What is work for hire (WFH) and why should I care?
“Work for hire” (or “work made for hire” of “WFH”) is a contract term which signifies that all work being done under the contract becomes the property of the person paying for it, not of the creator as specified by US Copyright Law. It converts the status of the creator’s images from those made by an independent contractor, or freelancer, to those of an employee. It is an “employee-for-a-day” status, yet almost always fails to adequately compensate freelancers for the usual expenses of being self-employed: employment taxes, liability coverage, equipment and automobile depreciation and insurance, office overhead, computers and software, health and disability insurance, retirement plans, non-billable time such as marketing, accounting, and image management, etc., etc., as well as for all of the potential lost revenue from secondary licensing. Laughably, most WFH contracts simply state it is a work for hire contract without offering any additional compensation whatsoever. Being forced to
