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What about the materials I produce during my work day? Do I own the copyright in these?
No. This situation is an exception to the general rule that copyright is owned by the author of the work. Where the author of a work is employed under a contract of service or apprenticeship and the work was made in the course of his or her employment, the employer, not the author, is the first owner of the copyright.
There are exceptions to this exception. Where the work is an article or other contribution to a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical, the author has the right to restrain the publication of the work, except as part of a newspaper, magazine or like periodical. And of course, the parties are free to make an agreement that sets different rules on who owns copyright in this situation.
December 1998
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Content last reviewed 16:46, 17 October 2008.