Copyright Law (basic principle)

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soh choon wee
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Copyright Law (basic principle)

Post by soh choon wee »

Sorry that i started a new thread, i cannot find any other that seems suitable. Please move if deemed necessary.

I have a curious question to ask, not for very specific legal advise, but a broad principle behind.

Let's say, there is a new novel (fiction) that comes out, with title "ABC" and obviously a plot.

If i adopt the title and the plot to make a ballet, wrote original music, get choreographer to choreograped an entirely new ballet.... did i infinge on the copyright or intellectual property?

Does it make a difference if that is not a novel, but a play, and i adopt it for Opera (with my own librettist who wrote all the libretto, as play and opera text are drastically different).

In either situation, what if i wrote symphonic piece, eg a symphony or incidental music.... A symphony is much more abstract, but incidental music to play is more representational.

Just a question, i hope there could be some discussion.
Jean-Séb
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Re: Copyright Law (basic principle)

Post by Jean-Séb »

You do not infringe copyright attached to the novel (or the play) when you compose your ballet or opera music, but copyright may be infringed when that ballet or opera is staged in public, or even if your ballet music is published with the main story of the novel. The fact that this infringes third party copyright does not prevent you to also enjoy copyright for your own contribution.
Symphonic music is hardly able to infringe the copypyright attached to a novel, even if "inspired" by said novel (but the the program notes should not reproduce too much of the novel !). Same thing for incidental music in itself, but of course representing the play in public (with or without the incidental music) will infringe !
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