{"id":7641,"date":"2026-10-22T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/?p=7641"},"modified":"2026-10-23T02:11:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T23:11:36","slug":"software-contractor-ip-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/software-contractor-ip-contract\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring a Software Contractor: Who Owns the Code and What the Contract Must Say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"lbm\"><svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><symbol id=\"i-list\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M9 6h11M9 12h11M9 18h11\"\/><path d=\"M4 6h.01M4 12h.01M4 18h.01\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-user\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"8\" r=\"4\"\/><path d=\"M4 21c0-4 3.6-7 8-7s8 3 8 7\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-ban\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"9\"\/><path d=\"M5.6 5.6l12.8 12.8\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-layers\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12 3l9 5-9 5-9-5z\"\/><path d=\"M3 13l9 5 9-5\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-eye\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M2 12s4-7 10-7 10 7 10 7-4 7-10 7S2 12 2 12z\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"3\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-doc\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M7 3h8l4 4v14H7z\"\/><path d=\"M15 3v4h4M10 12h6M10 16h6\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-pen\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M4 20l4-1 11-11-3-3L5 16z\"\/><path d=\"M14 6l3 3\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-alert\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12 3l10 18H2z\"\/><path d=\"M12 10v4M12 17.5h.01\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-bulb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M9 18h6M10 21h4\"\/><path d=\"M12 3a6 6 0 0 0-3.5 10.9c.6.5 1 1.2 1 2.1h5c0-.9.4-1.6 1-2.1A6 6 0 0 0 12 3z\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-info\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"9\"\/><path d=\"M12 11v5M12 8h.01\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-coin\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"9\"\/><path d=\"M14.5 9.5c-.5-1-1.5-1.5-2.5-1.5-1.4 0-2.5.8-2.5 2s1.1 1.6 2.5 2 2.5.8 2.5 2-1.1 2-2.5 2c-1 0-2-.5-2.5-1.5M12 6.5v11\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-clock\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"9\"\/><path d=\"M12 7v5l3 2\"\/><\/symbol><symbol id=\"i-globe\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"9\"\/><path d=\"M3 12h18M12 3c2.5 2.7 3.8 5.7 3.8 9s-1.3 6.3-3.8 9c-2.5-2.7-3.8-5.7-3.8-9S9.5 5.7 12 3z\"\/><\/symbol><\/svg><section class=\"lbm-intro\"><div class=\"lbm-intro-main\"><p class=\"lbm-lead\">A company commissions development from a freelancer or a studio, pays against acceptance certificates and assumes the code is its own. The law does not always agree. In many countries the rights in a contractor\u2019s software must be assigned in a written contract, or they stay with the author. We go through how this works in the US, the UK, the EU and Russia according to primary sources, and what to write about AI-generated code, personal data and access.<\/p><p class=\"lbm-verified\">Checked on 22 October 2026. Rules and sources are current as of this date.<\/p><ul class=\"lbm-toc\"><li><a href=\"#default\">Default position<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#compare\">Comparison<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#contract\">The contract<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#ai\">AI-generated code<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#data\">Data<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#access\">Access<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#terms\">Liability<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#practice\">Case law<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#choose\">What to do<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/section><section id=\"default\"><h2>Who owns the code by default<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">The answer depends on the law of the country and on who the author is: an employee or a contractor. That difference drives everything else.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-roles\"><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-doc\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>United States<\/h3><p>US law treats as a \u201cwork made for hire\u201d a work prepared by an employee within the scope of employment. A commissioned work qualifies only if it falls within a closed list of categories and the parties sign a written agreement to that effect (17 U.S.C. \u00a7 101). A stand-alone program by a contractor does not usually fit the list, so the rights have to be assigned. An assignment is valid only in a writing signed by the owner of the rights (\u00a7 204).<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-doc\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>United Kingdom<\/h3><p>Where a literary work, which includes software, is made by an employee in the course of employment, the employer is the first owner of the copyright, subject to any agreement to the contrary (CDPA, s. 11(2)). There is no such rule for a contractor. An assignment is not effective unless it is in writing signed by or on behalf of the assignor (s. 90(3)).<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-globe\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>European Union<\/h3><p>Directive 2009\/24 on the legal protection of computer programs speaks directly only about an employee. Where a program is created by an employee in the execution of his duties or following the employer\u2019s instructions, the employer exclusively is entitled to exercise all economic rights, unless otherwise provided by contract (Article 2(3)). The directive has no rule for a contractor, so national law and the contract decide.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-layers\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Russia<\/h3><p>The exclusive right to a computer program created under a contract whose subject was its creation belongs to the customer, unless the contract provides otherwise (Article 1296 of the Civil Code). The contractor may use the program for its own needs under a free non-exclusive licence unless the contract says otherwise.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><div class=\"lbm-co soft\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-bulb\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><b>Our takeaway<\/b><p>Do not rely on the default rules. If the contract has no express assignment of rights in the code, the customer at best holds a licence and at worst holds nothing.<\/p><\/div><\/div><section id=\"compare\"><h2>Four jurisdictions side by side<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">A summary of what follows directly from the texts of the laws.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-cmp\"><table><thead><tr><th>Country<\/th><th>What the law says<\/th><th>What to do<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><th scope=\"row\">United States<\/th><td>A contractor\u2019s work rarely qualifies as a work made for hire, and rights do not pass without a signed writing<\/td><td>A written assignment signed by the contractor<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">United Kingdom<\/th><td>The employer is first owner only for an employee<\/td><td>A written assignment signed by the assignor<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">European Union<\/th><td>The directive covers only the employee, national laws decide the rest<\/td><td>An assignment in the contract under the law of the contractor\u2019s country<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Russia<\/th><td>Rights in a commissioned program belong to the customer unless the contract says otherwise<\/td><td>State the assignment, its scope and the contractor\u2019s lack of reuse rights<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/section><section id=\"contract\"><h2>What the contract must contain<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">A good development contract answers five questions. Who owns the code, to what extent, for how long, what the contractor may keep and who answers for third-party rights inside the code.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-roles\"><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-pen\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Assignment<\/h3><p>Use direct assignment wording, not \u201cthe right to use\u201d. State the scope, territory and term, or that it is perpetual. In the US and the UK the contractor\u2019s signature is required.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-layers\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Existing code and tools<\/h3><p>Separate what is created for you from the contractor\u2019s general tools. General components need a licence, and what is created for you needs an assignment.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-ban\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Reuse<\/h3><p>In Russia a contractor may by default use the program it created for its own needs. If that does not suit you, prohibit it expressly.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-alert\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Warranties<\/h3><p>The contractor confirms that the code does not infringe third-party rights and that the licences of third-party components allow commercial use.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section id=\"ai\"><h2>Code produced with AI<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">Contractors increasingly write code with generative models, and that affects what exactly you receive.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-roles\"><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-eye\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>The US Copyright Office position<\/h3><p>In its report of 29 January 2025 the Office concluded that outputs of generative AI can be protected by copyright only where a human author has determined sufficient expressive elements. Prompts alone are not enough. Using AI as an assistant does not bar protection of the work as a whole.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-doc\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>What to put in the contract<\/h3><p>Whether the contractor may use AI tools, which ones, how it discloses their use and who is responsible if generated code infringes third-party rights or the tool\u2019s licence terms.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lbm-co soft\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-bulb\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><b>Our takeaway<\/b><p>If you pay for original code but receive mostly generated code, the protectable part may be smaller than you think. Require disclosure of AI use.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><div class=\"lbm-svc\"><div><b>Need help with this topic?<\/b><p>We will review your situation and propose a solution for your project.<\/p><\/div><a class=\"lbm-svc-btn popmake-4929\" href=\"#\" role=\"button\">Contact us<\/a><\/div><section id=\"data\"><h2>Personal data and confidentiality<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">If a contractor gets access to user databases, logs or test data with real people, it becomes a data processor.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-roles\"><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-doc\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Article 28 GDPR<\/h3><p>Processing may be entrusted only to those providing sufficient guarantees. It is governed by a contract setting out the subject matter and duration, the nature and purpose of the processing, the type of personal data and the categories of data subjects. The processor acts only on documented instructions and engages another processor only with the controller\u2019s authorisation.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-user\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Confidentiality and security<\/h3><p>The processor ensures that authorised persons are bound by confidentiality and takes the measures required by Article 32. At the controller\u2019s choice it deletes or returns the data after the work ends.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-alert\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Do not hand over live data<\/h3><p>Use anonymised or test data for development. If real data cannot be avoided, sign the processing agreement before access is granted.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section id=\"access\"><h2>Accounts, keys and repositories<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">Rights in the code mean little if the contractor holds the keys to everything else.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-roles\"><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-user\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Everything in the company\u2019s name<\/h3><p>Register the repository, cloud accounts, domains, app store accounts and signing keys to the customer from day one.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-doc\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Handover and acceptance<\/h3><p>The contract should provide for delivery of the source code, documentation and access on acceptance and on termination. Tie payment under the final certificate to actual handover.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-layers\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Subcontractors<\/h3><p>Require written consent for subcontractors and for the passing of rights down the chain. Otherwise rights assigned to you may never have reached you.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lbm-co dark\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-alert\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><b>Link to app publishing<\/b><p>The Apple and Google rules are covered in detail in our article on <a href=\"\/en\/app-store-google-play-listing\/\">publishing an app on the App Store and Google Play<\/a>. If the developer account is registered to the contractor, the platform sees the contractor as the seller.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section id=\"terms\"><h2>Liability, acceptance and support<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">These terms are discussed least and cause the most disputes.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-roles\"><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-clock\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Acceptance<\/h3><p>A review period, completion criteria and a procedure for fixing defects. Without them a dispute over whether the work was accepted is often not decided in your favour.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-alert\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Liability<\/h3><p>Define what the contractor answers for towards you: infringement of third-party rights, data leaks, hidden features. A limit on liability should reflect the real risks of the project.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-pen\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>Support and source code<\/h3><p>Terms for fixing bugs after launch and for delivery of current source code if the contractor stops work.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section id=\"practice\"><h2>Case law<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">The best-known decision on this question comes from the US Supreme Court, so it shows US law logic, and in another jurisdiction local rules must be checked. The problem itself is similar everywhere: paying for work does not transfer the rights.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-roles\"><div class=\"lbm-role\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-doc\"\/><\/svg><\/span><h3>CCNV v. Reid, 5 June 1989<\/h3><p>A non-profit organisation commissioned a work from a sculptor, and there was no written agreement on rights. The Court unanimously held that &#8220;employee&#8221; in the work-made-for-hire provisions is determined by the general common law of agency, and that the sculptor was an independent contractor. The commissioned sculpture was outside the closed list of commissioned-work categories and was not covered by a signed written agreement, so it was not a work made for hire. The question of possible joint authorship was left to the lower court.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lbm-co info\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-info\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><b>What this means<\/b><p>If the developer is not an employee, rights in the code do not pass to the customer automatically just because the customer paid. A written assignment or a licence with clear terms is needed.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lbm-co soft\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-bulb\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><b>Case analysis (hypothetical example, not a real case)<\/b><p>A startup hires a freelancer to build an app and pays the invoices, but the contract has no clause on rights. Two years later an investor runs due diligence and asks for confirmation of title to the code. The freelancer replies that nothing was ever transferred. A sensible order of action is to sign a written assignment with the contractor that also confirms the transfer for code already written, provide consideration for it, check whether the contractor used other people, and list the open-source libraries used.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section id=\"choose\"><h2>What to do now<\/h2><p style=\"max-width:70ch\">Reviewing existing contracts takes a few hours, and losing rights costs far more.<\/p><ol class=\"lbm-steps\"><li><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-doc\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><h3>Find the development contracts<\/h3><p>Collect every contract under which product code was written, including old freelancer contracts.<\/p><span class=\"lbm-tag\">Start here<\/span><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-pen\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><h3>Check the assignment of rights<\/h3><p>Is there a direct written assignment signed by the contractor, and what does it cover.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-layers\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><h3>Close gaps with an addendum<\/h3><p>If there is no assignment, obtain one retroactively in a separate signed document.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-eye\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><h3>Ask for a component list<\/h3><p>A list of third-party libraries and licences, and information about AI use.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-user\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><h3>Move access to the company<\/h3><p>Repositories, cloud, domains, store accounts and keys.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-ban\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><h3>Update your template<\/h3><p>Include assignment of rights, a reuse ban, data terms and subcontractor terms.<\/p><\/div><\/li><\/ol><div class=\"lbm-co dark\"><span class=\"lbm-ico\"><svg><use href=\"#i-alert\"\/><\/svg><\/span><div><b>Do not delay<\/b><p>A missing assignment is easier to obtain while the relationship with the contractor is working. After a dispute it can become a bargaining chip.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><figure class=\"lbm-pull\"><q>Paying for code does not yet give you the rights in it.<\/q><cite>The LegalBit team<\/cite><\/figure><section id=\"faq\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"lbm-faq\"><details><summary>Is paying for the work enough for the rights to pass to the customer?<\/summary><p>No. In the US and the UK an assignment of copyright is valid only in writing signed by the assignor. In Russia the rights default to the customer, but the contract may provide otherwise.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Does \u201cwork made for hire\u201d apply to a contractor\u2019s code?<\/summary><p>As a rule, no. For commissioned works US law has a closed list of categories and requires a written agreement, and a stand-alone program does not usually fit. That is why a direct assignment is used.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>May the contractor reuse the code it wrote for other clients?<\/summary><p>In Russia it may by default for its own needs unless the contract says otherwise. Elsewhere it depends on the contract. It is best to settle the rule expressly.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Is AI-generated code protected by copyright?<\/summary><p>According to the US Copyright Office, protection arises only where a human has determined sufficient expressive elements, and prompts alone do not create it.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Do we need a separate agreement if the contractor sees personal data?<\/summary><p>Yes. If the contractor processes data on your behalf, Article 28 GDPR requires a contract with mandatory terms, including acting only on instructions and returning or deleting data.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>What to do about signed contracts with no assignment of rights?<\/summary><p>Sign an addendum with an assignment of rights and the contractor\u2019s signature, then update your contract template.<\/p><\/details><\/div><p class=\"lbm-more\"><b>See also: <\/b><a href=\"\/en\/app-store-google-play-listing\/\">Publishing an app on the App Store and Google Play<\/a>; <a href=\"\/en\/terms-of-service-privacy-policy\/\">Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for your project<\/a>; <a href=\"\/en\/ai-act-checklist-saas\/\">EU AI Act checklist for IT companies and SaaS<\/a>. Services: <a href=\"\/en\/it-saas-legal-services\/\">lawyers for IT companies and SaaS<\/a>, <a href=\"\/en\/legal-documents\/\">contracts and documents<\/a>.<\/p><div class=\"lbm-src\"><b>Sources<\/b><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/title17\/92chap1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright Law of the United States, Chapter 1, \u00a7 101 (work made for hire)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/title17\/92chap2.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright Law of the United States, Chapter 2, \u00a7\u00a7 201, 204<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/ukpga\/1988\/48\/section\/11\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">legislation.gov.uk: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 11<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/ukpga\/1988\/48\/section\/90\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">legislation.gov.uk: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX:32009L0024\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">EUR-Lex: Directive 2009\/24\/EC on the legal protection of computer programs<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2016\/679 (GDPR), Article 28<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kremlin.ru\/acts\/bank\/24743\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">President of Russia: Civil Code of the Russian Federation, Part Four, Articles 1295, 1296 (in Russian)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/newsnet\/2025\/1060.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Copyright Office: Part 2 of the Artificial Intelligence Report (29.01.2025)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/ai\/Copyright-and-Artificial-Intelligence-Part-2-Copyrightability-Report.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, Part 2: Copyrightability<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/tile.loc.gov\/storage-services\/service\/ll\/usrep\/usrep490\/usrep490730\/usrep490730.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Supreme Court of the United States: Community for Creative Non-Violence v. Reid, 490 U.S. 730 (1989), U.S. Reports<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"lb-ac\"><h2>This is what we do<\/h2><p>How we help IT companies and developers:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/legal-documents\/\">Contracts and documents<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/it-saas-legal-services\/\">Lawyers for IT companies and SaaS<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"BlogPosting\",\"headline\":\"Hiring a Software Contractor: Who Owns the Code and What the Contract Must Say\",\"description\":\"Who owns code written by a contractor in the US, UK, EU and Russia, and what the contract must cover: assignment of rights, AI, data and access.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/software-contractor-ip-contract\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/software-contractor-ip-contract\/\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/contractor_code-scaled.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-22T09:40:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-22T09:40:00Z\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"LegalBit\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"LegalBit\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/\"}}<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is paying for the work enough for the rights to pass to the customer?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. In the US and the UK an assignment of copyright is valid only in writing signed by the assignor. In Russia the rights default to the customer, but the contract may provide otherwise.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does \u201cwork made for hire\u201d apply to a contractor\u2019s code?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"As a rule, no. For commissioned works US law has a closed list of categories and requires a written agreement, and a stand-alone program does not usually fit. That is why a direct assignment is used.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"May the contractor reuse the code it wrote for other clients?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In Russia it may by default for its own needs unless the contract says otherwise. Elsewhere it depends on the contract. It is best to settle the rule expressly.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is AI-generated code protected by copyright?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"According to the US Copyright Office, protection arises only where a human has determined sufficient expressive elements, and prompts alone do not create it.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do we need a separate agreement if the contractor sees personal data?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. If the contractor processes data on your behalf, Article 28 GDPR requires a contract with mandatory terms, including acting only on instructions and returning or deleting data.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What to do about signed contracts with no assignment of rights?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Sign an addendum with an assignment of rights and the contractor\u2019s signature, then update your contract template.\"}}]}<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A company commissions development from a freelancer or a studio, pays against acceptance certificates and assumes the code is its own. The law does not always agree. In many countries the rights in a contractor\u2019s software must be assigned in a written contract, or they stay with the author. We go through how this works [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[115,127,112,131,130],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-7641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-it","tag-compliance","tag-contracts","tag-eu","tag-privacy","tag-saas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7641"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8035,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7641\/revisions\/8035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7641"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalbit.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=7641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}