As the court noted, at one time, the US copyright was 28 years with an option to renew. It was expected that the creator would be able to renegotiate assignments at the renewal. Then the Supreme Court interpreted an assignment to include the renewal period.
Subsequently, Congress retroactively changed it to the life plus system we now use. (Orginally 50, then extended to 70.) As part of that modification, Congress also decided to allow terminations, in part under the assumption that creators would not have expected the extension.
The most amusing part of the opinion is the court's handling of the fact that the termination notice failed to include the pre-Action Comics #1 advertisements. The court held, legitimately, that any copyrights in those images were not terminated - but then noted that all they showed was a man in a black and white costume, with an indecipherable chest emblem, strong enough to lift a car.
Re: What made Mr Walt Disney so successful (and rich)?
Subsequently, Congress retroactively changed it to the life plus system we now use. (Orginally 50, then extended to 70.) As part of that modification, Congress also decided to allow terminations, in part under the assumption that creators would not have expected the extension.
The most amusing part of the opinion is the court's handling of the fact that the termination notice failed to include the pre-Action Comics #1 advertisements. The court held, legitimately, that any copyrights in those images were not terminated - but then noted that all they showed was a man in a black and white costume, with an indecipherable chest emblem, strong enough to lift a car.