Copyright.

[Graham W]

Someone was telling me about some copyright issues re music the other day and he asked me if dance routines could be copyrighted. Anyone happen to know?

G

[philsmove]

the short answer is yes
for more information

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-a.../c-theatre.htm

[timbp]

Someone was telling me about some copyright issues re music the other day and he asked me if dance routines could be copyrighted. Anyone happen to know?

G

Copyright is complicated!

Short answer: anything created has copyright vested in the creator.

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The choreography of the routine is copyright to the choreographer.

A performance is copyright to the performers and the choreographer (generally the performers ask for and receive full rights before performing so only the performers need be considered in a particular situation).

A choreographer can let a second (or third...) group perform the work (the choreographer owns the work), but the later group's work has to be different from the earlier performance (as the earlier performers own their performances of the work).

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Don't rely on what I wrote. I know very little about copyright. And I'm not sure I accept copyright as a good policy for the future.

[whitetiger1518]

This should help The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - Summary of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

WT

[Graham W]

Great , thanks.

G