Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Today’s tip comes from Scratch and it’s about intellectual property (IP), those intangible creations of one’s mind.
When collaborating on a creation with someone, you can save a lot of heartache if everyone agrees in advance who can do what with the creation.
If it’s an act, who gets to perform it and under what circumstances? If it’s a class, who gets to teach it? If it’s a recurring show at a venue or a troupe, who gets to use the name?
It’s easier to decide about who owns something when there’s only one of it. A physical costume can only be in one place at one time, but what about the design of the costume? Does the designer retain the IP and can create another costume with the same design? Did the wearer purchase the rights to the design and can reproduce it? Was the design exclusive to this one costume and neither person can reproduce it?
Here’s another example with something even more intangible, a dance: If you choreograph a duet with another performer and then perform it together, then what? Who owns the act? How can it be used in the future?
Maybe the two of you agree that you will only perform the act together. Maybe you agree that each of you can teach the choreography to another dancer and perform it with them. Maybe you agree that the choreography can be taught to other dancers and does not need any members of the original partnership on stage. There are lots of options, but you both should decide on one and abide by it.
I’m not saying you need have lawyers and contracts involved, but a solid understanding about who owns what before you start collaborating will save everyone hassle and heartbreak later.
Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
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Oh, The Glamourous Life! 
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