Deals & Your Rights
Copyright Termination & Reversion
US law lets songwriters and artists reclaim rights they signed away (roughly 35 years later) through a strict statutory notice window.
Where this sits
Copyright Termination & Reversion
- Distribution
- Broadcast
- Publishing
- Performance
US copyright law gives creators a powerful do-over: the right to terminate a grant of rights and reclaim their copyrights decades after signing them away. For grants made in 1978 or later, the window opens about 35 years later (17 U.S.C. §203); older works fall under §304.
Good to know
Copyright Termination & Reversion: common questions
- Can I get my rights back after signing them away?
- Often yes. US law lets you terminate many grants about 35 years later and reclaim your copyright, but only by filing a specific notice within a strict statutory window.
- Does termination apply to work made for hire?
- No. Works made for hire don't revert; the hiring party is the legal author from the start, so there's nothing to reclaim.