Work Made for Hire Author Contract
Overview of this form
The Work Made for Hire Author Contract is a legal document used to commission an author to create an article for a publication. This form clearly establishes the terms under which the work is created, ensuring that the work produced is classified as "work made for hire" under U.S. copyright laws, meaning the publisher retains ownership of the article. It is vital for both parties to agree on the payment, delivery timeline, and rights associated with the work.
Key components of this form
- Date of commissioning
- Name of the publisher and the author
- Subject of the article to be written
- Deadline for manuscript submission
- Payment terms and reimbursement for expenses
- Copyright ownership and usage rights
- Requirement for revisions
- Independent contractor designation
When to use this document
This form should be utilized when a publisher wishes to hire an author to create written content. Examples include commissioning articles for magazines, blogs, or other publications. It is essential to have this contract in place to avoid any misunderstandings regarding copyright ownership, payment, and expectations for the work produced.
Who this form is for
- Publishers who want to commission original written content.
- Authors seeking clear agreements outlining terms of their contract.
- Freelancers working in writing, journalism, or content creation.
- Organizations needing a formalized agreement for commissioned articles.
Steps to complete this form
- Fill in the date of the commissioning.
- Provide the name of the author and the publisher.
- Specify the subject for the article and the publication it will be associated with.
- Enter the deadline for submitting the manuscript and the payment details.
- Sign and date the contract to confirm acceptance.
Does this document require notarization?
In most cases, this form does not require notarization. However, some jurisdictions or signing circumstances might. US Legal Forms offers online notarization powered by Notarize, accessible 24/7 for a quick, remote process.
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Make edits, fill in missing information, and update formatting in US Legal Forms—just like you would in MS Word.
Download a copy, print it, send it by email, or mail it via USPS—whatever works best for your next step.
Sign and collect signatures with our SignNow integration. Send to multiple recipients, set reminders, and more. Go Premium to unlock E-Sign.
If this form requires notarization, complete it online through a secure video call—no need to meet a notary in person or wait for an appointment.
We protect your documents and personal data by following strict security and privacy standards.
Common mistakes
- Failing to specify the subject of the article clearly.
- Not including a definite deadline for manuscript submission.
- Omitting terms regarding revisions or the handling of rejected articles.
- Failing to include payment terms, potentially leading to disputes.
Benefits of using this form online
- Instant access to a professionally drafted legal document.
- Easy to customize fields to fit specific agreements.
- Convenient download options for quick use.
- Ensures compliance with relevant copyright laws.
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FAQ
But to qualify, a commissioned work must be specified as a work made for hire, either in a contract or other writing, and the work must fit within one of the following categories: (i) a contribution to a collective work, (ii) a part of a motion picture, (iii) a translation, (iv) a supplementary work, (v) a compilation,
The general rule is that you own the patent rights to an invention you create during the course of your employment unless you either:were specifically hired (even without a written agreement) for your inventing skills or to create the invention.
Generally, the person who creates a work is considered its author and the automatic owner of copyright in that work. However, under the work made for hire doctrine, your employer or the company that has commissioned your work, not you, is considered the author and automatic copyright owner of your work.
In the copyright law of the United States, a work made for hire (work for hire or WFH) is a work subject to copyright that is created by an employee as part of his or her job, or some limited types of works for which all parties agree in writing to the WFH designation.
1 For legal purposes, when a work is a work made for hire, the author is not the individual who actually created the work. Instead, the party that hired the individual is considered both the author and the copyright owner of the work.
Only the author or those deriving rights from the author can rightfully claim copyright. There is, however, an exception to this principle: works made for hire. If a work is made for hire, an employer is considered the author even if an employee actually created the work.
If a work is made for hire, the employer or the party that specially ordered or commissioned that work is the initial owner of the copyright in the work unless the employer or the commissioning party has signed a written agreement to the contrary with the work's creator. Copyright Term.
The term of copyright protection of a work made for hire is 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first. (A work not made for hire is ordinarily protected by copyright for the life of the author plus 70 years.)
