Below are examples of cases where copyright registration would have greatly benefited the choreographer.
Even though the Copyright Act of 1976 protects the intellectual property rights of choreographers, the issue of gaining recognition for original choreography remains a pressing issue for the dance industry.
Learn about the Copyright Act of 1976 here:
Ali Johnson wrote an article on Intellectual Property rights of content creators on TikTok from the Washington Law Review. She addressed the case of the viral “renegade” dance that was created by Jalaiah Harmon, a black woman. Many white mainstream content creators used her choreography but did not give Jalaiah proper credit. Her dance made them immensely famous and they received financial successes, essentially taking credit for Jalaiah’s work. This case highlights the recurring issue of appropriation of black art.
https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wlr/vol96/iss3/12/
Kathleen Abitabile and Jeanette Picerno wrote another article on the legal and cultural outlooks of copyright protection for choreographers from the Campbell Law Review. They articulate the financial barriers for choreographers to enforce the law if IP infringement occurs and the necessity for choreographers to copyright their work. Their article includes cases about choreographers including George Balanchine.
https://scholarship.law.campbell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1411&context=clr