The Atlanta Journal Constitution recently published an op-ed by Liz Garner discussing termination rights and recent court rulings that are opening doors for songwriters and artists!

Throughout the past year, a spotlight was shone onto the crucial topic of termination rights, a provision in copyright law allowing artists to reclaim control of their recordings and compositions from labels and publishers.

In January 2025, a federal judge ruled that American copyright termination rules apply not just stateside but across the globe. Then, Salt-N-Pepa sued Universal Music Group (UMG), claiming the label refused to return their recordings. Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals issued a landmark decision upholding the earlier ruling that songwriters can reclaim global copyrights under U.S. law. Billboard named termination rights one of the biggest music industry stories of 2025, and it looks to be even bigger in 2026.