When you hire a contractor or freelancer to create something for your business — whether it’s a logo, a website, software, training content or marketing copy — you may assume the work belongs to you. But under copyright law, that’s not always the case. Unless you have the right terms in place, the contractor could retain the ownership of that work, and you might have limited rights to use or adapt it. At Jamieson Law, we help you get this sorted from the start. Whether you’re commissioning creative content or tech development, we’ll ensure the copyright position is crystal clear and fully documented.
Many businesses get caught out thinking they automatically own copyright when they pay for work. In reality, UK and Irish copyright law gives the creator ownership unless there’s a written agreement stating otherwise. This can cause huge issues later, especially if the contractor stops cooperating or wants additional payment.
A strong copyright clause in your contract gives you:
We’ll make sure your contractor agreements include:
If you’ve already signed contracts without checking the copyright terms, we can review them and suggest amendments or addendums to protect your position. We’ll also help you navigate what to do if a contractor refuses to release ownership.
Whether you’re commissioning software, content, video, design, or training material, we’ll ensure the agreement is tailored to the format. We often pair this with IP audits and enforcement to make sure your wider portfolio is protected.
The earlier you sort out copyright terms, the better. Don’t wait until there’s a dispute or until you need to re-use something. Speak to Jamieson Law and we’ll help you protect what’s yours, long before problems arise.
