NSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’ Dance Subject of Lawsuit
NSYNC choreographer Darrin Henson came up with the iconic dance moves in the “Bye Bye Bye” music video some 27 years ago.
He’s now suing Sony Music for acting as the owner of the dance and licensing it for use in the 2024 film “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Henson just submitted his complaint to a federal court in Georgia, asking for a court declaration stating that he is the exclusive owner of the dance.
Henson said he was commissioned to create the dance and never signed a “work made for hire agreement prior to the creation of” the dance to transfer ownership to a third party, which he maintains makes him the sole owner of the dance.
The original music video for “Bye Bye Bye” has racked up 600 million views on YouTube. The inclusion of the song and dance in the “Deadpool & Wolverine” movie brought it all back to life – it even became a thing on Fortnite!
Henson obviously wants control of his creative product – he registered the choreography last year with the Copyright Office. But Sony Music maintained that the dance is not copyrightable.
We’ll have to see what happens – both sides are reportedly talking in hopes of reaching a resolution.
We’ve linked both the original NSYNC video and the “Bye By Bye” dance scene from the film. What do you think? Can someone claim ownership of a dance move or choreography? Is it the same as claiming ownership of music or lyrics?
