How to Recover Royalties Paid to the Wrong Publisher
In most contexts, a royalty is a percentage of a product's sales that goes toward the creator of the product. In the book industry, for example, the author will receive a royalty in the form of a percentage from the book's publisher. In the music industry, however, royalty payments are a little more complex, as the production process involves not only many publishers but also recording studios and agents. Thus, many entities receive royalties. Payment of royalties to the wrong entity may therefore result.
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Instructions
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Compile your royalty contracts. Check which royalties apply to which publisher in each jurisdiction. Many music publishers operate in different countries, but this doesn't mean that they necessarily carry the album in all of their jurisdictions.
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Send the publisher a copy of your royalty contract if it is receiving royalties not attributable to it. If royalties are being paid to the publisher's overseas unit, then you should send the royalty contract to that unit. Accompany the royalty contract with a letter explaining the error payment in royalties. A reputable music publisher will simply revert the royalty payments back to you to avoid any potential lawsuit.
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Hire the services of a copyright lawyer if the publisher fails to return royalties. You should hire a lawyer who operates in the publisher's jurisdiction; so if the publisher is in Japan, you should hire a lawyer familiar with Japanese copyright law. If a case is brought forward, the publisher may simply settle out of court to avoid an expensive lawsuit. Otherwise, you should sue the publisher according to the relevant jurisdiction's legal procedures concerning copyright infringement.
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