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Definitions
"Work-for-hire" is a term used in U.S. copyright law to describe a situation where the person or entity that commissions or pays to create a copyrighted work is considered the owner of the copyright, rather than the person who created the work.
There are two main types of work-for-hire:
• Commissioned work: Work (i.e., text article, photos, illustrations, sound recording, etc.) specifically commissioned or ordered for use as a contribution to a collective work, such as a book, e-book, audio-book, article or periodical, or as a part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, is considered a "work-for-hire" and the employer or commissioning party is considered the copyright owner.