‘Bridgerton’ Musical, Church’s ‘Hamilton': IP Fair Use Explained

An unauthorized musical production inspired by the hit Netflix TV show “Bridgerton” and a Texas church’s rendition of award-winning Broadway show “Hamilton” are pushing the boundaries of performance rights and the “fair use” copyright defense.

While copyright law generally allows artists to put their own spins on pieces of pop culture without licensing the original work, both productions appear to lack a nonprofit motive, as well as originality that would distinguish them enough to avoid copyright infringement.

The July 26 one-night run of “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert” prompted a Netflix lawsuit when it debuted at the ...