Work for Hire
When a work made for hire belongs to the employer
Related
Work for hire is a copyright arrangement: in an employment relationship or a specially commissioned work with the right wording, copyright belongs directly to the employer or commissioner, not the creator. It differs from an assignment — an assignment transfers an existing right, work for hire belongs to the other side from the start.
The usual mistake is to think "I wrote it, so it is mine": a work-for-hire clause changes ownership, and commissioned-work rules differ by country. Look for three words in the contract: work for hire, assignment, ownership.
Read deeper → copyright
Sources
- 雇佣作品 doctrine 与法域差异，参通行版权教材；本文为通识说明，不构成法律意见
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.