Author Topic: Intellectual Rights?  (Read 3464 times)

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GalFriday

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Intellectual Rights?
« on: Oct 31, 2013, 05:04 pm »
Hello -

I was made aware of a video by a good friend of mine. He is celebrating the hard work of his team to create an awesome Video which won a company wide contest. I think that is great. I was impressed by all the disciplines coming together to create a very polished video.

BUT.

After watching the video I recognized the choreography. It is by another friend. It is from a television show. The music used is fairly leading..and it does reference a popular dance video with specific moves. I think it would be difficult to choreograph the same piece and not have some essence of both of the previous pieces. However, this piece is exact - count for count. The only changes are staging based on the stage and removal of small solos. The performance is done by professional performers and, although his post shows it in a PR post...I would imagine the number will probably be performed for an audience. The performance would not be ticketed.

Last year I was in a similar situation at a friends dance concert. it was a college Choreographers Showcase. They used music from one of my former employers. They gave credit in the program for the music. (They did misspell the name of the company.) The choreography was a mash up of a specific artists choreography. Different pieces put together but exact dance moves with exact counts. The moves are iconic. Because it was a "choreographers" showcase I was somewhat off put by the performance. This was a ticketed performance and this number was the finale of the first act.

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. Is this illegal? Should it be?

Would this be different if it was a group of amateurs performing for friends and family? What about the dance concert?

I know there is a hardline on this...and a very soft one. Where is the line? I tend to draw it at the counts. If I could learn a dance by watching someone else's video of the dance. That crosses a line. If I could learn phrases that is questionable. If I am learning style by watching the video that is inspiration and acceptable.

I was wondering what other people thought?
"Now the best way to learn the theater, always, is to be a stage manager" - Stephen Sondheim