What is a split dispute, and when would it occur?
A dispute is a disagreement about the division, i.e., share or , of income generated by a or .
Visit our topics, Songwriting, and Recording, to learn more about splits.
A split dispute might occur, typically between , and other , in a number of ways, including:
If there is a misunderstanding or disagreement about how income should be split
If a contract isn't clear about how the splits will be allocated
If splits were never agreed upon in the first place
If there are changes to the creative process after a contract has been signed
If there is a lack of communication among multiple parties involved in the creation of the musical work or sound recording
We have more information on this on our Songwriter Splits and Sound Recording Splits pages.
How can a split dispute be resolved?
The first thing you can do is check with your , as any incorrect splits may simply be an error of the process and can be easily corrected.
If this is not the case, you may need to provide evidence of your split entitlement to support a claim. Evidence could include documented communication of previously agreed splits, like , contracts and agreements, emails or text messages, or the report of an expert who would evaluate the individual contributions and attribute splits to them.
You may present this evidence to your CMO and the other parties involved and request the registration be updated with new splits. When a CMO receives this request, they usually notify the other parties involved.
Note there are no standard rules for allocating musical works and sound recordings shares or splits. Shares or splits must always be negotiated and agreed upon.
If the request isn't accepted by all parties involved, you may need support from your CMO or consult a copyright lawyer to pursue a . However, if the dispute can't be resolved via an agreement or methods, the parties may have to go to court to determine how the income should be shared.
Find more information on this further in this topic.
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