Development of Video Games featured image

Development of Video Games

by Eric Misterovich

Partner

Video Game Lawyer

 

You may be wondering who owns the copyright of original works of authorship when they are developed during the scope of employment. The key issue in a circumstance such as this is whether the work was done as an independent contractor or as a work made for hire. Recently, this issue is being addressed more often due to the rising number of independent developers in the video game industry.

As mentioned in a previous Revision Legal article, The Ins and Outs of Copyright Law, “A copyright exists for works that are ‘original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression . . . from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.’” 17 U.S.C. §102 (a).

Works Made for Hire

Section 101 of the Copyright Act defines a “work made for hire” in two parts:

(a) a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment; or

(b) a work specially ordered or commissioned for use

(1) as a contribution to a collective work,

(2) as a part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work,

(3) as a translation,

(4) as a supplementary work,

(5) as a compilation,

(6) as an instructional text,

(7) as a test,

(8) as answer material for a test, or

(9) as an atlas,

if the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them that the work shall be considered a work made for hire. 17 U.S.C. § 101.

“If a work is made for hire, the employer or other person for whom the work was prepared is the author and should be named as the author on the application for copyright registration unless the parties involved signed a written agreement stating otherwise.” See Copyright Circular 09.

Who is an Independent Contractor?

According to the Legal Dictionary, an independent contractor is “a person who contracts to do work for another person according to his or her own processes and methods. The contractor is not subject to another’s control except for what is specified in a mutually binding agreement for a specific job.” Moreover, under the general common law of agency, an independent contractor is someone who is not an employee.

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, “A work created by an independent contractor can be a work made for hire only if (a) it falls within one of the nine categories of works listed in part 2 above and (b) there is a written agreement between parties specifying that the work is a work made for hire.” Therefore, if a copyrighted work is made under an independent contractor relationship and does not meet the requirements set out above to qualify as a work made for hire, then the author would otherwise be known as the owner of the copyrighted work.

For more information about the development of video games, contact Revision Legal’s copyright attorneys through the form on this page or call (855) 473-8474.

 

Extra, Extra!
Recent Posts

Does the AI-Copyright Legal Fight Represent a National Security Threat?

Does the AI-Copyright Legal Fight Represent a National Security Threat?

Copyright

The holders of copyrights for newspapers, magazines, books, and other publications are involved in numerous legal battles with owners of AI modules over alleged copyright infringement. The plaintiff copyright owners claim that the AI large language modules have been trained on huge quantities of copyrighted materials without permission and — most importantly — without payment. […]

Read more about Does the AI-Copyright Legal Fight Represent a National Security Threat?

How Does Buy-Sell Insurance Work For An Owners’ Agreement?

How Does Buy-Sell Insurance Work For An Owners’ Agreement?

Corporate

The owners of most small, closely-held businesses negotiate and sign some form of an “Owner’s Agreement.” An important part of such Agreements is the “Buy-Sell” provisions. These are often some of the most difficult to negotiate. The gist of the buy-sell part of the Owners’ Agreement is to establish the rules for what happens if […]

Read more about How Does Buy-Sell Insurance Work For An Owners’ Agreement?

Status on Social Media Moderation Statutes and Cases

Status on Social Media Moderation Statutes and Cases

Internet Law

Social media content moderation by technology platforms was one of the “hot” legal topics in 2023-2024. Three States — California, Texas, and Florida — passed different statutes to either require more content moderation (California) or to limit such moderation (Texas and Florida). All the statutes, in one way or another, demanded more transparency and information […]

Read more about Status on Social Media Moderation Statutes and Cases

Put Revision Legal on your side