There's A Ridiculous $1 Million Lawsuit Riding On Whether These Yoga Poses Are Too Similar

If you feel the need to open more studios, be creative and find your own location, don’t do it a few blocks from an existing studio.  I’m sure every business class would tell you this is good practice but you state in your website that you want to bring yoga to everyone, it seems to us you simply want to steal it from those who have done the leg work; this is not good karmic practice.

YTTP lashed back on their site:

If Bikram prevails in his lawsuit and the courts rule that he owns this yoga sequence, then any person can create a system of yoga—trademark, copyright, or patent it and prevent others from teaching at their “sole discretion.”   Basically, holding captive yoga and how it is utilized with the ability to grant permission, withhold permission, and revoke permission without reason, warning, or cause.

Jamie Farley, a YTTP supporter, says the lawsuit is like "writing a book on walking and copyrighting walking.”

Choundhury copyrighted his 26-style poses in 2002 and successfully sued Prana Corporation the following year. The Bikram guru claims that it costs $10,000 to become a certified Bikram instructor and and that once certified, instructors must receive permission to open their own studios.

Gumucio began as Choundhury's student and believes yoga belongs to the public and the people (naturally). His studios have increased to more than a dozen locations nationwide and typically cost half as much as the Bikram yoga classes.

Below we've compiled some similar-looking Bikram and YTTP poses. But are they worth $1 million?

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