Ownership And Copyright Issues Online

When considering hard copy print, it appears copyright is well established and clear, but online copyright is a bit more muddled.

Copyright

Copyright is an intellectual property right which provides right holders with a range of rights in respect of their works including a right to royalties and to restrict how their works are reproduced by other people.

Copyright ownership

The creator of the work is generally the first copyright owner. Where there are two or more authors who have created a work, they may have joint ownership of the copyright if their contributions are indivisible or co-authorship where separate contributions can be identified.

Where works are procured or created in the course of employment, the commissioner or the employer is usually the first copyright owner. However, this will depend upon the terms of the contract, and whether the work falls within the scope of the work procured or created during the course of employment.