/VyU68aBy">fraudulent</a>. Scientology has been convicted of <a href="/facts/Fraud/VyU68aBy">fraud</a> in the courts of several nations, although not those of the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>. Others have said that the organization is <a href="/facts/Copyright_misuse/bDz3dMHs">abusing copyright law</a> by launching lawsuits against outspoken critics.
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Scientology and the Internet open-in-new

Scientology and the Internet