Major music companies ask Supreme Court to limit worldwide copyright termination ruling
Major music companies and BMG have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that lets songwriters reclaim worldwide rights under American copyright law. Music Business Worldwide reported that the petition was filed June 11 after a January decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The case centers on songwriter Cyril Vetter and the 1963 song Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love). The Fifth Circuit ruled that Vetter can recapture worldwide rights, not only U.S. rights, after termination. The industry view for roughly 50 years was that termination reached only U.S. rights while overseas rights stayed with the publisher.
THE BREAKDOWN
If the ruling survives, catalog valuations and songwriter leverage both change. Managers with legacy songwriter clients should map termination dates and foreign rights now because worldwide recapture can be worth far more than U.S.-only control. Publishers will push for settlement language that preserves overseas administration, so talent teams need specialist counsel before signing anything. Catalog buyers should discount assets with unresolved termination exposure. New publishing deals should spell out what happens to foreign rights if U.S. law gives authors a broader recapture path.
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