When you pay someone to create a work made for hire, you automatically own all the copyright rights in the work. Indeed, you are considered to be the work’s author for copyright purposes, even though you didn’t create it. The actual creator of a work made for hire has no copyright rights at all. All the creator receives is whatever compensation you give him or her.
As the “author,” you’re entitled to register the work with the Copyright Office, and you own all the exclusive rights that make up a copyright, such as the right to copy and distribute the work. You can exercise these rights yourself, sell or license them to others or do whatever else you want with them. The person or people you paid to create the work have no say over what you do with your copyright rights in the work.
There are two types of works made for hire. They include:
- works created by employees within the scope of their employment, and
- certain types of specially commissioned works created by ICs.