work for hire
Employer owns output
Work for hire is a legal term for creative work produced by an employee or commissioned under contract, where the copyright belongs to the employer or commissioner rather than the creator.
A staff writer's articles, a graphic designer's logos for clients, and commissioned film scores are typically work for hire.
The concept matters because it determines who owns and controls the work: The photographer retained no rights—it was work for hire.
- copyright transferLegal transfer of ownership
- all rights reservedLegal claim on content
- statutory rightsProtections codified in legislation
- freelancerSelf-employed service provider
- bossWorkplace superior
contractor · manuscript · employee · intellectual property · exclusive rights · creative control · illustration · musical composition · public domain · independent contractor · content creator · architectural plans · reproduction rights · distribution rights · joint ownership · client · corporate ownership · written agreement
- publishingpublishers, editors, editor, publishing house, books
- Art Copyrightcopyright, artistic rights, artist rights, reproduction rights, infringement
- copyrightcopyright, copyright law, copyright act, copyright office, copyright notice
- entertainment lawcopyright, music rights, distribution rights, licensing deals, trademark
- music rightsmusic copyright, copyright, music rights, music royalties, performance rights
- press rightscopyright, reproduction, republishing, fair use, permissions
work for hireindependent work
Task done alone
passion project · artistic expression · vanity project · labor of love · creative vision
work for hireself-employment
Working for yourself
freelance work · pro bono work · entrepreneurship · volunteer work · sole proprietorship
work, hire, works, worked, working, worker, workers, workable, workman