Vetter v. Resnik

Fifth Circuit affirms ruling that statutory termination of copyright grant, as well as contingent copyright renewal rights, apply worldwide and are not limited to rights in United States.

In 1962, Cyril Vetter and Don Smith co-wrote a song titled "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)." They then assigned all of their interests in the song—including their interests in the renewal term of copyright under the 1909 Copyright Act—to Windsong Music Publishers. Smith passed away in 1966, and Smith's heirs and Vetter later registered a renewal copyright in the song. Although Vetter's assignment of the renewal term to Windsong was effective because he survived into the renewal term, Smith's assignment of the renewal term was not effective because he died before the beginning of the renewal term. Windsong therefore owned 50% of the renewal copyright and Smith's heirs held the other 50%. Windsong later transferred its assets to Robert Resnik and Resnik Music Group, and the