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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>From
Circular 9, by the US Copyright Office (</span><cite>www.<b>copyright</b>.gov/circs/circ09.pdf</cite><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Under the 1976 Copyright Act as amended
(title 17 of the United States Code),<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>a work is protected by copyright from the
time it is created in a fixed form. In<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>other words, when a work is written down or
otherwise set into tangible form,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>the copyright immediately becomes the
property of the author who created it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Only the author or those deriving their
rights from the author can rightfully<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>claim copyright.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Although the general rule is that the person
who creates a work is the author<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>of that work, there is an exception to that
principle: the copyright law defines a<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>category of works called “works made for
hire.” If a work is “made for hire,” the<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>employer, and not the employee, is considered
the author. The employer may<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>be a firm, an organization, or an individual.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To understand the complex concept of a work
made for hire, it is necessary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>to refer not only to the statutory definition
but also to its interpretation in cases<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>decided by courts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Basically,
I've always been told by various attorney's that unless my agreement with a
client specifically stated that it wasn't a work for made for hire situation,
then it was. YMMV, IANAL, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-jeremy
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
consulting-bounces@drupal.org [mailto:consulting-bounces@drupal.org] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>George Lee<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, April 24, 2010 7:55 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> consulting@drupal.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [consulting] Copyright<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Hi,<br>
<br>
When folks are doing contract work developing modules, is it typical to retain
copyright over code or to give copyright to the folks who are contracting out
to you? Do folks have legal contract language for both scenarios?<br>
<br>
Peace, community, justice,<br>
- George<o:p></o:p></p>
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