Theory and practice of intellectual property
№ 1 / 2026
ISSN (Print) 2308-0361
ISSN (Online) 2519-2744
PDF (Ukrainian)DOI: https://doi.org/10.33731/tpip.2026.1.2
Submitted 2026-01-12
Accepted 2026-02-09
Published 2026-03-12
Dance notation systems as a mean of fixation of choreographic works
Artem Bakutin
3rd-year PhD Student of the Department of Intellectual Property Law and Patent Justice,
National University “Odesa Law Academy”
Odesa, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6857-6222
Abstract
The article studies the evolution of notation systems for choreographic works as tools for their material fixation, the transformation of dance recording methods from historical graphic schemes to the modern digital models based on artificial intelligence and motion capture technologies. The theoretical distinction between the ‘recording’ and ‘notation’ is revealed, with the latter defined as an analytical system for encoding the author’s intention. The key notation systems (Labanotation, Benesh Movement Notation) are analysed through their ability to serve as evidence in legal disputes. The article examines US precedents on choreography protection in the digital age and the current legislative framework. The result of the study is a justification of the notation’s role as a mechanism for transforming ephemeral movement into structured data that embodies a choreographic work in an objective form on a medium and serves as evidence. The integration of classical systems with the latest technologies (blockchain, AI descriptors) allows the unique structure of a work to be identified to prove plagiarism. Modern notation is an effective legal tool that provides legal certainty for authors in the global digital environment.
Keywords: choreographic work, four-dimensional work, movement notation, recording of a work, Labanotation, copyright, artificial intelligence, digital preservation
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