Nashville, Tennessee · Est. 2004
Your works.
Your legacy.
Legacyworks LLC is the leader in returning copyright ownership to America's songwriters and their heirs through the termination provisions of U.S. copyright law.
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What we do
Ownership — and the songwriter's right to reclaim it — is where the interests of songwriters and publishers diverge. We work exclusively on the songwriter's side.
Copyright Termination
Preparing and filing terminations of copyright grants is the core of our business. We handle everything from a single song to an entire catalog of hundreds of works, navigating the precise timelines and requirements of the law.
Forensic Research
We compile exhaustive research across the U.S. Copyright Office, performing rights societies, and current and previous publishers — often uncovering unrecovered royalties and overlooked contractual rights in the process.
Catalog Documentation
We produce comprehensive reports — titles, writers, agreements, copyright dates, termination windows, and more — giving you and future generations a complete reference to your life's work.
Catalog Sales & Administration
We broker the sale of reclaimed rights and negotiate progressive publishing and administration relationships, drawing on decades of experience and insight into the industry.
About
Founded by a songwriter,
for songwriters
When Lewis Anderson began Legacyworks in 2004, copyright termination was a rarely discussed right and few songwriters understood it. A successful songwriter since the 1970s, Lewis had chaired an NSAI committee that wrote a landmark book on songwriter contracts and rights — and saw firsthand that creators needed an advocate.
Two decades later, Legacyworks represents some of the most prestigious songwriters in American popular music across all genres. We specialize in researching and preparing extensive catalogs containing hundreds of songs, and have filed for termination on many well-known classics.
But beyond meeting professional requirements, we empathize with the creator. We tailor an approach to each situation, clarify complex matters for creators and beneficiaries, and suggest progressive relationships for the remaining years of reclaimed works. A frequent byproduct of our research is the forensic reward of finding unrecovered royalties, overlooked contractual rights, and fixing sometimes decades-old mistakes.
The Process
How termination works
We handle the complexity so you don't have to. U.S. copyright law gives every songwriter the right to reclaim copyrights that were once signed away — but the windows are specific and the requirements precise.
Assessment
We evaluate your catalog, review agreements, and determine where each work falls on the termination timeline — whether it's currently in the window or still a few years off.
Research & Documentation
We gather single song agreements, co-writer and co-publisher information, copyright registrations, and data from the Copyright Office and performing rights societies. This is where decades-old mistakes often surface — and get corrected.
Filing
When your works qualify, we prepare and file all necessary termination notices with the Copyright Office. You receive complete copies of every filing document.
Recapture & Next Steps
Once rights revert, we help negotiate new publishing or administration relationships and, when appropriate, broker the sale of reclaimed rights — maximizing the value of what you've won back.
Clients
Who we represent
Client referral is the number one source of our business. We are proud to have represented songwriters across every genre of American popular music, including multiple hall of fame and award winners.
Hall of Fame members
Hall of Fame members
Hall of Fame members
Hall of Fame members