Iconic Single Ladies Choreography Now Protected by Copyright

Choreographer JaQuel Knight creates history by protecting his dance moves in Beyonce’s song titled ‘Single Ladies’ through copyright in the United States of America. The copyright over the moves will be managed by Knight’s company – Knight Choreography and Music Publishing Inc. This copyright shall not be applicable to the music that will be produced by the company but only the dance moves.

This move will let artists stay in creative control of their work. It is the first instance in the world’s history that intellectual property law has extended protection to non-ballet dance moves. This approach will also provide artists with financial control over their creative works. Dance companies as well as other users of the choreography will need to obtain the choreographer’s permission before performing their moves for marketing, advertising and social media. This is considered an essential step in the TikTok era, where viral moves are used (or stolen) by creators with no credit given to the original choreographer. Choreographers will now be able to legally safeguard their intellectual property as a result of this historic victory, particularly in the age of short-form online content.