If you're commissioning creative work — code, design, content — you almost certainly need an IP assignment agreement. Here's why.
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood areas of commercial law for small businesses. If you've ever paid a freelancer to create something for you, you may not own it — unless you have an IP assignment agreement.
Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, copyright vests automatically in the author — the person who created the work. If you commission a freelancer to design your logo, write your website copy, or build your app, they own the copyright — not you. The fact that you paid for it doesn't change this.
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