Open Source Yoga
• New Age (Old Silliness)
First it was SCO vs. Linux now we have Bikram Choudhury vs. Open Source Yoga.
The eccentric Calcutta-born yogi who popularized the form of yoga known as "Bikram" is being sued over his claims that he owns the copyright to a 26-posture series used in the practice, which is done in a heated room.
The suit could eventually set a precedent in an industry noted for its openness and lack of standards. For now, it is kicking up a fuss among yoga practitioners.
Bikram is a fast-growing yoga style made trendy by celebrities and others attracted to its health benefits and spiritual leanings.
Choudhury, who is in his late 50s, has sent cease and desist letters to more than 100 Bikram yoga schools and teachers, accusing them of violating his copyright and trademark by employing instructors that weren't trained by him and deviating from his strict teachings, according to James Harrison, a lawyer for the Open Source Yoga Unity.
In response, the Open Source Yoga Unity, a non-profit collective whose members live in California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Rhode Island and Canada, has sued the Choudhury in San Francisco federal court.
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