SigninG a Publishing Contract

7. Return of Rights

Under a licensing contract like the ones we are describing here, you have always had ownership of your game, but you have licensed all publishing rights to your publisher. When a contract is terminated, that should be enough to revert the game rights back to you, but it’s best to make it explicit. At a bare minimum, all rights to the game that you originally signed should revert to you.

On termination of this Agreement, for whatever reason:

  1. The license granted will cease at once and all rights granted in [Section X] will revert to DESIGNER. 
  2. PUBLISHER will refrain from producing or marketing other games with the rules of GAME or game rules created on this basis, or from granting such rights to third parties.

However, your game has likely changed since it was the submitted to the publisher. What actually reverts to you? In this section we address some key protections you can try to include so that another publisher might more easily pick up your game.


A. Rights to the title

B. Rights to mechanics and content developed after signing

C. Rights to art and graphic design

D. Sell-off period

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