According to the Association for Neuro-Lingustic Programming, the high court action over the rights to use the term NLP have resulted in Richard Bandler (who claimed the copyright) being made bankrupt.

Bandler had been taken to court by Tony Clarkson, a certified NLP Master Practitioner on behalf of members of the ANLP, over fears that no-one else would be able to use the term as part of their work. The case follows a similar one involving the use of Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) in 1997.

If Bandler had been successful, he would have been able to use an injunction to stop others using the term NLP or claim payment for its use.

Bandler was one of the first to develop the idea of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and has written a number of books on the subject. NLP had been registered as a trademark by McKenna Breen Ltd, a training company run by TV hypnotist Paul McKenna in 1996. It was then transferred to Bandler for £1 in May 1997.

The Association has previously called for financial assistance to help Clarkson recoup the money spent on taking the legal action.