Musical director Juraj Jakubisko and the Nová Scéna theatre are at each other's throats over the copyrights to a new musical.
The musical Ballad of a Horse Thief was premiered in the theatre November 16, against the wishes of its former director Jakubisko. According to his manager, Deana Horváthová-Jakubisková, Nová Scéna violated Jakubisko's copyright on the musical by staging the performance.
Jakubisko claims the theatre followed his scene proposal and scenery, costumes and music arrangements in their performance. His manager says his ideas are registered at the Theatre and Literature agency in Prague and that the theatre was aware of this.
Nová Scéna says it owns all rights to the musical.
The director walked out on the theatre and its production because, he claimed, it did not create professional conditions for his work. The musical's auxiliary director, Štefan Kožka, stepped into the post to ensure the production went ahead.
Jakubisko's lawyer, Ľuboš Havel wants the case to go to court.
10. Dec 2001 at 0:00