Dear Black Author: The 35-Year Copyright Rule That Could Change Everything

Dear Black Author: The 35-Year Copyright Rule That Could Change Everything

There’s a law buried in the U.S. Copyright Act that most authors — especially Black authors — have never even heard of. But it might be the most powerful tool you’ll ever use to reclaim your voice, your value, and your work.

It’s called the 35-Year Copyright Termination Right — and it’s time you know how to use it.

What Is It?

If you signed away the rights to your book, script, or creative work after January 1, 1978, the U.S. Copyright Office gives you the right to take it back — 35 years later.

Yes, even if you signed a contract.

Yes, even if that contract gave someone else full control.

Yes, even if you thought it was “forever.”

This is federal law.

This is your power.

📜 Who Can Use This Law?

• The original author (or their heirs, if the author is deceased)
• Anyone who signed publishing, licensing, or copyright transfer agreements
• As long as the work wasn’t created as a work for hire (where someone else legally owns it from the start)

🗓 Here’s How It Works

Let’s say you published your book in 1990, and gave the publisher full rights.

In 2025, you become eligible to file notice to terminate that agreement.

In 2027, those rights return to YOU.

You can then:

• Re-release your book
• License it to film or TV
• Sell it again — but this time, on your terms

You must file your notice 2 to 10 years in advance of the effective date.

💸 Why This Matters (Especially for Black Authors)

Too many Black authors were:

• Underpaid
• Uncredited
• Pressured into bad deals
• Left out of royalty splits

This law is your legal do-over.

A second shot.

A chance to reclaim what’s yours — and make it work for you.

You didn’t write your story just for someone else to own it forever.

✍🏾 How to Start

1. Review your old contracts (anything after 1978 is fair game)
2. Check the dates — you must file 2–10 years before the 35-year mark
3. Work with a copyright attorney or professional to file the proper termination notice with the U.S. Copyright Office

If you need help, we’re building resources inside the Published + Black Chamber of Commerce to walk you through it.

🔥 Final Word: Reclaim What’s Yours

You are not just an author.

You are an intellectual property owner.

Your words are assets — and now, the law is on your side.

The 35-Year Rule isn’t a loophole. It’s a liberation clause.

Learn it. Use it. Teach it.

Dear Black Author, your legacy is still yours. Go get it back.

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