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Let’s get ready to ruuuummmbbbbblllleeeee!
You knew this was coming, right? It’s endemic — someone makes a big splash publicity-wise, makes a lot of money and quicker than you can say bada-bing — people line up to sue and claim it was stolen from them.
Such is the case heating up between ”The Secret’s” Rhonda Byrne and alleged rippee Vanessa Bonnette. Allegedly (and I’m really stressing that word for reasons soon to be made clear), Bonnette sent Byrne’s employer a promo copy of her book “Empowered for the New Era” (zzzzzzzz . . .) and shortly thereafter, Byrne released her DVD that (allegedly) plagiarized Bonnette’s book.
I’m not going to go into it all, because I’m losing interest in rib-kicking “The Secret” hucksters. They’re down, their day has moved on and I think it’s high time I did the same. At least that was my stance until I saw this latest ripple in “The Secret” pond.
I saw that my friend “Cosmic Connie” is hard on the case like the diligent skeptical inquirer she is, so I’m just gonna send you over there to read her commentary. But come back here, because I ain’t anywhere near done with this mess.
Okay, now you’re up to speed about Bonnette’s claims and what Connie’s take on the issue is. I was . . . unimpressed (with Bonnette’s claims) . Bonnette’s claims have more holes in them than Minnelli’s Cabaret garters.
I started a short comment on Connie’s blog, but it kept growing and growing until I maxxed out her Comments field. So I moved it here to my blog. Here’s what I wrote . . . and then some.
Sue Happy
Connie,
I don’t know about Bonnette’s claims. She sent me what seemed to be comment spam a couple of weeks ago, and after going to her site and looking it over for the “facts” of her case (at least as she presents them), I deleted it. And when I say “facts” that loud popping sound you heard was me removing my tongue from cheek.
Look, I have a couple of Joseph Murphy books around here somewhere that contain the LOA, “the secret” and other choice Bonnette-copyrighted keywords. In fact, if I recall correctly, one of those brainwave entrainment gals did a “The Secret” trance CD and she virtually lifted a chapter from one of Murphy’s books for content.
It contained all those words (and more) that Bonnette uses to “prove” Byrne stole from her. Does that mean Murphy can make a legitimate claim that Byrne and Bonnette ripped him (or his estate) off?
Hardly.
And as a copywriter and direct response marketer, heck, we’ve been using “the secret” and “secrets of . . .” in our copy since the early 60’s. Why? Because, to the human mind, the word “secret” invokes curiosity to learn more. And readers sate that curiosity by reading more and then buying more.
So, following Bonnette’s reasoning, should the grandfathers of modern direct marketing be able to challenge Byrne and Bonnette, as well?
Apparently Bonnette thinks so because she said this on her site: “Even the title “The Secret” is found in my book i.e. “the secrets of your soul”, “the secrets to God’s gifts”, “the secrets to life” etc.
Yeah, and in a lot of other books as well, princess. Last I heard you can’t copyright nor trademark words in the common parlance. And even if you could, you didn’t. End of that story.
And just because the media is interested in her take on events, doesn’t prove her claims. They just sense a story and all they’re after are the sensationalistic aspects of the conflict and that should not be construed as an endorsement — which seems to be the way she’s spinning this.
Now Connie, you know that I’m no “Secretron,” right? Nor am I a Bonnette-ette. I care little for the lack of science in Byrne’s film and even less so for info-product sausage makers like Vitale and ilk.
But after examining Bonnette’s mid-90’s styled website, complete with CGA cyan blues and hot pinks and slopping over with talk of angels and her “new era” . . . I can’t help but wonder why her angels didn’t shield her from this, or at least see it coming and give her a divine heads-up.
Looks like in addition to a case based on provable evidence, she needs some new guardian angels since the others were off not-guardianing. That, and a legitimate hardcopy of her (allegedly) out of print book wouldn’t hurt. Bonnette claims she sent a promo copy of her book to where Byrne worked.
Can she prove that? Putting a copy of that delivery receipt online for the world to see would go a long way to making her claims more credible.
Have You Now Or Have You Ever Been . . .
That being said, if any one of us were put under the white-hot spotlight of scrutiny any public figure undergoes, I doubt many would fare better than the hapless Byrne. I know I wouldn’t and I don’t know of anyone who’d be able to stand upright after one of those public life prostate exams.
Perhaps, the true reason Bonnette won’t throw-down in court with Byrne is that she knows what I’ve deduced from the lightest investigation — she (Bonnette) has no case.
Were she to take this up in a court of law, the burden of proof would fall on her shoulders to prove copyright infringement and plagiarism. And I’m pretty clear she can’t do that.
So what does she do? She tries the case in the court of public opinion. Burden of proof is lighter there.
So the question I’m still left with is this: is what she claims true and can she prove it? Or is this all a convenient case of retroconning (going back and rewriting history to suit the current take on ‘the facts’)?
For me, Bonnette lost her underdog patina before she ever had a chance to acquire it and therefore, for all her “eternally one in divinity” sig lines, I think she might be fudging this one a bit.
Gotta go. The Celestial Ones are here for my 1 a.m. spongebath.
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By Walter |
Topics: Pet Peeves |
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Comments
That being said, if any one of us were put under the white-hot spotlight of scrutiny any public figure undergoes, I doubt many would fare better than the hapless Byrne. I know I wouldn’t and I don’t know of anyone who’d be able to stand upright after one of those public life prostate exams.
June 1st, 2007 at 9:13 am
Walter, I’m sorry for my part in keeping both your and my interest in The Secret alive, although the entire Secret phenomenon probably should have been taken out behind the barn and put out of our misery months ago. I keep meaning to write about something else… but this stuff just keeps hitting the fan — even though, as you so aptly put it not too long ago, the Secret train has left the station.
OTOH, the book is still way up there on the bestseller lists, as is the DVD… go figure.
Anyway, you did make some good points. And I really don’t have a stake in Vanessa being right about her allegations, though I did want to present her side, as I’d promised her I would do. (BTW, I agree with you about the design challenges on her web site.) At any rate, I kept my promise to her and I am only too happy to present another P.O.V. As you may already have seen, I placed a link to this post on my blog. Thanks for helping keep things balanced.
June 1st, 2007 at 9:50 am
Even though The Secret train left the station, it wrecked a few miles down the track and like you Connie, I find that interesting. Since I know you’re a no-nonsense kinda gal, I like reading your anaylsis of these events, whether I agree with it or not. I’m always up for a spirited tussle.
I’m glad you presented Bonnette’s side, now we all have a more balanced POV on the secrets behind The Secret. As the saying goes (and you’ll undoubtedly know it’s source), “Understanding is a three-edged sword. There’s your side . . . their side . . . and the truth in between.”
Keep keepin’ it real, Connie. I’m a committed reader.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:56 am
Amazing what you can find on the road to enlightenment. You both have made some really good points. Especially the three edged sword. So many get caught up in the lanslide of all the newage whooey. Really folks how many times can they repackage information from Plato, or Hermes,or the Essenes and all the others and pass it off as new. Talk to a local Freemason and ask their take on the secret, or heh a Rosicrucian.I feel a rant coming on so I’ll go, oh after I bookmark this site too, thanks.
June 6th, 2007 at 3:32 am
Hi all,
I would really prefer it if everyone could check the facts before making some very ignornant statements about my case. Granted, most people couldn’t “give a hoot” and I accept that. But ask anyone how’d they’d feel by “walking a mile in my shoes” is all I ask i.e. a woman has made in excess of (currently) $60m from my work and I can’t do anything about it… really, how would you feel and wouldn’t you be wanting to at least put some facts out for others to judge for themselves? I’m currently in Singapore but I have offered to anyone the 10 A4 pages of citations which are a page by page comaprison of both books stating the copyright infringements. I return first week of July if you’re interested.
Sincere blessings,
Vanessa Bonnette
===================================================
Walter says:
I address Ms. Bonnette’s comments in a separate blog post. Read it here: http://roicopy.com/2007/06/11/allegedly-ripped-off-author-takes-a-swing-at-me/