Handle an ownership dispute between collaborators

What this guide covers

Pause unilateral changes and resolve ownership clearly before asking NORTH to alter a disputed release.

Rights workflows exist to make sure the person distributing a release has authority over the master, composition, artwork, samples, and other protected material involved.

Before you start

• Gather contracts, licenses, permissions, and ownership records.
• Separate master rights from composition rights.
• Identify any third-party material used in the release.
• Do not submit a dispute unless you can support the ownership claim.

Step by step

1. 01

   Collect the written agreement governing ownership and royalties.

2. 02

   Discuss the disputed point directly with the other rights holders.

3. 03

   Do not use NORTH tools to misrepresent ownership while the dispute is unresolved.

4. 04

   Contact support with documentation if a platform action is required after the parties have clarified the rights position.

Check your work

• The release party actually has distribution rights.
• Samples and covers have the permissions required for the intended use.
• Content ID or claim information is consistent with ownership.
• Requested documentation can be produced if review asks for it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming possession of an audio file equals ownership.
• Confusing a cover license with permission to use the original master.
• Submitting a dispute without evidence.
• Ignoring territory or term limits in a license.

What happens next

Keep rights records available for the lifetime of the release and contact support when a claim cannot be resolved through the available self-service workflow.

If the result on screen does not match what this guide describes, stop before creating duplicate catalog records or repeating a financial action. Use the visible status and error information when contacting NORTH support.