Victor Willis, the former lead singer of the seminal disco group The Village People will recover control over his interest in the copyrights for many of the group’s hit songs. As a result of one of the first cases to decide a songwriter’s efforts to terminate a grant of copyright under the 1976 Copyright Act, Willis will gain control over his interest in hits such as “YMCA”, “In the Navy” and “Go West.”
For songs and recordings created in 1978 and later, a copyright claimant may terminate a grant of rights 35 years after the creation of the work.
