Do I need to register a copyright to own it?

No. In the US, copyright exists automatically the moment a work is fixed in a tangible form – recorded, written down, saved. Registration isn't required to own it. But registering adds big benefits: in the US you generally need it to file an infringement suit, and to claim statutory damages and attorney's fees.

How long does copyright last?

For a work created by an individual, the author's life plus 70 years. For works made for hire (and anonymous works), it's 95 years from publication or 120 from creation, whichever is shorter.

Can an artist get their copyright back after signing it away?

Often, yes. US law gives authors a right to terminate a copyright grant and reclaim it after about 35 years – and that right can't be signed away. The big exception is a genuine work made for hire, which can't be reclaimed at all.

Copyright basics for artists and creators

Copyright is automatic – an artist owns a song or recording the moment it's fixed, with no paperwork. But registration unlocks the ability to actually enforce it, and a little-known rule lets authors reclaim a copyright they signed away after about 35 years. Here's what a manager needs to know. This is US copyright law – other countries differ – and general education, not legal advice.

It's automatic – but register anyway

In the US, copyright exists the instant a work is fixed in a tangible form – the moment a song is recorded or a lyric is written down. No registration, no © symbol, no fee required to own it. So why register? Because registration is what lets you enforce it: in the US you generally need a registration to sue for infringement, and – crucially – registering before an infringement (or within three months of publishing) is what unlocks statutory damages and attorney’s fees. Without that, a winning case can still leave the artist out of pocket. Registration is cheap insurance on a valuable asset.

What a copyright actually controls

Owning a copyright means owning a bundle of exclusive rights – the right to reproduce the work, distribute it, make new works from it, and perform or display it publicly. That bundle is why the two copyrights in a recording – the composition and the master – each generate their own income streams. Mark works with © and sound recordings with ℗; it’s optional, but it defeats anyone later claiming they infringed by accident.

How long it lasts

For a work created by an individual, copyright runs for the author’s life plus 70 years. For a work made for hire (or an anonymous work), it’s 95 years from publication or 120 from creation, whichever ends first. Either way, it long outlives the artist – which is exactly why who owns it matters so much.

The 35-year reclaim right

Here’s the rule most people don’t know, and it’s powerful. Under US copyright law, an author who assigned or licensed their copyright can terminate that grant and get the copyright back after about 35 years – within a five-year window, with written notice given a few years ahead. Even better: this right cannot be signed away. A contract clause that says “you waive your termination right” is unenforceable. So an artist who signed a bad deal at the start of their career may be able to reclaim their songs decades later, regardless of what the old contract says.

The one big exception: a genuine work made for hire can’t be reclaimed, because the artist was never the legal author. That’s what makes work-for-hire the dangerous one. (The mechanics of termination – the exact windows and notices – are technical and worth a lawyer; this is general education, not legal advice.)

Common questions

Do I need to register a copyright to own it?: No. In the US, copyright exists automatically the moment a work is fixed in a tangible form – recorded, written down, saved. Registration isn't required to own it. But registering adds big benefits: in the US you generally need it to file an infringement suit, and to claim statutory damages and attorney's fees.
How long does copyright last?: For a work created by an individual, the author's life plus 70 years. For works made for hire (and anonymous works), it's 95 years from publication or 120 from creation, whichever is shorter.
Can an artist get their copyright back after signing it away?: Often, yes. US law gives authors a right to terminate a copyright grant and reclaim it after about 35 years – and that right can't be signed away. The big exception is a genuine work made for hire, which can't be reclaimed at all.