Comments on: Scientology E Meter with Ball and Chain

By: Would you purchase a Scientology E-meter from this man? – The Scientology Money Project

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 19:30:14 +0000

[…] 2014, Mike Rinder posted copies of the two contracts that Scientologists sign when they purchase an Mark Ultra VIII E-Meter […]

By: Never Clear

Never Clear — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 07:24:10 +0000

In reply to corvusyado. Ahem...Anonymous!

By: Old School

Old School — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:38:33 +0000

In reply to Mike Wreggitt. You don't send in these meters. I believe that certing is now done online... ;)

By: Still on your side

Still on your side — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 06:59:03 +0000

This is a software licensing agreement that is very poorly written. It is not a license to the e-meter because the e-meter is not leased, it is sold. Title passed from the church to the buyer when the sale took place. This agreement makes threats it is not allowed to make. It claims a right to determine the conditions and environment in which the e-meter is used, but the license only gives it the ability to govern the conditions in which the software is used. So, the church can demand the software only be used on one compatible e-meter, and that the software not be reverse engineered or re-sold, but it has no authority after the sale to demand that the e-meter only be used by end users Miscavige deems worthy. Miscavige sold the e-meter and now he has no rights under First Amendment that allow him to violate a customer’s e-meter ownership rights. Instead, the customer’s rights of ownership generally will trump Miscavige’s rights. The church owns the copyright and the patent, but the e-meter is not owned by the church after it is sold, anymore than Apple owns an iPad after it is sold.

Further the software termination clauses may not be enforceable because they are arbitrary and do not provide for compensation. The license says nothing about refunds and it’s not even clear whether the church has sole rights to the software. Perhaps the manufacturer sells different versions of it along with different versions of the e-meter. If so, an e-meter owner may be able to legally purchase that software.

The $5k e-meter is going to cause the church and Miscavige huge problems. There will be legal challenges, probably in the near future, when Miscavige terminates an e-meter and refuses a refund. No court will tolerate a software seller arguing it is immune from breach of contract actions due to religious reasons.

By: 1984

1984 — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 06:39:42 +0000

In reply to Mooser42001. Mooser, it is great sarcasm, but don't even suggest it. The Cof S is stupid enough to try this, and it will only hurt the reputation of a good wog company.

By: Ralph Hilton

Ralph Hilton — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 05:27:19 +0000

Open source e-meters are on the way …
http://scientolipedia.org/info/Ralph_Hilton_-_An_E-Meter_for_Independent_Scientologists

By: Mooser42001

Mooser42001 — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 00:07:08 +0000

Get a Fluke digital VOM at any electrical supply house. Get a couple pieces of copper pipe, of a convenient size to hold. Attach the leads to the copper pipe-pieces, calibrate the “Ohms” scale, and away you go. With digital readouts, and I would bet these days an USB plug for direct transfer to a computer.
Plus, you will have a handy and accurate mutipurpose meter to diagnose all kinds of electrical and electronic circuits, when you are not auditing. Fluke (and other reputable brands) cost beyween, oh, $100 to $500 depending on features.

By: Mary Rathernotsay

Mary Rathernotsay — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 20:25:22 +0000

In reply to Formost.

Formost, that line 8 contains a double negative that makes no kind of sense. Is that verbatim?
If so, they could use an editor. I can’t be bothered to read the agreement since I’ve no plans to buy a couple Easy Bake meters….

By: splog

splog — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 18:47:36 +0000

In reply to Rick Mycroft.

The odds of these EZ-Bakes having working wifi in them are about close to zero. Wifi cards don’t just magically work in isolation, there are two kinds one can generally buy: PCIe and USB. The EZ-Bake doesn’t have USB or PCIe internals, those connectors can be spotted a mile off and none of the internal shots show them. And you need a CPU running an Operating System – *something* has to do the encryption and drive the wireless chip (they aren’t plug in and go, wifi cards are horrendously complex beasts)

Most wireless APs these days have encryption enabled and the WAP/WEP2 key has to be entered somehow. The owner of the AP has to allow it to happen somehow (even if only by disabling the checks for such). Lastly, it’s trivially simple to detect if something is trying to gain access to a wifi network.

But all this is moot. The owner of the e-meter already established a connection to Gold through their PC to enable the meter. I don’t doubt for a nano-second Gold has a kill switch for bitter defrocked apostate’s meter, but it’s going to be done through the activation software on a PC or Mac, not through wifi (or through any other built-in gadget in the meter)

By: Cat Daddy

Cat Daddy — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 18:30:06 +0000

In reply to Cat Daddy. Galvanistic Skin Response Meter