Joseph Pilates invented Pilates exercise in the 1930s under the name Contrology. But he never managed to trademark the name "Contrology" or "Pilates" or set up a governing body for Pilates exercise. Without a governing body, "Pilates exercise" became genericized.[1] Anyone can claim to be an expert in Pilates exercise, and there is no universally recognized accreditation for schools that train Pilates exercise instructors.[2]
Bikram Choudhury (pronounced like "chowdery") decided to avoid this generic fate for his hot yoga system by choosing a sequence of 26 poses and copyrighting the sequence as a dance. Choudhury has used this copyright in Bikram Yoga to harass other teachers of hot yoga,[3] much as The Tetris Company has used Elorg's copyright in Tetris.
BumpityBoo and his mommy are fans of Bikram Yoga.
Categories: Stub articles