The Future of Publishing: Know Your eBook Rights

 

Do publishers control eBook right to their legacy titles?

"Arguably, yes, but not for much longer."
-- Lloyd Jassin

 

 On September 28, 2010, Publishers Weekly and the Book Industry Study Group held a seminar at the Random House building entitled The Future of Publishing: Know Your eBook Rights.   It was moderated by Jim Milliot of PW.  I was honored to be on the dais with Paul Aiken, Exec. Dir., Authors Guild; Neil de Young, Exec. Dir, Hachette Digital; and  Scott Waxman, Waxman Literary Agency.  The following concerns future technology rights and the threat copyright termination -- and Andrew Wylie -- pose to legacy publishers.

JIM MILLIOT (PW): Great. Thanks very much. Lloyd?

LLOYD JASSIN: If Paul (Aiken) is a glass half full kind of guy, then you’ll slit your wrists after I’m done speaking. (laughter) I’m Lloyd Jassin and I want to thank Publishers Weekly and the Book Industry Study Group for inviting all of us here. Because I’m an attorney, I evoke a lot of hostility so let me lay a little foundation.  

While I am an attorney I also consider myself a part of this industry. I started out in book publishing 25 years ago, originally at St. Martin’s Press, and then Simon & Schuster. I was a director of publicity for a division of S&S that published long-shelf-life branded nonfiction, which was a good idea then and is even a better idea now for a variety of reasons dealing with electronic publishing. So I’m an exile from publishing. I then went to law school and worked in television and syndication distribution, doing a lot of trademark licensing. I’m also an author. I currently have a boutique law firm, and I represent franchise authors, midlist authors, some literary agencies, midsized book publishers, and the like. So I don’t see things just through the eyes of an attorney/advocate, or a publisher/author. I think I see things a little differently. Plus I have a lot of friends in the music business and we all know what’s happened to them.

So if somebody asked me about the future of book publishing, which I think is the subtext of this morning’s discussion, I’d say, to paraphrase one of my music business friends, “the future of publishing is bright, but the future of the ‘Big 6’ publishing industry is cloudy.” I think publishing has always been in disaster mode, and it will reassess and reform and maybe get smaller, but it’ll adjust to the changes. So big publishing is in peril; you don’t need me to tell you that. But I don’t think it’s just the recession, I don’t think it’s just disintermediation. It’s the fact that, in large part, older contracts didn’t contemplate the digital future. That is an error that you can lay at the feet of the publishers, because they drafted those contracts, and future technology clauses have existed for at least a hundred years. I handed something to Paul that he probably is familiar with, which is Mark Twain’s contract, in his handwriting, which talks about future technologies. So it wasn’t that they didn’t know about future technologies. It’s just that the lawyers were asleep at the wheel, in my opinion.

So respectfully, and it’s very respectful because I’m here at Random House, I disagree with Marcus Dohle, Random House’s CEO’s statement that the vast majority of backlist contracts granted Random House e-book rights. I believe he wasn’t speaking just for Random House but for the industry.  Those contracts need to be reviewed on  a case-by-case basis. Some contracts  granted them e-book rights; a lot of them certainly didn’t. But I think whether they did or didn’t may  actually moot, and what I mean by that is, evenif they did grant Random House and Simon & Schuster and their brethren electronic book rights, they have them only for the short term, not the long term. The Copyright Act giveth and it taketh away, and already, and with greater velocity in two years, authors will be able to exercise their statutory termination rights. These are rights found in the Copyright Act that allow authors who didn’t know their worth when they negotiated their publishing contracts 35, 56, 75 years ago, the right to go back and negotiate  a better deal. Is it fair to publishers? It’s really not a question of fairness; it’s the law. And wherever you come out on this issue, the copyright termination provisions of the Copyright Act are going to allow authors to reboot their pre-Internet contracts, and clear up any of the ambiguities regarding e-book in the author’s favor.  So, if the question is, do publishers control e-book rights to their legacy titles?  Arguably they do, but not for much longer.

What happens when the right to reprint classic titles is threatened  is the subject of another evening, but what it comes down to is, agents and publishers disagree on two key issues.  Who controls e-book rights? I think the question’s been answered, whether it’s the Rosetta books decision which Random House lost, or the reversion of rights in favor of  heritage or legacy authors. The historical irony is that 301 years ago, the Copyright Act gave authors the exclusive right to control their writings and other intellectual property and authors in turn gave publishers an exclusive monopoly over their works. The reason authors needed publishers was that publishers controlled the printing presses.  That’s what came between readers e and the writers of the time. Now that the printing press is less important and authors can control their own printing presses, I think we’re going to see a dislocation, a disruption, in the way business has been done for a lot of years.

I did the math and 2013, which is first date rights can be recaptured, is two years, 95 days, and approximately 16 hours from now. That’s when the copyright termination or “contract bumping recapture” first time bomb goes off.  It will threaten publishing’s backlist and all of the books on the backlist that begin with the words “Vintage,” “Classic,” ”Heritage”; titles published 35, 56 and 75 years ago are at risk. When a publisher’s backlist has to be renegotiated, it has profound implications for the industry, and makes authors and publishers reassess their relationship. I think what will happen is old contracts will be renegotiated – publishers will  compromise rather than lose authors. And, it’s generally a good idea to leave the dance with the party you came to the dance with, so while authors have the ability to put a knife to the throat of publishers—it’s the Copyright Act that allows them to do that—I think there’ll be accommodations. If you synthesize  this, agent Andrew Wylie, by settling for a 40 percent royalty on backlist titles for his legacy authors, makes me question his negotiation skill. It could be that Random House had pictures of him in a compromising position in Frankfurt. I don’t know.  Perhaps, he didn’t consult his  attorney before accepting Random House’s offer.  Why?   In in two, three, four years, all the rights he bargained away are going to revert to his authors.  Before long, it’s going to be a 50 percent – or better – deal that authors and agents will be striking.  Maybe Mr. Wylie  got large advances in exchange, and it’s a short-term license, so there are lots of ways that you can work things out. Forty percent wouldn’t look so bad to me if I got several million dollars up front. Money today versus money tomorrow. 

[The full interview will run in the Spring issue of The Authors Guild Bulletin]


Resources

The Copyright Termination Time Bomb

Publishing Doomsday Clock & the Death of the Backlist

By Lloyd J. Jassin

Copyright Termination: A Guide for Authors

The Copyright Act gives authors an opportunity to recapture rights they licensed 35- to 40-years ago. Since an author's termination right cannot be waived, it allows authors to renegotiate the terms of publishing agreements they signed before the true value of their work was known. Some call it "contract bumping."  The termination right trumps written agreements -- even agreements which state they are in perpetuity.  Also known as “termination” or “recapture” rights, the deadline for sending termination notices for 1978 grants will begin to expire in 2011.

To protect authors and other creators of older works from having to live with a bad deal they entered into when they had little negotiating skill or leverage, the Copyright Act allows them (or their families) to recapture copyrights by sending notices of termination to their publisher partners. 

Post 1977 Contracts

Section 203 of the “new” Copyright Act applies to grants of copyrights signed on or after January 1, 1978 by the author -- not grants signed by an author's heirs.  One of the idiosyncrasies of the termination right, is that it does not apply to foreign grants.  However, under UK law, heirs can recapture rights twenty-five years after the death of an author.  Known as British Reversionary Rights, these rights are analogous to our recapture and termination rights.  

"Works made for hire" are immune from termination. Of special concern to heirs is an unsavory practice known as revoke and re-grant.  If you are an heir, be very careful of what you are asked to sign by agents, coauthors, publishers, producers and other copyright licensees and partners.   If it is a revoke and immediate regrant of the rights agreement, you may be signing away valuable rights for less than market rate.    

The Section 203 right of termination focuses on when the copyright grant or license was made.  “Termination may be exercised at any time during a period of five years beginning at the end of thirty-five years from the date of publication of the work under the grant or at the end of forty years from the date of execution of the grant, whichever is earlier.”

The rules that apply to termination are dense and unforgiving. If  you serve a Notice of Termination either too late, or too early, or incorrectly, you have squandered your termination rights.  It's essential the that the Notice of Termination be recorded with the Copyright Office, which must be prior to the date of termination.  You can serve a Notice of Termination as early as ten years before the effective date of recapture, or as late as two years before the effective date of recapture.  The author (or his heirs) selects the date termination will take effect, and must send a Notice of Termination within the termination window outlined in the Copyright Act.

Example: If a songwriter agreement was signed in 1978, the Notice of Termination could be served as late as two two years before the recapture date.   In this instance, 40-years from date of execution would be 2018, which means the notice of termination can be served as late as 2016.

Statutory v Contractual Termination Rights

The right of termination should not be confused with the contractual right many authors have to recapture  book rights when their book goes out-of-print.  When a book goes out-of-print, most book contracts allow the author to request a reversion of rights.  Regrettably, what constitutes "out of print" is not always clear, and responding to written requests for a reversion of rights is not a top priority with publishers.  Unlike out-of-print clauses, which requires the cooperation of the publisher, the statutory termination right automatically vests those rights in the author.      

It Involves Math!#$@!

Calculating the notice and recapture dates are the author's responsibility.  The Copyright Office does not provide Notice of Termination forms.  You must calculate the notice and recapture dates yourself.  It is strongly advised that you consult with a knowledgeable copyright attorney (not a trusts & estates attorney) if you have questions pertaining to termination.  

Death & Termination

The important message is that when an author dies, their spouse, children or grandchildren, even parents or siblings, may be entitled to exercise the recapture rights discussed in this article.   

Recapturing Ownership Rights to Pre-1978 Works

The Copyright Act gives families of deceased authors and composers an opportunity to recapture rights to pre-1978 works as well.  

For example, when the author of an older work dies during the initial 28-year term of copyright, that author’s family has the right to reclaim the renewal copyright, which is a further term of 67 years of copyright protection.  This subset of the Copyright Act also provides for termination at any time during the five year period beginning at the end of 56 and 75 years from the date the copyright was originally secured.  These added opportunities to get back ownership of copyrights exists even if the author assigned his or her renewal term (or devised it by will) to someone other than his family.  What is extraordinary about these rights, is that copyright law also trumps a writer or composer's will.

Example.  Miles Davis, the jazz icon, died in 1991, before the end of the 28th year of copyright of his revolutionary 1970-album Bitches Brew.  Because he died before the 28th year of copyright, his renewal term rights in the song Bitches Brew vested automatically in his heirs -- cutting off a sister and brother mentioned in his will, and severing his ties to his music publisher.  Today, his sons (two of whom were not included in their father's will) and his daughter, jointly control the remaining 67-years of copyright in Bitches Brew and other songs.   Here, Section 203 trumped both Miles Davis' will and his songwriter agreements.   

Similarly, in 1938 Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, two young men from Cleveland, Ohio, signed over all of their rights to the Superman character to DC Comics for $130.00 and vague promises of future work. To address this, and similar economic injustices, Congress gave authors (and their heirs) a second chance to strike better financial deals. As a result, starting in 1999, using Section 302 of the Copyright Act, Siegel’s heirs recaptured his rights to the Superman character. Fortunately, you don’t have to be related to a man of steel to reclaim copyrights. The heirs of Jack Kirby, Hank Williams, William Saroyan, Truman Capote, Joe Young, Lorenz Hart, and many others have availed themselves of these valuable rights.

Copyright Estate Planning

The clock is ticking.  Don't miss this opportunity to get your book or song rights back.  Termination notices, which must adhere to complex formalities, must be sent within a narrow window. On January 1, 2013, provided timely Termination Notices are sent (and recorded with the Copyright Office) grants made on January 1, 1978 will terminate.  As a copyright owner, or copyright owner's heir, you must be vigilant. Failure to exercise these rights, or exercise them in a timely manner, can be fatal.  And, if you delay filing your claim, you can be time-barred by the statute of limitations.

If you are thinking about exercising your renewal or termination rights, or need help renegotiating your soon-to-terminate publishing agreement, call us.  We can help you: (i) identify which copyrights are eligible for termination; (ii) determine who is the proper party to exercise those termination rights; (iii) prepare, file and record your Notices of Termination; (iv) assist you recover rights to copyrighted works you thought were irrevocably assigned or bequeathed to others; (v) work cooperatively with your trusts and estates attorney on reopening an estate, or seek monetary damages that flow from a determination of ownership or co-ownership of a legacy copyright.      

The Best of 1978

Select Books

1.  The Stand - Stephen King

2.  Eye of the Needle - Ken Follett

3.  The House of God - Samuel Shem

4.  The Far Pavilions - M.M. Kaye

5.  Holcroft Covenant - Robert Ludlum

6.  Chesapeake - James Michener

7.  If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits - Erma Bombeck

Select Songs (artist , not composer shown)

1. Is This Love - Bob Marley & the Wailers
2. Le Freak - Chic
3  My Life - Billy Joel

4. Life's Been Good -- Joe Walsh

5. Night Fever - The Bee Gees

6. Miss You - The Rolling Stones

7. YMCA - Village People

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NOTICE: This article discusses general legal issues of interest and is not designed to give any specific legal advice pertaining to any specific circumstances. It is important that professional legal advice be obtained before acting upon any of the information contained in this article.  This article represents copyrighted material and may only be reproduced in whole for personal or classroom use. It may not be edited, altered, or otherwise modified, except with the express permission of the author. 

LLOYD J. JASSIN is a New York-based publishing and entertainment attorney with a special interest in copyright and trademark matters.  He is co-author of The Copyright Permission and Libel Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers, Editors and Publishers (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.).  A former publishing executive, Mr. Jassin has written extensively on negotiating contracts in the publishing and entertainment industries, and lectures frequently on contract and copyright issues affecting creators. He may reached at Jassin@copylaw.com or at (212) 354-4442. His offices are located at 1560 Broadway, Suite 400, New York, NY 10036. Visit www.copylaw.org.

(c) 2010. Lloyd J. Jassin. All Rights Reserved.