Yoga piracy
Encyclopedia
Yoga piracy refers to the practice of claiming copyright
s on yoga
postures and techniques found in ancient treatises originating within India
by persons residing in foreign countries, often of other nationalities. The ongoing debate centers around those who profit by creating legally proprietary systems of yoga in countries other than India using information generally felt by Indians to be within the public domain
, if not proprietary traditional knowledge
. Cases of Yoga Piracy often center around fitness instructors of non-Indian origin who claim copyrights on asana
s (yoga poses), pranayama
techniques and sequences, and ayurvedic medicine in their home countries, the most notable example being the case of Bikram Yoga
in the United States. This has become a lucrative international industry, with some estimates for the yoga fitness industry in the United States as high as $3 billion
annually.
In response, the Government of India
has initiated the documentation of 1,500 yoga asana or postures - from the ancient Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
to present times - and is storing them in the Digital Traditional Knowledge Library to be made available to patent office
s worldwide. , one-third of the estimated 30 million database pages have been compiled by the Indian Commerce Ministry. Fifteen of the most prominent yoga schools in India are involved, including the Iyengar Institute and Kaivalyadham, run by Nitin Unkule.
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s on yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
postures and techniques found in ancient treatises originating within India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by persons residing in foreign countries, often of other nationalities. The ongoing debate centers around those who profit by creating legally proprietary systems of yoga in countries other than India using information generally felt by Indians to be within the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, if not proprietary traditional knowledge
Traditional knowledge
Traditional knowledge , indigenous knowledge , traditional environmental knowledge and local knowledge generally refer to the long-standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous, or local communities. Traditional knowledge also encompasses the wisdom, knowledge, and teachings...
. Cases of Yoga Piracy often center around fitness instructors of non-Indian origin who claim copyrights on asana
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
s (yoga poses), pranayama
Pranayama
Pranayama is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prana or breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restrain, or...
techniques and sequences, and ayurvedic medicine in their home countries, the most notable example being the case of Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram's classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises...
in the United States. This has become a lucrative international industry, with some estimates for the yoga fitness industry in the United States as high as $3 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
annually.
In response, the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
has initiated the documentation of 1,500 yoga asana or postures - from the ancient Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Patañjali
Patañjali is the compiler of the Yoga Sūtras, an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga practice. According to tradition, the same Patañjali was also the author of the Mahābhāṣya, a commentary on Kātyāyana's vārttikas on Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī as well as an unspecified work of medicine .In...
to present times - and is storing them in the Digital Traditional Knowledge Library to be made available to patent office
Patent office
A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether or not the application fulfils the requirements for...
s worldwide. , one-third of the estimated 30 million database pages have been compiled by the Indian Commerce Ministry. Fifteen of the most prominent yoga schools in India are involved, including the Iyengar Institute and Kaivalyadham, run by Nitin Unkule.
See also
- Bikram YogaBikram YogaBikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram's classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises...
- HinduismHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
- IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- Intellectual propertyIntellectual propertyIntellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
- Patent piratePatent piratePatent pirate may refer to:* Someone who willfully commits patent infringement* Patent troll, someone who defends his patents with undue aggression, often with no intention to market or manufacture the patented invention...
- Patent trolls
- Traditional knowledgeTraditional knowledgeTraditional knowledge , indigenous knowledge , traditional environmental knowledge and local knowledge generally refer to the long-standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous, or local communities. Traditional knowledge also encompasses the wisdom, knowledge, and teachings...
- YogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...