IP and usage
Work for hire
A clause that assigns full ownership of your work to the client the moment it exists, as if the client created it themselves.
What it means
A work-for-hire clause transfers every intellectual property right in the deliverable from you to the client automatically, at the moment of creation. You keep no ownership, no license, and no right to use the work in your own portfolio unless the contract explicitly grants it back.
Under US copyright law, only certain categories of commissioned work can legally qualify as work-for-hire (for example, contributions to a collective work, a translation, or an instructional text). Because most freelance and creator work does not qualify, contracts often combine "work-for-hire" language with a fallback "and if the above is not enforceable, Contractor hereby assigns all rights to Client" clause. The effect is the same: total transfer.
Why it matters
Full IP transfer is a legitimate deal structure, but it is priced very differently from a licensed-use deal. A time-boxed license for a specific channel is not the same product as a total buyout, and it should not cost the same either.
Client-drafted contracts often ask for work-for-hire at licensed-work prices: the client buys everything, and pays only for what a rental would cost.
What fair looks like
- The contract distinguishes between the creation fee (making the work) and the usage (owning or licensing it).
- If the client genuinely wants full ownership, work-for-hire is priced as a buyout, typically a multiple of the creation fee.
- If a license fits the actual use, the license is time-boxed, channel-limited, and can be renewed on its own terms.
Related reading
For the full breakdown, see the blog post on work for hire vs license and the guide to pricing usage rights.