United States of America: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued ruling in Vetter v Resnik clarifying worldwide scope of copyright termination and renewal rights

On 12 January 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a district court's ruling, thereby confirming that Cyril E. Vetter and Vetter Communications Corporation are the sole proprietors of the copyright for the song "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" on a global scale. The ruling under consideration addresses ownership disputes involving the song's original authors and successor music publishers. The Court determined that the termination of a pre-1978 worldwide grant under Section 304(c) enables an author to reclaim their specific interest in all rights arising under US law, including those that are exploitable internationally. Furthermore, it was determined that renewal rights under the Copyright Act of 1909 constitute a "new estate" for heirs, thereby granting global ownership free of prior assignments. This judgment finalises the determination that US statutory termination and renewal mechanisms govern worldwide ownership when the original grant was executed under United States law.