Song Lyrics Rights

[levs]

Hi,

I have written a song and a guy put the music to it and produced it. I also sung it. It has gone sour and just wondering does he have the right to have it played anywhere and have someone else sing it and use my words.Can he play it on the radio if he wishes, or get someone else to sing it using my words. He is no longer giving me credit for the lyrics. All i signed was a page for him to produce one copy of the song consisiting of one song - 50% of royalties to me the writer and 50% to him. But can

[AlistairS]

Unless you signed away your rights, he "cannot" use your words without your permission. A lot depends on that one page you signed and what rights were discussed and agreed - there are publishing rights, mechanical rights, performing rights, etc.

Pursuing the matter and enforcing your rights is another matter and you have to decide whether it's worth the effort and, possibly, expense. Not knowing the context, it's impossible to say much more.

[MikeRobinson]

I. N. A. L., but ...

The manner of your post implies strongly that there was some kind of "business" relationship between the two of you. May I presume, then, that the two of you had the presence of mind to put it in writing and then sign your name to it? Gee, I hope so.

Otherwise ... I'd like to suggest that the two of you go back there behind the woodshed and get yourselves into a good knock-down drag-out fist fight until ... you've knocked a little sense into one another.

I mean it. Duke it out. Get everything out into the open. And then . . .

For the good of the song, if nothing else, find some way to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Then, put that agreement in writing and sign your names to it, both of you keeping a copy. (If there might be serious money in it, each of you sign it in the presence of a notary public... AAA offers that service for free to its members.) "Maybe next time" you'll do it differently, "older and wiser," but that will be water under the bridge by that time.

A good song, a good project, doesn't deserve to wind up on-the-skids because you don't quite see eye to eye anymore, even though Lord knows that way too many of them did. Perhaps the two of you can find a way to admit that both of you were, maybe, just a little bit wrong, maybe said a few things to each other that you shouldn't, and thus maybe the song can be rescued, for the good of the music, even if the two of you choose to never work together again...

"You worked so hard to make it, and it took so long to bake it, and you'll never have that recipe again." Don't "leave the cake out in the rain..."

Edited September 15, 2011 by MikeRobinson