BATON ROUGE — A ruling by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals transferring ownership of a song back to a Baton Rouge songwriter on Monday could potentially change the way music companies transfer intellectual property back to songwriters, according to a report by The Advocate. 

Songwriter and broadcast executive Cyril Vetter reclaimed total ownership of his 1963 hit "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" after terminating his contract with the music publisher Resnik Music Group in 2022. However, due to modern music copyright laws, he only regained the U.S. rights to the song.

Vetter, who was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, later entered a legal battle with the publisher of the record after arguing over who could grant the rights for the song's use in the 1980s TV show "Moonlighting" after it was announced that the series would be streamed internationally.

According to the law, creators have the right to regain ownership of their copyrights after a certain time period; however, publishers and labels have continued to keep the global rights to works. 

While a judge originally ruled in Vetter's favor in early 2025, Resnik's team appealed the decision, sending the case to the Fifth Circuit, where judges again ruled in favor of Vetter. 

The case highlights the confusing and complicated way the music industry does business. 

For example, deals where songs are sold to publishers don't last forever. Songwriters can reacquire domestic ownership but lack complete control over their work, as many uses for songs extend beyond the United States, such as a song being used in a movie. 

Publishers will often use global rights as leverage to create new deals with songwriters when successful songs are set to return to the writer's control. 

According to New Orleans attorney Tim Kappel, the new ruling from the court shows that writers should regain all of the rights to their work, not just domestic rights. 

Large groups like the Recording Industry Association of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences supported Resnik's position, as the ruling is contrary to years of industry practice. They argue that the decision oversteps U.S. authority related to copyright laws in other countries. 

The decision is currently only law in the U.S. Fifth Circuit, which includes Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.