Royalty after the artist dies...

[scubyfan]

after an artist dies, who gets the royalties? the record comapanies or someone else (family, pre-designated individual, etc)

how does this process work?

thanks!

[EngineGuitarist]

it goes to whoever you leave it to in your will, unless you signed away all your publishing rights when you got your record contract. don't laugh, plenty of famous people got screwed like this. the copyright is good for 70 years after death of the original creator. but in the case of a work made by multiple people (ie a band) the copyright belongs to the last living author. so all those songs written by Lennon and McCartney are owned by Paul McCartney. when he dies though i am not sure if all the copyright goes to whoever pual leaves it to or if it becomes split again between each of their inheritors.

[Dr Al]

Originally posted by EngineGuitarist
it goes to whoever you leave it to in your will, unless you signed away all your publishing rights when you got your record contract. don't laugh, plenty of famous people got screwed like this. the copyright is good for 70 years after death of the original creator. but in the case of a work made by multiple people (ie a band) the copyright belongs to the last living author. so all those songs written by Lennon and McCartney are owned by Paul McCartney. when he dies though i am not sure if all the copyright goes to whoever pual leaves it to or if it becomes split again between each of their inheritors.

The Lennon and McCartney stuff was sold to publishers years ago. Both Lennon and Macca are on record stating as such and just recently McCartney was complaining that he only gets 15% of Yesterday .

Al