Work for hire

In US copyright law the term has a narrow meaning. A work made for hire is either something an employee produced within their job, or a commissioned work that falls into one of nine listed categories and is covered by a signed agreement saying so. Outside those situations, paying a freelancer transfers nothing, and you need a written assignment or licence. The UK has no work-for-hire doctrine at all. An employer owns what employees create in the course of employment, while a freelance editor, designer or composer keeps copyright unless they sign it over. Creators discover this when they try to relicense old thumbnails or commissioned music.