Copyright law provides that copyright ownership vests initially in the author of the work. This provision is easily applied and understood for works where one person works on his or her own and creates a work. However, it becomes increasingly complex to apply this provision to works created by collaboration among many individuals, works incorporating original works of others, works created by employees for their employers, or works commissioned by another party. The joint authors are co-owners of the copyright to the joint work. Joint authors enjoy all the rights of authorship that individual authors would enjoy.
Special considerations are necessary regarding transfer of the rights in joint works.
A critical issue is that for each individual to be considered a joint author, each must make a contribution of copyrightable subject matter - that is, an original and fixed tangible expression. Mere suggestions or recommendations, offerings of ideas or assistance, exercising control and direction of the work in progress, or having the right to give final approval, are generally not copyrightable contributions. Copyright law provides that an employer is the author of works prepared by employees within the scope of employment. These works are known as works made for hire and they are owned by the employer. Copyright law treats works created at the University as works made for hire when they meet this definition.