Ownership & rights
Work-for-Hire
Work-for-hire is a contractual arrangement in which music created on commission belongs to the commissioning party from the moment it exists, rather than to the composer who then assigns it. It is a doctrine of United States copyright law, and only applies to specific categories of commissioned work with a signed agreement in place.
In practice
Agencies use work-for-hire language so the client owns the jingle, score or sound design without a further transfer step. Outside the US the doctrine often does not exist as such: many European systems keep authorship with the natural person, so the same result has to be achieved with an explicit assignment of economic rights, and moral rights may remain with the composer regardless. A "work for hire" clause pasted into a European contract without an assignment fallback can leave ownership unresolved.
How SoniBuyout® handles it
SoniBuyout does not rely on the work-for-hire doctrine at all. It is a written assignment of the master and the composition to the buyer, worldwide and in perpetuity, which is enforceable regardless of which legal system the buyer operates in.
Real questions
Is work-for-hire valid in Europe?
Not as a doctrine in most European jurisdictions. Authorship stays with the person who created the work, and economic rights have to be transferred by an explicit written assignment. Contracts drafted for the US often need this fallback clause.
Does work-for-hire cover moral rights?
Generally no. In systems that recognise moral rights — attribution and integrity — those remain with the author and can only be waived to the extent local law allows.
Related terms
Own the track instead of renting it
Sonify Music sells exclusive buyouts of catalogue tracks: one payment, full ownership, the track removed from sale and a named certificate of ownership.