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570 wordsrevised 2015-08-01

Note: This is the translation of a contract, which was written by AAWS's attorney in German language February 4th, 1998. Pressure was put on an AA member to sign it. When he was ready to sign it Feb15, 1998 AAWS refused and their attorney called the accused AA member added further requests. Thus the situation remains unresolved. Because they found nothing wrong police and other authorities have already stopped meanwhile some of the seven criminal investigations brought against this AA member by the AAWS attorney. If such kind of contract would be presented to you -- would you sign it?
Contract between

[full name and address of a certain AA member, in the following text replaced by "m"]

and

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., represented by George Dorsey, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115, here represented by attorney Frieder Roth, Gewurzmuhlstr. 5, 80538 Munich, [Germany]
-- herein called "AAWS" --

1. Mr. "m" does commit himself in respect of AAWS to

r e f r a i n f r o mmanufacturing and/or passing on of AA literature, which is published by AAWS, AA Grapevine Inc. and/or national service offices of AA now or in the future, nor to engage in any such activities of third persons.

This includes the commitment

  • not to purchase such literature from AAWS itself
  • or from any other sources [editors note: local Intergroups, Hazelden, Anonymous Press ...]
  • or to redistribute it
  • or to pass this on.
This "commitment to refrain" applies not only
  • for texts in the original language, but additionally
  • for all and every translation
  • or interpretation into other languages.
The commitment according to paragraph 1 applies especially to all and every piece of AA literature as listed in the May 1997 catalogue of the company of Mr. "m" [name] , and especially for the text on pages 1 - 164 of the work "Alcoholics Anonymous" ISBN 0-916856-00-3, regardless of the text version of the work and regardless of the language of publication.

Included in the commitment are also versions of this text as already published or announced in "German", Swedish, Finnish, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish and English language by the Big Book Study Group. This commitment includes in the same manner any other so-called service material of AAWS. This commitment applies and is set forth, regardless if the considered AA literature or service material is protected by copyright or not.

2. The above described commitment is made by Mr. "m"

    a) in his role as a private person
    b) in his role as owner of the company [name] and
    c) in his role as member of the Big Book Study Group in Bad Homburg.
3. Mr. "m" commits himself to pay a fine to AAWS for every single case of violation of his commitment as laid down in paragraph 1. AAWS will then choose how much fine he has to pay. In case of disagreement from his side with the appropriateness of the fine, this will be brought before the Civil Chamber of the Court of State in Frankfurt/Main to check out.

4. AAWS will not carry out any legal action in matters as described herein against "m", as long as he complies with his commitment as made herein.

5. Solely German law applies to this agreement.

The parties of this contract here agree that the Court of State in Frankfurt/Main will be the only one for all battles.

6. This accord is set forth as soon as it is signed by both sides and both sides hold a copy in hands signed by both sides.

City, date New York / Munich, date
to be signed ("m") to be signed (AAWS, Inc.)

D3\D3397 [attorney's file reference number]

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