Draft:PhysicalMind Institute

  • Comment: Coverage needs to be about the company. C F A 💬 18:00, 19 August 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Is this an institute or a biography of the members? It's unclear to sort. Safari ScribeEdits! Talk! 18:18, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

PhysicalMind Institute
Company typeCorporation
IndustryFitness/Pilates
Founded1991
FounderJoan Breibart
Headquarters
New York City
WebsitePhysicalMind Institute

The PhysicalMind Institute, located in New York City, is an early Pilates and fitness company focusing on the mind-body exercise method developed by Joseph Pilates. The institute is known for its role in establishing Pilates certifications and has been involved in significant legal battles concerning the trademark of the term "Pilates."[1][2] Additionally, it holds several patents related to Pilates equipment.

History

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Founded in 1991 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the original Institute for the Pilates Method was established by notable figures within the Pilates community.[3][4][5] Eve Gentry, a direct disciple of Joseph Pilates, who taught in his New York studio from 1945 to 1968, played a foundational role. She was joined by Michele Larsson, her own protégé who had taught at the Eve Gentry Pilates Studio in Santa Fe during the 1980s, and Joan Breibart, a dedicated Pilates practitioner[6] who relocated to Santa Fe in 1988.

Now known as the Physicalmind Institute, this organization serves as the direct successor to the Institute for the Pilates Method.[4]

Pilates Trademark

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Joseph Pilates, the creator of the Pilates method, never trademarked his own name. However, in 1982, an individual associated with his studio secured the trademark for "Pilates" during a period when the method was relatively unknown. With no initial objections to this registration, the trademark went unchallenged until the Institute for the Pilates Method filed for a trademark cancellation in 1992 at the U.S. Trademark Department in Washington D.C.[1] This move did not resolve the issue, leading to the trademark holder suing the Institute in 1994.[2] This lawsuit sparked a series of legal disputes that culminated in a New York trial in 2000. The trial concluded with Judge Cedarbaum canceling the trademark on October 19, 2000.[7]

Pilates Certification

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In 1991, the Institute for the Pilates Method, developed and began offering the first certification program for Pilates Professionals called themethodpilates.[8]

PhysicalMind Institute

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In 1995, the Institute for the Pilates Method was rebranded as the PhysicalMind Institute, aligning with the emerging BodyMind niche that arose following the resurgence of the Pilates Method. Today, the PhysicalMind Institute holds 9 patents[9], each representing innovative contributions to the design of Pilates props and equipment such as TYE4[10] and Parasetter.

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Pilates Method And a Trademark Feud". The New York Times. January 23, 1994. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Copyright © 2024 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved. (August 10, 1994). "Lawsuit Filed Against Pilates Method of S.F." The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 27. Retrieved July 15, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "New Business Promotes Pilates Exercise". The Santa Fe New Mexican. October 2, 1991. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Anne S. Lewis (October 16, 1996). "Recasting a Workout for the Masses". The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Suzanne Schlosberg (January 8, 1993). "Sweatin' to an Oldie: An exercise method developed in the 1920s is becoming popular among therapists and enthusiasts bored with lifting weights". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  6. ^ Annie Lowrey (September 15, 2015). "The Pilatespocalypse: How the Method That Started the Boutique-Fitness Trend Is Going Bust". New York Magazine. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  7. ^ "The Fight for the Soul of Pilates". The New York Times. October 14, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "Balanced Body Timeline". Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "PhysicalMind Institute". PhysicalMind Institute. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  10. ^ Marissa Miller (June 7, 2024). "The best Pilates equipment for practicing at home, according to experts". CNN. Retrieved July 15, 2024.