Loyola University Professor Wins Landmark Global Copyright Ruling

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that U.S. copyright law allows songwriters to reclaim ownership of their songs worldwide - not just in the United States - a landmark decision that could significantly affect long-standing agreements across the music industry.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court ruling granting songwriter Cyril Vetter full global ownership of the 1963 hit "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)." The court affirmed that Vetter, through his company Vetter Communications Corporation, is the sole worldwide owner of the song's copyright, rejecting claims by publisher Resnik Music Group.

Vetter was represented by Loyola University Professor Tim Kappel, a nationally recognized expert in music and copyright law, and a longtime advocate for songwriters' rights.Kappel is an Assistant Professor of Music Industry Studies and Associate Director of the School of Music and Theatre Professions at Loyola.

"We knew from the start that we had the law on our side, even though we felt it had been misapplied for decades," Kappel said. "Now, songwriters will be able to recapture the full scope of what they gave away, which is what we think Congress intended to happen. They get back exactly what they gave away, and nothing less."

Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, dean of the College of Music and Media at Loyola, said she is incredibly proud of Kappel's victory in the Fifth Circuit, noting that his work brings extraordinary real-world impact into the classroom.

"Our students have the rare opportunity to learn from a professor whose work is shaping copyright law at the highest level," she said. "Tim Kappel's success in this landmark case exemplifies the caliber of faculty and education at Loyola."

The decision in Vetter v. Resnik centers on "termination rights," a provision of U.S. copyright law that allows songwriters to reclaim rights to their work after a set period of time, even if those rights were previously signed away.

Cyril Vetter and Don Smith wrote "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" in Baton Rouge in the early 1960s when the two men were early in their careers. The song was later recorded by The Swingin' Medallions and became a national hit, reaching the Billboard charts and becoming a staple of classic rock radio.

Like many songwriters of that era, Vetter and Smith signed publishing agreements that transferred ownership and control of the song to a music publisher, Windsong Music Publishers, Inc., for just $1. At the time, songwriters had little bargaining power and limited understanding of the long-term value of their work.

Decades later, U.S. copyright law gave songwriters a second chance. Under the law's "termination rights" provisions, authors can reclaim ownership of their works after a set number of years, even if they previously signed those rights away.

Vetter, who had acquired Smith's rights from his heirs after he died, exercised those termination rights and sought to regain full ownership of "Double Shot."

In 2022, the American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. (ABC) approached Vetter about licensing "Double Shot" for use in a television show that would be broadcast and streamed worldwide. Resnik Music Group, which bought the rights to the song from Windsong, claimed it still owned a partial interest in the song outside the United States, and that Vetter's copyright termination only applied within the U.S.

This conflicting claim in ownership led Vetter to file a lawsuit in federal court to claim his worldwide ownership rights to the song.

"Sothat's what started this little battle," Kappel said. "As it turns out, this has been the common industry understanding of how renewal rights and termination rights work for 50 years or more. This case was about essentially upending what we considered to be questionable - but long-standing - industry practice. We were successful in getting the district court to agree with us that the language of the statute did not impose a geographical restriction."

Chief Judge Shelly Dick of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana ruled in January 2025 that once Vetter properly terminated the earlier agreement, he regained full ownership of the song worldwide. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit then upheld the federal district court's ruling.

Several amicus briefs - also called "friend of the court" filings, in which outside organizations offer their perspective to help the court - were submitted in support of Vetter's claim.

Notable supporters included The Author's Guild, Songwriters Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, who argued that limiting termination rights to the United States would undermine the law's purpose and make it harder for creators to reclaim ownership of their work. These briefs emphasized that U.S. copyright law is intended to protect songwriters and other creators globally.

"It's about maintaining control of the work," Kappel said. "As the owner of the copyright, you get to decide how the work is used, or not used, and you get to retain 100 percent of the revenue, as opposed to 20 percent, 30 percent, 50 percent of the revenue. So it's about control. It's about revenue. But really what it's about is fairness. This is what Congress wanted."

About the College of Music and Media

The College of Music and Media is comprised of two schools - the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the School of Communication and Design. Students who choose to study in the college prepare for careers in music, theatre, music industry, design, fine art, filmmaking, strategy, mass media and more.