Comments on: 'Electric Slide' on slippery DMCA slope

Yes, you can copyright a dance. And the man who owns the rights to the iconic wedding shuffle isn't pleased that it's popping up on the Web.

[Heebee Jeebies]

If they aren't...

Doing his dance correctly, then they aren't doing his dance. So not copyright infringement. That is unless our wonderful government and they wonderful copyright laws now means that when someone copyrights something that that copyright covers anything that is similar, I guess in this case a dance.

What a bunch of bull. They should shove an electric cattle prod up the governments... and the copyright holders... Now that would be an "Electric Slide"! :)

Robert

[LeviGaret]

total garbage!!!!

why isnt there rules on patiting stupid stuff like dance moves. Come on people that is so retarded. This makes me want to take a vidio of myself doing the electric slide and making it public just to **** that old geezer off. this is like geting a patent for doing a special wink with your eye and everybody that winks wrong in the world gets there arse sued for doing it "improperly". Lame .....

[amccarri]

yay!

So the creator realized what a silly dance it was and is trying to litigate it out of existence... eventually, we will live in a world where nobody knows what the electric slide is... the last vestiges of which live in the dark recesses of the minds of those who tried to perform it and were sued...

[Professor Cornbread]

Oh who cares

Are they going to enforce the copyright on the Chicken Dance...or how about the Jump, Jump, Jump around song they play at college football games.

Geesh...Richard Silver needs to get a life.

[befuddledms]

I have a patent too

Richard Silver, I have a patent on having one's head up ones posterior. I don't think you are doing it correctly so I am demanding that you cease and desist immediately.

[gtfvbhy]

sounds silly, but...

...the first thing that came to mind was that if it's okay to perform or duplicate a copywrited work, correctly or incorrectly, for profit or non-profit like in this case, would it be okay to sample bits of other musician's sound clips (altered or unaltered) in my own music and post it on the web?

But what do I know...

[batavier]

MC Hammer, this is your moment

Does that mean that MC Hammer can sue ABC and the producers of Dancing With The Stars (BBC) for allowing the use of the Running Man on their last season's run of that show?

[batavier]

MC Hammer, this is your moment

Does that mean that MC Hammer can sue ABC and the producers of Dancing With The Stars (BBC) for allowing the use of the Running Man on their last season's run of that show?

[batavier]

Moonwalk?

Forgot about "Michael Jckson vs Anybody who has ever performed the moonwalk on video.

Wow attorneys, are you paying attention here?

[batavier]

Moonwalk?

Forgot about "Michael Jckson vs Anybody who has ever performed the moonwalk on video.

Wow attorneys, are you paying attention here?

[jjnitzh]

Travesty

The real travesty of this whole deal is that US copy rights last 75 year past the DEATH of the author. So we'll be dealing with this single instance for another hundred years. Don't believe me, Try performing "Happy Birthday" on camera. The last time that was broadcast on network television the heirs to the author received $10k in royalties.

In comparison someone who spends $20K plus getting a patent on an invention that may have taken years to develop and save lives is only protected for a few years.

I am completely in favor of protecting intellectual property, but this is getting completely out of hand. There needs to be some common sense used here. Our current laws (the DMCA in particular) are completely inadequate for todays electronic exchanges. Issues like this weren't even envisioned 7 years ago when this was put in place. It's definitely time for us to press our lawmakers for laws that make sense.

[gnassif]

Electric Slide is public domain, no infringment

Two legal arguments against Ric Silver:

1. PUBLIC DOMAIN. Silver claims he choreogrpahed the dance in 1976, but didn't get a copyright until 2004, 28 years later. He waited too long to protect his work. Now, the dance moves are public domain. Like the old saying goes, "you snooze, you lose".

2. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGMENT. Silver has been requesting youtube.com and the like to pull down video clips of people "incorrectly" dancing the electric slide. To pursue a proper copyright infringment claim, Silver should attempt to take down video clips of people doing the electric slide "correctly" becaue he allegedly has a copyright on the correct way to dance the electric slide. Again, no copyright infringment here.

I hate that song anyway. It would be really funny if the whole country boycotted the song. All he's trying to do is pull down video clips of any dance rendition he doesn't like so that his verson gains popularity.

I took a copyright class during my 3rd year of law school. Here's a little side note on the DMCA. It was generally enacted for two reasons: one, to give ISPs and other internet service providers immunity from copyright infringment actions if they agree to remove infringing files after receiving a notice from the copyright holder; and two, it defined "digital audio recording devices" for purposes of royalty payments and mandatory digital rights management implementation. Oh yeah, computer hard drives and cd-rw drive's didn't fall under the DMCA! :-)

[AttitudeDancer]

Right to Disagree Should at Least be Valid

You imply that you took law study for three years. Did you graduate? I have yet to read or study the "you snooze, you lose" arguement as a valid point of law. Actually there are many events that can legally extend the statue of limitations for copyrights to be filed as there are for indebtness, liability, ownership, etc. Why are people, so quick to condemn without all of the facts. If within the time period of the 28 years, the dance choreography was copied and/or altered did the period of time that the person who can prove to be the creator of the choreography for purpose of copyright, then did the time period extend postponing "public domain". Specifically, did the advent of the cha-cha slide, which was clearly copied from the Electric Slide, alter the time frame by which public domain would be established. This was done in 1995, by DJ Casper, for Bally Fitness. And again, later in 2000, 2002 version of the Cha-Cha Slide by DJ Casper and others. At weight is not only the value of copyrighted property, by the value of ownership, even if a person did not protect the ownership In my opinion, Richard Silver did not realize the value of the Electric Slide until he saw millions being made off it by others. Does that make him less of the dance's legal owner? Does that strip him of his rights, as the owner, to protect the Electric Slide in the years going forward from 2004? Does he have have any entitlement to damages going back? The courts in time will decide these issues. But why do so many of you deney that you would try to do the same thing except better than than Richard Silver? The "You Tube" and the "Helen Degeneres Show" was in alledged violation of buying rights to the display of the Electric Slide. The "You Tude" correctly pulled the video and notified the submitter of the video that it was pulled. Richard Silver did not sue that individual and has not threatened to sue everyone that dances the Electric Slide. He has said that he plans to protect his ownership right by holding those that "perform the dance publically .... for profit without buying its rights will be sued for damages.

Beyond that, he gets upset because we all do not dance it correctly. So what! Some people get upset if the waltz, tango, salsa, lindy hop do not get danced correctly. Some people get upset, if the dinner ware are not set upon the table correctly. Like, who cares!!! Ric Silver created a great dance that has given fun and happiness to millions of people world-wide. Let us for now recognize that and give him credit of a genious to choreograph a dance simple enough to learn and simple enough for anyone to dance.

[TheDancer]

You are wrong

The copyright does not move to Public Domain until 75 years AFTER my death -
AS the video was registered in 2003, my speaking the words is covered -
as to the current registration pending - since the original handout was a limited printing - in 1976 is assured me my copyright under the 1903 law and since I didn't not actually publish it until 1994 on the internet - it is covered by t he 1978 law as choreography - I am awaiting registration paperwork on this filing that was submitted in 2/06.

[Bunny-Slope]

S.O.A.Q.

Sad Old Angry Queen...

Is this an income supplement by participating in America's Favorite Pastime...SUE EVERYONE?

[IMGvideos]

What a complete and utter DUMBASS!

#1, you cannot copyright a DANCE. If that were true, then the Charleston, a predecessor to the Shag, as well as the Jitterbug, the Twist, and many many other dances would be copywritten.

This jerk didn't even INVENT the dance (as he claims, he's LYING!). All he did was copyright an instructional video.

Also, I recently found out that this guy is a failed photographer. He has nothing left that he can do with his sad, pathetic excuse of a life but to sue anyone and everyone around. He needs to just go get a job frying burgers fo McD's, because that's all he is actually able to do successfully at this point in time (maybe not even that!).

I suggest that everyone fight back against this atrocity by posting videos on YouTube and MySpace with the title "Macarena", regardless of the fact that neither the song nor the dance is included in the video. Then, right in the middle of the video, hold up a big sign with his name on it and give this guy the middle finger.

Macarena THAT!

Oh, by the way, consider THIS:
The SONG called "Macarena", which actually IS coprywritten material, didn't even come out until the late 1980's. How in the world can he claim using that name for his PRIOR to that? Sorry, he has absolutely no rights to ANYTHING involved with this song, NOR the dance. More importantly, this dance actually precedes his claim, if you were to have traveled anywhere to Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, etc. during the early to mid 1970's.

What a big loser he is! Fight nonsense like this, or else everything you do in you life is going to result in a lawsuit.

Frankly, I feel like suing him myself just becuase he's an idiot pursuing absurd and ridiculous claims that he CANNOT back up.

Dewd, GET A LIFE. Dry up and blow away.

[IMGvideos]

Oops!

I MEANT to say, "Electric Slide", not Macarena.

I was posting in two different forums, one of which mentioned the Macarena, and got mixed up as to which post was to go in the proper forum.

That being said, I still like THIS POST here the best:
-------------------------------------------------
Prior Art

Reader post by: Sevenfeet0

Posted on: February 4, 2007, 5:48 AM PST

Story: 'Electric Slide' on slippery DMCA slope

The outrageous thing is that this guy didn't even invent this dance in the 70's. My mother (age 64) remembers this dance being called ";The Madison"; back in the early '60's and one of her friends remembers doing this dance in the '50's. If anyone if getting harrassed by this guy for DMCA, I'd call his bluff.
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Sevefeet, I agree with you whole-heartedly. This guy is a freakin' IDIOT LOSER with no life.

How DARE him try this nonsense!
FIGHT BACK AGAINST HIM!
HE IS WRONG and borderline EVIL!

[CeeDubb]

Notice his nickname?

It's no wonder that Richard Silver's nickname is probably "Dick."

[fcekuahd]

LOG ON YOUTUBE NOW FILM YOURSELF DANCING THIS DANCE

It's the only logical response.
Learn the electric slide and every youtube member post it. they will be overwhelmed and have to go away.

The person that copyrighted walking is suing this man for countless violations over his entire career!!

[taylormademusic]

[shakes head in utter disbelief]

Hi,

For those of you who were totally unaware of Ric Silver.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Electric_Slide

Digest it.... this guy has lost the plot BIG TIME...it would appear (going off the last posting at the very bottom) that he is now going to take the very people who created the song to Court... it beggers belief

[mibj2000]

No Electric Slide for this one

I just cant believe it... after all the years I have been doing the electric slide it makes me wonder if I shall ever do it again. I think I will discard ever doing it again due to the fact that it almost in my eyes any way does not make much sense to become sue happy on such a wonderful dance. I have have to wonder if the creator of the dance will be going to sue anyone whom takes money to teach line dances.... Since there are others out there around my area back in the 90's I paid someone to learn this dance in classes that were held at local little places around the area now the question is by accepting money to teach the dance does that make then suseptable to being sued as well?

Also when I use to do the Electric Slide I also had a video tape that had a lady teaching it on her tape wonder if she will be sued too or maybe she was given the go ahead to do so.....

I am much shocked and appaled at this new finding.

But you know that old saying .....
everyone has their own opinion

[JesterCat]

Choreography CAN be copyrighted!

Choreography can be copyrighted, just like music and poetry
and paintings. Mr. Silver is just trying to regain control of his
creation, which he has every right to do. If people are making
money off of HIS dance (sequence of steps), he has every right to
ask that they stop doing so without his permission. If
Balanchine and Graham and others can copyright their
sequences of steps, Ric Silver can certainly do the same.

As for suing people who claim to be teaching "his" dance on the
internet, he has the right to do that. Those people who claim to
be teaching "The Electric Slide" but are not doing the right steps
are violating his copyright by changing the moves but not the
name. Thus, they are diluting the value of the name.

I hope he wins the suits!

[gsavage777]

HYPOCRITE!!!!?????????

I went to his website. He has a cartoon of spiderman dancing the electric slide. Is he paying a liceseing
fee to the owner???? I DOUBT IT!!!!