JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum VH1 Contest for Original Singers/Songwriters

I'm not sure they are intentionally overreaching in developing these contest rules. They probably just tried to develop some wording that would prevent a contest entrant from coming back at them later and claiming that the contest company was doing something with the song without permission. An additional problem that nobody seems to be considering is ongoing implications of entering into a contest such as this. For example, if the song is good enough to eventually become part of a publishing deal, or you get a recording contract and you want to use it, you can't assume that the contest company has abandoned its rights even though they never did anything with the song. Each of those deals (publishing, demo, recording, etc.) usually requires that the artist/composer sign an indemnification agreement stating that there are no prior incumbrances on the music. In other words, you have to represent in writing that you have the complete rights to exploit the song. Maybe it's been six years since you entered the contest and the contest company didn't do anything with your song, but you still can't sign the subsequent agreement because to do so would be an outright misrepresentation. It would have been better if the contest rules included a time limit for their ownership of your song. Otherwise, before you sign the subsequent deal, your attorney is going to be charged with the task of trying to get a written reversion of the rights from the contest company, which is going to cause an inordinate delay, (if he/she can get if for you at all).