You register an original song with a publishing administrator.

Then you discover another company has already registered the composition.

Or one co-writer claims a different ownership percentage.

The result can be a publishing conflict.

These disputes can delay royalty collection, create inaccurate statements and make licensing more difficult.

The good news is that many conflicts are administrative rather than evidence of deliberate infringement.

What is a publishing conflict?

A publishing conflict occurs when two or more parties provide incompatible claims about a composition.

For example:

Publisher A claims to administer 100% of the song.

Publisher B claims to administer 50%.

If those claims overlap incorrectly, the relevant society may need to investigate.

Why do conflicts happen?

Common causes include:

  • Two administrators registering the same rights
  • Incorrect songwriter percentages
  • An old publishing agreement remaining active
  • Different song titles
  • Incorrect writer identifiers
  • Missing information about a co-writer
  • Duplicate registrations
  • Confusion between master ownership and songwriting

Not every conflict involves competing copyright owners.

Sometimes two systems simply received inconsistent information.

Start with the original songwriting agreement

Find the document showing who owns the composition.

This could be:

  • Songwriting split sheet
  • Collaboration agreement
  • Publishing contract
  • Catalogue acquisition agreement
  • Written assignment
  • Other relevant rights documentation

The goal is to establish the actual ownership and administration arrangements.

Check every songwriter

Create a table identifying:

  • Legal name
  • Professional name
  • IPI number
  • PRO
  • Composition share
  • Publisher
  • Publishing administrator

Make sure the agreed ownership totals are internally consistent.

Identify where the conflict exists

Is the problem:

  • One society?
  • Several societies?
  • The publishing administrator?
  • A registration database?
  • An incorrect songwriter?
  • A territory-specific mandate?

Do not attempt to correct every system simultaneously without understanding the source.

Contact the administrators

Explain the discrepancy.

Provide:

  • Composition title
  • ISWC if assigned
  • Writer details
  • Claimed percentages
  • Evidence of ownership
  • Existing registrations
  • Contractual administration dates

Ask which claim needs correction.

Avoid making another conflicting registration

Repeatedly submitting the same song with new variations can make the situation harder to resolve.

Use the existing registration references where possible.

What if the ownership dispute is genuine?

If two writers actually disagree about the composition shares, the administrator may not be able to resolve the legal ownership question.

The parties may need to negotiate or seek appropriate legal advice.

A royalty collection platform cannot always determine who contributed what to a songwriting session.

Confirm the correction

Once the dispute is resolved, request confirmation that the relevant records have been updated.

Keep the old and corrected information.

Review future statements to confirm that royalty collection has resumed appropriately.

Prevent future conflicts

Before releasing a collaboration:

  • Agree composition shares
  • Sign a split sheet
  • Collect legal names
  • Collect writer identifiers
  • Identify existing publishers
  • Confirm administration rights

Final thoughts

Publishing conflicts are easier to prevent than correct.

A clear split sheet and accurate songwriter identities can save months of administration.

If a conflict occurs, identify the disputed rights, gather evidence and correct the existing records rather than creating more registrations.