Intellectual Property P

Policy and Procedures
Approved on July 11, 2022


INTRODUCTION

Policies set parameters for decision-making but leave room for flexibility. They explain the why behind an action (the “rules”). These are parameters that the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga’s Board of Directors does not anticipate changing in the short or medium term. 

On the other hand, procedures explain the how–how the policy is operationalized. These procedures may change as circumstances change. They provide step-by-step instructions for specific routine tasks. They may even include a checklist or process steps to follow.

SECTION 1: POLICY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Definitions and Scope
  2. Policy Purpose and Goals
  3. Manuals
  4. Teacher Training Supporting Materials
  5. Licensed Teacher’s Responsibilities
  6. Licensure of New Teacher
  7. Intellectual Property Developed and/or Sold by Non-Licensed Anusara Teachers
  8. Protection of Anusara’s Trademarks, Copyrights and other Intellectual Property Rights
  9. Website
  10. Trademarks
  11. Enforcement

1.- DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE

  • Definitions
    1. Policies establish parameters for decision-making but leave room for flexibility. They show the “why” behind an action. These are parameters that we do not anticipate changing in the short or medium term. 
    2. In contrast, procedures explain the “how” and may change as circumstances change. They provide step-by-step instructions for specific routine tasks. They may even include a checklist or process steps to follow. 
    3. Intellectual property refers to “property (such as an idea, invention, or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect” (source: Merriam-Webster online dictionary).
  • Scope: This policy and the accompanying procedures pertain to all intellectual property belonging to the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga (the School) as listed below. These will be referred to in this document as Anusara’s intellectual property (IP).
    1. Anusara’s branding kit and Style Guide (logo, fonts, color palette, etc.)
    2. Immersion Manual*
    3. Teacher Training Manuals*
    4. Therapy Training Manual*
    5. Immersion and Teacher Training curricula provided to qualified teachers
    6. 300-Hour Teacher Training Modules (materials for teachers and handouts for students)
    7. Books sold on the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga’s website and shipped by the School and/or vendors with which the School has a contract
    8. Information on the School’s website
    9.  Information about Anusara Yoga developed by individuals other than those on the Operations Team or Board of Directors (websites, written materials, etc.)
    10. Materials developed by Anusara teachers outside the context of the School’s Curriculum Committee
    11. Online education offered by the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga
    12. The School’s databases, including but not limited to Mindbody Online
    13. Any other form of intellectual property not specified above
  • Sections below that refer to “manuals” apply to all three manuals listed above, any other manuals that the School may develop in the future, and all Anusara trainings.

2.- PURPOSE AND GOALS

  • Policy’s higher purpose: To help Anusara Yoga flourish by upholding the beauty, intelligence and integrity of the Anusara method and its principles and to promote the School’s vision, mission and core values
  • Policy Goals
      • Enhance the desirability of sharing the teachings of Anusara yoga worldwide
      • Protect the School’s intellectual property and Anusara teachers who have invested in their professional development
      • Maintain the integrity of the value of an Anusara license and the education that it reflects
      • Streamline the process by which the School distributes its manuals and other intellectual property to licensed Anusara teachers
      • Ensure the School is remunerated for use of its intellectual property

3.- MANUALS

  • Eligibility: Unless otherwise provided herein to the contrary, only Anusara teachers (all levels) with a current license with the School may purchase manuals. They may purchase a single updated manual at any given time. See procedures below for details.
  • Cost
    • The School prices materials printed and sold by the School in an amount that covers:
      1. Personnel costs (primarily Store Manager and Bookkeeper) involved in entering orders, invoicing, shipping, etc.
      2. Payment transaction fees (credit cards, Paypal, etc.)
  • Sales: Any form of sharing Anusara’s intellectual property, such as file-sharing and photocopying, is strictly prohibited, including but not limited to teacher training manuals. See procedures for more details.

4.- TEACHER TRAINING SUPPORTING MATERIALS

  • The School provides teacher trainers with supporting materials (e.g. curriculum guide) designed to help a teacher trainer organize their teacher training.
  • The School will provide such materials to teacher trainers at no cost as long as they have agreed to pay the teacher training registration fee according to the procedures developed by the Operations Team.
  • A teacher training registration fee must be paid in full before a teacher trainer can start a new training.

5.- LICENSED TEACHERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Promotion: When teaching Anusara yoga, all licensed Anusara teachers are:
    1. Required to:
      1. Advertise as a licensed Anusara teacher on their personal or professional website, in their biography and all personal promotional materials
      2.  Identify themselves as a licensed Anusara teacher on all social media channels they use to promote their classes, events, etc.
      3. Advertise as a licensed Anusara teacher when they teach an Anusara workshop or event when they are the only teacher and/or teaching with another Anusara licensed teacher
    2. Expected to advertise as a licensed Anusara teacher:
      1. On the website of any studio where they teach
      2. Whenever they teach a class/workshop/event collaboratively with another teacher who teaches a different style
  • Development of intellectual property
    1. For teaching purposes
      1. Licensed Anusara teacher trainers must use the manuals made available to them by the School upon registration of their teacher training. 
      2. They may use additional material that they have developed to supplement, not supplant, the manuals provided by the School.
    2. For promotional use
      1.  Any licensed Anusara teacher who wishes to develop promotional materials regarding Anusara Yoga must comply with the School’s Style Guide and use language that is consistent with what is available on the School’s website. Teachers may address concerns or questions about their promotional materials by emailing information@anusarayoga.com.
      2. Any licensed Anusara teacher may use Anusara’s intellectual property for promotional use at no additional cost as long as they conform to the copyright and trademark requirements stated above.

6.- LICENSURE OF NEW TEACHERS

  • The School only grants a new Anusara license to individuals who have completed a teacher training with a 200-Hour or 300-Hour Anusara teacher trainer who has fulfilled all the requirements stipulated in this policy.

7.- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEVELOPED AND/OR SOLD BY UNLICENSED ANUSARA TEACHERS

  • The School expects that teachers who are not trained in the Anusara method and previously licensed Anusara teachers who have not renewed their license do not purport to teach Anusara Yoga.
  • In the event the School becomes aware of such teachers, a representative of the School will follow up with that individual to request that they cease advertising as teaching Anusara Yoga.
  • In the case of formerly licensed Anusara teachers who continue to teach the Anusara method, the School will follow up with them to encourage them to reinstate.

8.- PROTECTION OF ANUSARA’S TRADEMARKS, COPYRIGHTS, AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

  • The School owns all intellectual property rights specified in Section 2 (see “scope”).
  • Any unauthorized use or modification of Anusara’s intellectual property is a violation of the School’s proprietary rights.
  • Only Anusara teachers with a current license have the right to copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit or distribute content, provided they:
    1.  Keep all copyright, trademarks and other proprietary notices intact
    2. Make no modifications to any such information
    3. Agree not to disable, circumvent or otherwise interfere with security-related features of this website or features that restrict or prevent use or copying of any content
  • To guarantee the continuity of presentation and appearance (logo, fonts, color palette, etc.), Anusara’s intellectual property must adhere to the School’s most updated Style Guide.

9.- WEBSITE

  • The School’s website (www.anusarayoga.com) is the primary public face of Anusara. As such, it represents our methodology, philosophy and teachers. Therefore, the information presented must accurately represent the School. To safeguard content, access to editing is restricted to those granted permission by the Director of Operations or equivalent position.
  • Information found in the Teachers’ Lounge or similarly named section of the website may be reproduced and shared with other licensed Anusara teachers. Otherwise, such use is prohibited.

10.- TRADEMARKS

  • The School owns all rights to its trademarks, logos, trade names, product names, product packaging and designs, regardless of whether they are officially registered.
  • Only Anusara licensed teachers with a current license have the right to reproduce, download or otherwise use such trademarks, service marks, logos, trade names, product names, product packaging and designs. Such use is restricted to the promotion of Anusara yoga.
  • All use of Anusara trademarks is subject to the School’s Branding Guidelines and all other documents (e.g., regulations and other policies) related to the protection of Anusara’s intellectual property.

11.- ENFORCEMENT

  • Effective Date: Unless otherwise noted, all policies in this document become effective immediately upon approval of this document by the Board of Directors.
  • Processes and Procedures: The staff is responsible for developing the processes and procedures needed to enforce this policy and for said enforcement.

 For more information about this policy, please contact information@anusarayoga.com


SECTION 2: PROCEDURES

Note: The heading numbers below correspond to the related section in the policy. 

3.- MANUALS

  • Eligibility
    1. Teacher Trainers
      1. Teacher trainers must register their training(s) with the School.
      2. Teacher trainers must purchase manuals and any other materials related to the teacher training for the students in their trainings. (Their order will not be filled until their training is registered.)
      3. It is up to each teacher trainer to determine whether the cost of a manual is included in the tuition they charge students or is an additional charge passed on to students.
    2. Students in an Anusara Teacher Training
      1. To purchase a manual, a student must be in a registered Anusara teacher training.
      2. Students in a registered Anusara teacher training must purchase a manual through their teacher trainer.
      3. Anusara teacher training graduates who are not licensed may only purchase a manual through their teacher trainer.
  • SALES
    1. The School only sells manuals through an approved vendor.
    2. The School does not sell manuals through third-party vendors.
    3. The School distributes manuals using methods that best protect the School’s intellectual property and maximizes efficiency.
    4. Teacher trainers must submit their student roster when they register their training in order for the School to be able to track manual sales.

8.- ACCESS TO ANUSARA’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  • Any requests for intellectual property that falls outside the scope of this policy requires written authorization from the School. Such requests must be submitted via email to information@anusarayoga.com.

11.- ENFORCEMENT

  • When the School is made aware of a violation of this policy, it brings this to the teacher’s attention so the teacher has an opportunity to rectify the situation.
  • If such a matter is brought to a teacher’s attention and the teacher does not rectify the situation to the School’s satisfaction, this may ultimately result in the revocation of their license.

For more information about these procedures, please contact information@anusarayoga.com

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