hey, i'm an advocate of self-ownership all around. but, i'm an artist, too. i'm in support of people owning their own songs, certainly.

if she was 14 or 15 or 16, she would have needed to use some kind of power of attorney, and essentially relied on a concept of fiduciary obligation. they should have put the rights for her into a trust that she could gain access to as she aged. that they didn't would be a breach of the fiduciary obligation they had to her.

this is an over-simplification, of course. and, i don't know the relevant case law. but, given the context, it's worth taking a shot at this - because she could get a novel ruling.