Complete Artist Rights & Participation FAQ Do I lose ownership of my act by submitting to the Online Festival? No. You remain the full owner of your act, your ideas, and all intellectual property. Nothing in the Terms & Conditions transfers any rights of ownership to Cirque du Soleil.
Does Cirque du Soleil gain the rights to use my act outside the Online Festival?
No. Any permissions granted apply only to the Online Festival and the promotional activities connected to it.
What does “related promotional activities” mean? This includes things like:
‣ Online programming
‣ Social media posts
‣ YouTube compilations
‣ Digital content promoting the Online Festival
These activities exist solely to present, highlight, and celebrate the Festival.
Why does Cirque need permission to use my submission at all? To feature your video publicly as part of a global digital event, we need basic permission to display it in Festival-related content. This is standard legal practice for online competitions and showcases.
Is Cirque du Soleil claiming ownership over any artist’s work? No. All content, characters, acts, and concepts remain fully owned by the artists who created them.
Why is the language in the Terms & Conditions so legal? The wording ensures global legal compliance for digital programming. While the phrasing can sound formal, the intent is simple: Artists keep their rights, and Cirque uses submissions only within the Online Festival.
Why are you posting this FAQ now?
We've seen discussions online and want to address them openly. We genuinely appreciate artists advocating for copyrights and intellectual property. Those are values that we share, and we want to ensure everyone feels informed, respected, and supported.