Copyright in Work: Employee and Employer

1 August 2008

By Izaz Ali

This short article looks at ownership of copyright in work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment; or a work specially ordered or commissioned in certain specified circumstances.

According to copyright laws in certain countries, if a work is made for hire, the employer—not the employee—is considered the legal author. This concept is also known as corporate ownership

It is also worth noting that countries that are a party to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works recognise moral rights' which include the right of the creators to publicly identify themselves as the creators of the work.

Izaz Ali is a commerical lawyer who specialises in information technology law and intellectual property law with an emphasis on IT, escrow and buying and selling online businesses.