time the work is created in fixed
form. The copyright in the work of authorship *immediately* becomes the
property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those
deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.

In the case of works made for hire, the employer and not the employee is
considered to be the author. Title 17, Chap 1, Sec. 101 of the
copyright law defines a "work made for hire" as:

+ (1) a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her
employment; or

+ (2) a work specially ordered or commissioned for use as:
+ a contribution to a collective work
+ a part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work
+ a translation
+ a supplementary work
+ a compilation
+ an instructional text
+ a test
+ answer material for a test
+ a sound recording
+ an atlas

if the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them
that the work shall be considered a work made for hire....

The authors of a joint work are co-owners of the copyright in the work,
unless there is an agreement to the contrary.

Copyright in each separate contribution to a periodical or other
collective work is distinct from copyright in the collective work as a
whole and vests initially with the author of the contribution.

Two General Principles

+ Mere ownership of a book, manuscript, painting, or any other copy or
phonorecord does not give the possessor the copyright. The law
provides that transfer of ownership of any material object that
embodies a protected work does not of itself convey any rights in
the copyright.

+ Minors may claim copyright, but state laws may regulate the business
dealings involving copyrights owned by minors. For information on
relevant state laws, consult an attorney.

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COPYRIGHT AND NATIONAL ORIGIN OF THE WORK

Copyright protection is available for all unpublished works, regardless
of the nationality or domicile of the author. Published works are
eligible for copyright protection in the United States if *any* one of
the following conditions is met:

+ On the date of first publication, one or more of the authors is a
national or domiciliary of the United States, or is a national,
domiciliary, or sovereign authority of a treaty party,* or is a
stateless person wherever that perso