 The Church says that its use of the legal system is necessary to protect its intellectual property and its right to freedom of religion.Critics say that most of the Church's claims are designed to harass Suppressive Persons, people who impede the progress of the Scientology movement.In the years since its inception, the Church of Scientology's lawsuits filed against newspapers, magazines, government agencies (including the United States tax collecting unit, the IRS), and individuals have numbered in the thousands.