Victor Willis, the original lead singer of the Village People, has filed papers to regain control over his share of the copyright credit for 32 of the band's songs, including the massive hit "Y.M.C.A.," in 2013. Willis' bid hinges on an obscure revision to copyright law enacted in 1978 that grants artists "termination rights" allowing them to take copyrights back from record labels after 35 years provided that they apply two years in advance.
Scorpio Music and Can't Stop Productions, the two companies that administer publishing rights to the songs, have pushed on Willis' bid, arguing to a Los Angeles court that they both employed the singer and songwriter on a work for hire basis, and as such he has no ownership rights to the material.
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