US Supreme Court Leaves Landmark Global Termination Rights Ruling Intact

The US Supreme Court will not hear an appeal by major music publishers seeking to overturn a landmark copyright ruling, leaving intact a precedent that grants songwriters worldwide control when reclaiming catalog rights.

The legal fight began when songwriter Cyril Vetter exercised his US termination right over his song "Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)". While publishing agreements traditionally treated US termination as domestic-only, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Vetter reclaimed the rights globally. In response, Universal, Sony, Warner, and BMG acquired the publisher’s stake to challenge the decision before the Supreme Court.

However, four of the nine Supreme Court justices recused themselves due to book deals with BMG parent company Bertelsmann through Penguin Random House. Without the six justices required for a quorum, the court could not take up the appeal, automatically leaving the Fifth Circuit ruling in force. The outcome reinforces songwriters' ability to recover international rights from legacy publishing contracts.