Playregistrering

Playregistrering is the practice of registering theatrical plays in an official registry or rights-management system to establish authorship, track performance rights, and preserve essential information about a work. The term is used in several Nordic countries and in academic contexts to describe how dramatic works are documented for licensing and archival purposes.

Its primary purpose is to enable legal, properly licensed performances while ensuring that authors, publishers, and other rights holders receive due compensation. Registries provide bibliographic data, ownership details, licensing terms, and historical performance records, helping theatres, festivals, libraries, and educators discover and reuse works legally.

Registration typically involves submitting metadata such as title, original language, year of creation, genre, a synopsis, and the names of authors, composers, and publishers. Rights holders or representing organizations supply or verify licensing terms. In many systems, each registered work receives a unique identifier to facilitate rights administration and reporting of royalties.

Registrations may cover different categories of dramatic works, including stage plays, librettos, and screenplays adapted for live performance, and may vary by jurisdiction. Some registries are public catalogs; others operate through performing rights organizations or publishers. Compliance requirements and processing times differ between countries and organizations.

Playregistrering intersects with copyright law, library science, and dramaturgy. It supports accessibility, preservation, and transparent licensing. Related concepts include performing rights management, cataloging of dramatic works, and the work of national or regional registries and cultural heritage institutions.