Is it illegal to steal workouts - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Mjoiner]

If a personal trainer bought a Billy Blanks workout video, and did some in home workouts with a client and did everything pertaining to the video minus put it in. Could they be sued? Just going off judgment, Id think if they were at 24hr Fitness or so and Billy Blanks walked in and saw enough to know he had seen too much of his own workout being used without proper citing or royalties there would probably be a law suit. But then again if the trainer and the client both pay the gym and once again no dvd, you cant be told not to do certain workouts in a particular order because its copyright of Billy Blanks Inc. I know most personal trainers adjust workouts to particular clients needs, but I think I would feel cheated if I did a workout, then on my own free will purchased, a dvd only to find out that every workout was 'stolen'. If for a one time fee of 39.95 I could buy Hip Hop abs and do it in my own free will, yet I paid a personal trainer to come to my house and we did it like 6 times and I paid him $20 each session.....I'd feel betrayed on the basis I was led to believe that this was his workout tailored for me, yet thankful that he taught it to me or worked out with me. What are the rules on that?

[Christina]

Just curious... is this hypothetical or something that really happened?

Christina

[Mjoiner]

Well, its partly true, I know of a women who has a collection of fitness videos from the trendiest of 2008 all they way back to 1988 VHS's. She likes the fun ab, kick boxing aerobics and she stated shes had a PT do them with her during sessions shes paid for which I jokingly said "Pay me $30 i'll do dancing to the oldies with you"

So yea, it has happened, but ethically\morally that cant be right, legally there are probably some hangups to, but I'm not certain thats why I ask.

[Christina]

I have no idea about the legalities behind it, but that would be a pretty pathetic trainer if they can't even design a program. As far as workout videos and exercising with the client, I can't see how that would be illegal. I have had a couple of clients who've wanted me to do Wii Fit with them during our sessions!

[biggyjiggy21]

I think the whole point of us providing the service we do is so that people don't have to go out and buy DVD's etc. I suppose if it was that simple then we won't exist. I agree you would have to be a useless trainer not to be able to design a workout and if you stole one from a DVD, I can guarantee that the celebrity on the thing didn't design it either!!!!! :lol:

[kaiserS]

I don't think there's anything wrong with learning a trick or two from a workout program, book, or DVD - no matter what, you always have to tailor it a bit to the client so it's never completely stealing -

Recording your own fitness product with someone else's workouts? Definitely stealing - but performing a few routines you modeled from somewhere else? Fine with me -

[Murray]

I'm with Kaiser on this one... I have personally used variations of P90X and Insanity moves in clients programs.

Brian
ACE CPT

[kettlebell king]

must agree too- if someones done it once somewhere you can almost guarantee someone else in the world is doing it thinking it is their own design. From the AOS newport exercise routine I often take a couple of drills and add them as part of my clients workout if it is apropriate. I don't think you could copy write a routine any more than you could copy write bench press super setted with flys!

[Dinah]

I was a member of gym where the teacher of "Tae-Fit" was sued by Billie Blanks' production company. I believe the teacher was even peddling his "own" Tae-Bo inspired kick boxing videos.

[Joe Cannon MS CSCS]

I think it depends on how specific you get with the copied workout. There are really no "new exercises" out there just repackaging and renaming of routines. Billy Blanks didn't invent the upper cut or jab so doing those wont get anybody into trouble however as in the case of the trainer who was sued (another previous comment) that's probably reserved for people who blatantly copy a large amount of the routine.

How much can be reproduced? Im not an attorney (if any are here please chime in!) but Id guess there is probably a statistic out there (like with the rappers who can only use about 6 notes of a previously recorded song before they have to give credit/royalties).
Joe