Work for hire
From The Glossary of Digital Photography
An abbreviated term for work made for hire. A contract for creating a work subject to copyright where the contractor is the copyright holder; the creator (photographer in this case) is simply paid for his or her work and holds no part of the copyright. It is a legal definition under US copyright law. This law defines when work for hire is allowed so that someone besides the creator can claim ownership of the copyright. Employment by a company is an example of a situation in which the copyright is owned by the company and not the creator, Except for a few exceptions defined by law, the creator is assumed to be the copyright holder. Most professional photography organizations discourage photographers from participating in work for hire without an employee relationship because the photographers have to give up any future rights and earnings from their work, a situation comparable to being an employee without receiving benefits. According to these same professional organizations, the creation of photographs is not one of the exceptions allowed under US copyright law for a work to be a work made for hire if the photographer is not an actual employee of the contracting party.
