Terminations of Transfers

Congress provided separate rules for terminating transfers made before and after January 1, 1978. For those made before, the rules are laid out in Section 304(c)-(d). For those made after, the rules are in Section 203.

In both cases, Congress's purpose was to give authors of successful works a second bite at the apple, since they may not have been in a good bargaining position the first time around. The first works to be eligible for Section 203 termination became eligible in 2013. Some of the first artists to exercise this right are the Village People (most famous for the song Y.M.C.A.), and the children of Ray Charles, the blind music legend.