Guest guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 This is indeed an unfortunate chain of events. All we want is spiritual enlightenment...this is what happens when things go astray. Shiva Bhakta Yogis go to court over poses - Copyright dispute turns yoga into a legal exercise Julian Guthrie, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, February 5, 2004 -- First he got them hot. Then he got them bothered. Then he got sued. Bikram Choudhury, the Beverly Hills yoga master to the lithe and sweaty masses, swept into San Francisco on Wednesday for mediation of an intellectual property lawsuit that has more twists and turns than his 26 postures, done twice each in a room heated to over 105 degrees. Choudhury, America's best known and most controversial yogi, opened one of his first yoga schools in San Francisco in 1973 and now boasts 900 studios worldwide. He copyrighted, trademarked and franchised his poses, breathing techniques and dialogue, creating the first chain of its kind. He also hired lawyers who set loose a flurry of cease-and-desist letters warning yoga teachers in the Bay Area and beyond not to teach his yoga or anything "derivative" if they haven't graduated from his $5,000-per-person training program and are not paying a studio franchise fee. His letters threaten a penalty of $150,000 per infringement. Read the article here http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/05/MNG\ 5I4PF271.DTL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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