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Termination of Transfer
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Please <a href="https://browsehappy.com/" target="_blank">upgrade your browser</a>.</p> <![endif]--> <div class="container page-container"> <header role="banner"> <div class="row row-with-vspace site-branding"> <div class="col-md-6 site-title"> <h1 class="site-title-heading"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/" title="Termination of Transfer" rel="home">Termination of Transfer</a> </h1> <div class="site-description"> <small> </small> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-6 page-header-top-right"> <div class="sr-only"> <a href="#content" title="Skip to content">Skip to content</a> </div> </div> </div><!--.site-branding--> <div class="row main-navigation"> <div class="col-md-12"> <nav class="navbar navbar-default" role="navigation"> <div class="navbar-header"> <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle" data-toggle="collapse" data-target=".navbar-primary-collapse"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> </button> </div> <div class="collapse navbar-collapse navbar-primary-collapse"> <ul id="menu-menu-1" class="nav navbar-nav"><li id="menu-item-22" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home current-menu-item page_item page-item-7 current_page_item menu-item-22 active active"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/">Intro</a></li> <li id="menu-item-128" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-128"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/about/">About</a></li> <li id="menu-item-23" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-23"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/overview/">Overview</a></li> <li id="menu-item-25" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-25"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/documents/">Useful Documents</a></li> <li id="menu-item-21" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-21"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/glossary/">Glossary</a></li> <li id="menu-item-20" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/faq/">FAQ</a></li> <li id="menu-item-24" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-24"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/questionnaire/">Start the Tool!</a></li> </ul> </div><!--.navbar-collapse--> </nav> </div> </div><!--.main-navigation--> </header> <div id="content" class="row row-with-vspace site-content"> <div class="col-md-12 content-area" id="main-column"> <main id="main" class="site-main" role="main"> <article id="post-7" class="post-7 page type-page status-publish hentry"> <header class="entry-header"> <h1 class="entry-title">Intro</h1> </header><!-- .entry-header --> <div class="entry-content"> <h3 id="get_rights_back"></h3> <div id="intro"> <h3>Returning Authors’ Rights: The Authors Alliance/Creative Commons Termination of Transfer Tool</h3> <p>Welcome to the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/http://www.authorsalliance.org/">Authors Alliance</a>/<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/http://www.creativecommons.org/">Creative Commons</a> Termination of Transfer tool. This page explains what termination of transfer is all about and what this tool does.</p> <h3 id="get_rights_back"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-163 aligncenter" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/logos-300x58.png" alt="Authors Alliance and Creative Commons logos" width="544" height="105" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/logos-300x58.png 300w, https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/logos-768x147.png 768w, https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/logos-1024x197.png 1024w, https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/logos.png 1188w" sizes="(max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px"/></h3> <p><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-161 aligncenter" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ToT_infographic-300x111.png" alt="Is the ToT Tool Useful for Me?" width="879" height="325" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ToT_infographic-300x111.png 300w, https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ToT_infographic-768x285.png 768w, https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555im_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ToT_infographic-1024x380.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 879px) 100vw, 879px"/></p> <h3>Termination of transfers: Get rights back!</h3> <p>Creators of all kinds routinely transfer rights to their works (by signing publication contracts that assign copyright to their publishers, for example). While many of these agreements last “for the life of copyright” (which under current United States law generally means seventy years after the author dies), the law takes into account that these terms can ultimately be unfair to authors and artists. This is where “termination of transfers” come in.</p> <p>In the United States, authors can use the termination of transfers laws to regain the rights they have signed away. But because the law is complex, and because it requires that authors wait years or decades to take advantage of it, creators need to be patient, savvy, and persistent to exercise this right.</p> <p>Many people use terminations because their works are tremendously successful, and they want to recapture rights to enjoy more of their work’s financial success.</p> <p>Many others find that their works are no longer as available as they might wish. Their books might be out of print, or their songs might not be digitized or available online. For creators who want their works to be widely shared and enjoyed鈥攚ho want to take advantage of a vibrant internet that might not have existed when they signed that contract all those years ago鈥攖erminations are a powerful option for getting their works back out in front of audiences.</p> <p>Whatever they choose to do, it is important that creators know this law exists, and that they feel empowered to take advantage of it. Authors Alliance and Creative Commons developed this tool to raise awareness of the law and its importance to creators who want to share their works widely.</p> <h3 id="what_does_it_do">What does this tool do?</h3> <p>This tool is designed to raise awareness of the termination of transfer provisions, to encourage authors to figure out whether the termination rights of U.S. copyright law may be relevant to their works, and to help people understand how termination of transfer works. It does so with explanatory materials and by explaining how hypothetical scenarios would work under the laws for termination of transfer.</p> <p>Once authors and other users understand how termination of transfer works, they can seek licensed legal counsel who can assist in determining whether termination rights do in fact exist, and in exercising any existing termination rights. Remember that this tool is provided for educational and awareness-raising purposes only鈥攊t is not legal advice or analysis and cannot substitute for the services of an attorney.</p> <h3 id="get_started">Where to start?</h3> <p>For a more details about the tool, please read our <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/overview/">Overview</a> page. See our <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/documents/">Useful Documents</a> page for suggestions about where information about a work may be found. If you would like additional information about the law surrounding the termination of transfers provisions or this tool, please take a look at our <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/wp-admin/faq">FAQ</a>. Finally, for a video introduction to termination of transfer and to the tool, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://ala-events.zoom.us/recording/play/p5QLmDEqe9ZI1OoK8SWhcJNb6p9y0077aDeNOnRiNRb_9DlW8qnPnuj_r9VRnV7P?continueMode=true">watch this webinar</a> (recording starts at 7:00).</p> <p>To start working through the tool, click the “start” button below.</p> <p id="startbtn"><a class="btn btn-primary" href="questionnaire">START</a></p> <p> </p> <p><b>This website and the termination of transfers tool are not legal advice, nor does using this website or the termination of transfers tool create an attorney-client relationship. Please consult an attorney if you would like legal advice about your rights, obligations, or individual situation.<br/> </b></p> </div> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div><!-- .entry-content --> <footer class="entry-meta"> </footer> </article><!-- #post-## --> </main> </div> </div><!--.site-content--> <footer id="site-footer" role="contentinfo"> <div id="footer-row" class="row site-footer"> <div class="col-md-6 footer-left"> <div id="text-4" class="widget widget_text"> <div class="textwidget"><p><a href="/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/terms-of-service/">Terms of Service</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20240919003555/https://rightsback.org/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-6 footer-right text-right"> <div id="text-6" class="widget widget_text"> <div class="textwidget"><p>Copyright 2017 Authors Alliance and Creative Commons.<br/> Site content is licensed under a<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>.<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://github.com/creativecommons/termination-of-transfer/">Termination of Transfer tool code</a> is licensed under the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555/https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html">AGPL 3.0+</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </footer> </div><!--.container page-container--> <!--wordpress footer--> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555js_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/themes/bootstrap-basic/js/vendor/modernizr.min.js?ver=3.6.0-20190314" id="modernizr-script-js"></script> <!--[if lt IE 9]> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://rightsback.org/wp-content/themes/bootstrap-basic/js/vendor/respond.min.js?ver=1.4.2' id='respond-script-js'></script> <![endif]--> <!--[if lte IE 9]> <script type='text/javascript' src='https://rightsback.org/wp-content/themes/bootstrap-basic/js/vendor/html5shiv.min.js?ver=3.7.3' id='html5-shiv-script-js'></script> <![endif]--> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555js_/https://rightsback.org/wp-includes/js/comment-reply.min.js?ver=5.5.15" id="comment-reply-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555js_/https://rightsback.org/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.js?ver=1.12.4-wp" id="jquery-core-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555js_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/plugins/enable-jquery-migrate-helper/js/jquery-migrate-1.4.1-wp.js?ver=1.4.1-wp" id="jquery-migrate-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555js_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/themes/bootstrap-basic/js/vendor/bootstrap.min.js?ver=3.4.1" id="bootstrap-script-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555js_/https://rightsback.org/wp-content/themes/bootstrap-basic/js/main.js?ver=1.1.3" id="main-script-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20240919003555js_/https://rightsback.org/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js?ver=5.5.15" id="wp-embed-js"></script> </body> </html> <!-- Performance optimized by W3 Total Cache. 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