Religious Technology Center

The powerful technologies of Dianetics and Scientology provide nothing less than the means to attain true spiritual freedom and immortality for everyone who begins the journey toward that goal. Such technology has never existed before, and millions around the world personally regard it as valuable beyond comparison. They know that when this technology is applied precisely as written by L. Ron Hubbard—and with their honest and ethical participation—they will achieve the spiritual benefit they seek through Scientology 100 percent of the time.

Religious Technology Center (RTC) exists to ensure that this can occur. Its purpose is to protect the public from misapplication of the technology and to see that the religious technologies of Dianetics and Scientology remain in proper hands and are properly ministered.

Monitoring and enforcing the purity of technical application and guaranteeing standard administration is no small task. Historically, every religion has experienced periods during which growth has met with alterations of religious doctrine and practice and even outright derailment from the initial mission. Spiritual movements and religious denominations throughout the ages have suffered the destructive influences of infighting and struggles for power.

RTC’s purpose is to protect the public from misapplication of the technology and to see that the religious technologies of Dianetics and Scientology remain in proper hands and are properly ministered.

Past religious teachings, traditionally passed down by word of mouth or recorded by scribes, were subject to both alteration and misinterpretation. In contrast, 20th-century technological advances facilitated the permanent recording of Scientology Scripture in books, tape-recorded lectures and films. Because the original writings and recordings by Mr. Hubbard can always be examined and verified, the technology, in truth, can never be lost. Yet despite the emergence of Scientology in an era of technological advances, the religion and its Churches have nonetheless encountered the nemesis of alteration and reinterpretation that has plagued other religions.

Fortunately, coincident with advances in communication, bodies of copyright and trademark law have been developed and used to guard even religious scriptures and symbols from misuse and alteration. It is this fundamental function of protecting the Scientology religion’s trademarks and advanced religious Scripture that Religious Technology Center provides. It is a function that guarantees the purity and workability of Scientology far into the future.

Initially, Mr. Hubbard personally oversaw the orthodox practice of Scientology. As an integral part of that endeavor, he also registered as legally protectable trademarks many of the religion’s identifying words and symbols, such as Dianetics and Scientology. These registered marks provided a legal mechanism for ensuring that the Scientology religious technologies are standardly ministered in exact accordance with the Scripture and not altered by misappropriation or improper use. They also provided a legal mechanism to prevent anyone from offering some altered or inauthentic version of Dianetics and Scientology and representing it as the real technology.

Because the original writings and recordings by Mr. Hubbard can always be examined and verified, the technology, in truth, can never be lost.

In 1982, Mr. Hubbard donated these religious marks to the newly formed Religious Technology Center and entrusted that Church with the responsibility of protecting the Scientology religion by enforcing the pure and ethical use and standard application of his technologies. RTC thus maintains the purity of the technology and guards against any misuse or misrepresentation by legally registering and, where necessary, enforcing certain words and symbols of the Scientology religion as trademarks and service marks in countries the world over.

It is RTC that grants Church of Scientology International (CSI), the Mother Church of the Scientology religion, the right to use the trademarks and to license their use to all other Scientology Churches. Without CSI’s written authority and RTC’s ultimate approval, no entity can legally use the marks or call itself a Church of Scientology. With all Scientology Churches bound to minister Dianetics and Scientology Technologies in full compliance with their trademark licenses, the entire hierarchy up to the Church of Scientology International is self-correcting and ensures pure and orthodox Scientology.

In contrast, RTC investigates any departures from that standard administration and ensures that orthodoxy is restored. It also ensures that no individual or group misrepresents itself and offers an altered technology while calling it Dianetics or Scientology.