Register the Copyright for Your Website

If you are like most small companies, you have probably hired a web designer to build and design your website. Accordingly, you should consider entering into a contract with the designer to make sure that you own all of the design and materials on your site.

Under copyright law, if there is no contract, the designer will own all that they design as they are the individual(s) that 'created' the material. Accordingly, a contract should specify that all designs are a “work for hire” and that all ownership is transferred to you, the business owner (see http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ09.pdf for a description of the “work for hire” doctrine).