Rights reversion

[redzinger]

Asking on behalf of a friend who also lives in the UK. Does anyone have experience of this, and how would you go about it successfully? There is no procedure specified in her contracts.

(Apologies - I know it's not directly related to Lit, but my friend is not sure where else it would be safe to ask.)

Thanks in advance for any constructive assistance.

 

[HeyAll]

What does this mean?

There is no procedure specified in her contracts

I'm assuming you mean property.

If the property is limited to years or duration, then it automatically goes back.

ie "you can have my car for 5 years."

after the 5 years, it goes back.

Is that what you're talking about?

 

[sr71plt]

Don't know how it works in the UK, but in the States either a date for rights revision is stated in the use permissions contract or you have to renegotiate it. Even if the publishing house goes under, the rights don't revert unless that's provided for in the original contract or the publishing house gives them back in writing. (The contract should include what the bundles of rights assigned are.)

 

[HeyAll]

^^

That sounds about right.

Or if there is no clause in the contract about reversion, then you could always attempt to buy back the rights.

 

[Handley_Page]

Asking on behalf of a friend who also lives in the UK. Does anyone have experience of this, and how would you go about it successfully? There is no procedure specified in her contracts.

(Apologies - I know it's not directly related to Lit, but my friend is not sure where else it would be safe to ask.)

Thanks in advance for any constructive assistance.

Take a look HERE.
This may actually help, assuming your shorthand is understood.

 

[sr71plt]

Seems to confirm what I posted and it's still about U.S. copyright law, not UK copyright law.

 

[redzinger]

What does this mean?



I'm assuming you mean property.

If the property is limited to years or duration, then it automatically goes back.

ie "you can have my car for 5 years."

after the 5 years, it goes back.

Is that what you're talking about?

More or less. There's no timescale or minimum selling numbers mentioned.

Don't know how it works in the UK, but in the States either a date for rights revision is stated in the use permissions contract or you have to renegotiate it. Even if the publishing house goes under, the rights don't revert unless that's provided for in the original contract or the publishing house gives them back in writing. (The contract should include what the bundles of rights assigned are.)

No dates. Before signing, she had the contract checked out by a couple of people, to be told it was a 'standard publishing contract'.

Take a look HERE.
This may actually help, assuming your shorthand is understood.

Thank you, that's very useful.

 

[sr71plt]

Thank you, that's very useful.

It's very useful only if UK law is the same as U.S. law. (Am I having trouble having this understood?) You need to find out what UK law says about it.