Studio Pilates claims ‘copycat’ stole their instructor tutorials

A global fitness franchise which began in Queensland 21 years ago claims in court that a copycat has plagiarised their training courses.

Tanya and Jade Winter, owner of Studio Pilates International. Picture: AAP/Megan Slade

A global fitness franchise which began in Queensland 21 years ago claims in court that a copycat has plagiarised their online pilates instructor training courses.

Studio Pilates International Pty Ltd and Studio Pilates International Education Pty Ltd have asked the Supreme Court in Brisbane to force Gold Coast pilates instructor Julia Bauer, who runs Body Athletica, to stop using their pilates tutorials and training manuals.

They have also asked the court to assess whether Ms Bauer - a former graduate of a Studio Pilates training program - should pay them damages for passing off and copyright infringement of their work.

Tanya Winter, owner of Studio Pilates International.

Studio Pilates International Pty Ltd co-founder and general manager Tanya Winter, from the Brisbane suburb of Hawthorne, told the court in an affidavit that the company is a pilates franchise business that she founded with her husband Jade, 44, in 2002.

Mrs Winter, who is also a physiotherapist, states in her court filing that she believes Ms Bauer’s copyright infringement of course content and exam questions “causes harm” to her company because it may lose customers if they chose to train using the Body Athletica online instructor course.

Ms Bauer is alleged to have plagiarised large sections of online training manuals for pilates instructor courses in matwork, reformer and anatomy with course content appearing to be “identical in parts”.

Mrs Winter states in her affidavit that she first became aware that Ms Bauer, from Varsity Lakes, was allegedly using Studio Pilates’ instructor training course material in her Body Athletica courses in May 2021 when a pilates student phoned them.

Court documents show Studio Pilates’ lawyers wrote to Ms Bauer demanding she agree to stop infringing the copyright of the company, and she repaid the $2809 that Studio Pilates spent enrolling their staff in the Body Athletica courses to check the similarities.

Husband and wife team Jade and Tanya Winter who run Studio Pilates together. Picture: AAP/Megan Slade

Ms Bauer also removed the instructor training courses from the Body Athletica website, the documents show.

But Mrs Winter alleges less than a year later Ms Bauer again began using their tutorial material in April last year, with Mrs Winter arranging for staff to enrol in Body Athletica online courses between April and August to check her suspicions of copyright infringement.

Mrs Winter alleges Ms Bauer obtained their training course material in 2017 when she completed Studio Pilates instructor courses in matwork and reformer.

As a student of these courses Ms Bauer would have had access to the electronic course content distributed by the Studio Pilates including lesson descriptions and online exam questions, Ms Winter alleges.

Mrs Winter states in court documents that her company began offering training courses to students who wish to become pilates instructors in 2007 and each of Studio Pilates’ instructor training courses took about a year to develop.

Jade Winter, owner of Brisbane's Studio Pilates International.

The company now offers 16 different instructor training courses, she says in her affidavit.

According to its website, Studio Pilates has 73 studios in Australia, five studios in the US, one in the UK, seven in New Zealand and two in China.

The case is due in court on Monday April 24.

Ms Bauer has not filed a defence to the claims, and the case is in its early stages.

Studio Pilates and Ms Bauer have not responded to requests for comment.

Body Athletica is currently offering a course in pilates mat teacher training for $1500 on her website, online anatomy for $250 and a reformer teacher course for $1800. Ms Bauer offers both in-person and online courses.

Studio Pilates offers a matwork course for $1660, a $440 anatomy course which includes online training and a half day workshop and a reformer course for $1880, its website states.

“We do not wish to comment at this time as the matter is before the courts,” Studio Pilates said.

Originally published as Studio Pilates claims ‘copycat’ stole their instructor tutorials