Major Creator Orgs Back Pivotal Copyright Case Vetter v. Resnik

Prominent creator advocacy organizations have united to file an amicus brief in support of the Vetter vs Resnik copyright case, which could affirm songwriter rights globally.

The organizations:

• The brief was filed by the Music Artists Coalition (MAC), the non-profit body that fights for the rights of music creators.

• It’s joined in the coalition by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) and Songwriters of North America (SONA).

What’s at stake:

• Copyright termination rights enable creators to reclaim rights to their works 35 years after signing them away.

• The issue of whether that law applies only to domestic rights as opposed to international rights is at the heart of the Vetter vs Resnik copyright case, which is currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

• That case revolves around a 1963 agreement in which songwriter Cyril Vetter signed away worldwide rights to his song “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)” to Windsong Music Publishers.

• When, decades later, he exercised his statutory right to end the agreement and reclaim his work, Resnik Music Group (which now owned Windsong) claimed the action only pertains to the US market.

• The District Court found in favor of Vetter, ruling that the termination recaptures worldwide rights.

• The industry bodies are urging the Fifth Circuit to uphold that ruling.

The amicus brief:

• The coalition’s amicus brief argues that restricting termination rights to domestic ownership undermines the creator protections originally intended by Congress, particularly in an age of streaming where songs can immediately become global hits and generate revenue internationally.

What they said:

• Jen Jacobsen, Artist Rights Alliance: “US copyright law must reflect the realities of today’s global music economy, ensuring that artists have the power to reclaim their rights worldwide in a marketplace where their work has instant global reach. Limiting termination rights to the US alone defies both the letter and spirit of the Copyright Act, denying creators the fair treatment and second chance promised to them under the law.”