Based on empirical research, this innovative book explores issues of performativity and authorship in the theatre world in light of copyright law and addresses several inter-connected questions: who is the author and first owner of a dramatic work? Who gets the credit and the licensing rights? In what circumstances can a director or actor obtain joint authorship rights with the writer? Given the nature of theatre as a medium reliant on the re-use of prior existing works, tropes, themes and plots, what happens if an allegation of copyright infringement is made against a playwright? Furthermore, who possesses moral rights over the work?To evaluate these questions in the field of theatre, the opening two chapters of the book outline its core themes and examine the history of the dramatic work both as text and as performative work. The third chapter explores the concepts of authorship and joint authorship under copyright law as they apply to the actual process of creating plays, referring to legal and theatrical literature, as well as empirical research. The fourth chapter looks at the notion of copyright infringement in the context of theatre, noting that cases of alleged theatrical infringement reach the courts rarely in comparison with music cases, and assessing the reasons for this with respect to empirical research. The fifth chapter examines how moral rights of attribution and integrity work in the realm of theatre. The book concludes with a prescriptive comment on how law should respond to the challenges provided by the theatrical field, and how theatre should respond to law.Original and innovative, this book proposes a ground-breaking approach to study the implications of copyright law in society and makes a strong case for the need to consider the reciprocal interaction between law and practice.

Performing Copyright: Law, Theatre and Authorship PDF

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