Editing Permaculture (section)

=== Intellectual property ===

Trademark and [[copyright]] disputes surround the word ''permaculture.'' Mollison's books claimed on the [[copyright page]], "The contents of this book and the word PERMACULTURE are copyright." Eventually Mollison acknowledged that he was mistaken and that no copyright protection existed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grayson |first=Russ |year=2011 |title=The Permaculture Papers 5: time of change and challenge - 2000–2004 |url=http://pacific-edge.info/the-permaculture-papers-5-time-of-change-and-challenge-%E2%80%94-2000-2004/ |access-date=8 September 2011 |publisher=Pacific edge}}</ref>

In 2000, Mollison's U.S.-based Permaculture Institute sought a [[service mark]] for the word ''permaculture'' when used in educational services such as conducting classes, seminars, or workshops.<ref>{{Cite web |last=United States Patent and Trademark Office |author-link=United States Patent and Trademark Office |year=2011 |title=Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) |url=http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4005:o81il1.2.1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316040257/http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4005:o81il1.2.1 |archive-date=16 March 2017 |access-date=8 September 2011 |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce}}</ref> The service mark would have allowed Mollison and his two institutes to set enforceable guidelines regarding how permaculture could be taught and who could teach it, particularly with relation to the PDC, despite the fact that he had been certifying teachers since 1993. This attempt failed and was abandoned in 2001. Mollison's application for trademarks in Australia for the terms "Permaculture Design Course" and "Permaculture Design" was withdrawn in 2003. In 2009 he sought a trademark for "Permaculture: A Designers' Manual" and "Introduction to Permaculture", the names of two of his books. These applications were withdrawn in 2011. Australia has never authorized a trademark for the word ''permaculture''.<ref name="IPA">{{Cite web |year=2011 |title=Result |url=http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/atmoss/Falcon.Result |access-date=8 September 2011 |publisher=[[IP Australia]] |archive-date=14 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514011248/http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/atmoss/Falcon.Result |url-status=dead }}</ref>