I need advice about co-write ownership dispute

[atopel]

Thank you both. I now understand I've got to come to an agreement with the other writer in writing about copyright and writer splits first and foremost. Live and learn.

[remmet]

Just a minor comment here. I think the song camp really did a disservice to the participants for not discussing and having provisions in place for co-writer agreements. This mess could have been so easily avoided.

Anyway, good luck with everything.

Richard

[sansharbour]

I think it was on a Taxi TV segment with Ralph Murphy said that if there are three people in the room then its a three way split.

One day you might do less and the next time more.

That always stuck with me.

[hummingbird]

Yep. You really can't pitch the song without an agreement from the other writers. IF you got an offer for the song, you'd need to contact them to get them to sign on the offer. If the girl declines or creates a fuss, you've got egg on your face and a black mark on your name with that particular publisher or artist. Most music libraries/publishers want to see that agreement or be assured that you have it anyway. If you pitch without it, you put them in danger of litigation.

You can certainly register the song for Copyright but you cannot decide that you own 2/3s and the others own 1/3. I'm not a lawyer but I believe the shares are equal no matter what the contribution, unless you have a signed agreement otherwise, and your cowriters could object to your 'stealing' of their share.