In the United States, the general rule is that the term of a copyright is the life of the author plus 70 years. This rule is subject to some important exceptions, though: Work made for hire The copyright in a work made for hire lasts for 95 years after the date of first publication or
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Employees usually own the copyrights in works they create on their own time, using their own resources, outside the scope of their employment duties. If the work is created during business hours, using company resources, or relates directly to the employee’s job, however, it may be considered a “work made for hire.” The employer owns
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In addition to the requirement of a signed, written agreement expressly calling the arrangement a “work made for hire,” a work created by an independent contractor is not a “work made for hire” unless it is created after it is commissioned (not before), and falls into at least one of the following categories: Translation Contribution
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A work made for hire is a work that is either: (a) Created by an employee within the scope of the employment; or (b) A specially commissioned work that is created by an independent contractor pursuant to a signed, written “work for hire” agreement and that is in one of the categories listed in the
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The author initially owns the copyright in the work. In most cases, the author is the person who actually creates the work. In the case of a work made for hire, however, the employer or person who specially commissions the creation of the work is deemed the author.
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