What is work-for-hire?

Work-for-hire (work made for hire): Anything you create as part of your job belongs to the employer. Example: Code you write for company software = Company owns it. This is standard for employment.

Is work-for-hire enforceable?

Yes, generally. If work is created during employment, using company resources, for company purpose: Company owns it. Courts enforce this routinely.

What does the company own?

Company typically owns: (1) Code/software, (2) Documentation, (3) Design work, (4) Writing/content created for company. Usually excludes: (1) Side projects, (2) Knowledge/skills, (3) Inventions unrelated to company business.

Can I own a side project?

Yes, if: (1) Created on your own time, (2) Using your own resources, (3) Not using company materials. Negotiate carve-out: "Side projects unrelated to company business belong to employee."

Can they claim ownership of my general skills?

NO. You own your programming skills, writing ability, knowledge. Company cannot claim "you cannot use Python elsewhere." Skills are yours.

What about inventions?

Typically: Company owns inventions related to company business created during employment. Outside company business: Usually yours. Negotiate: Clear definition of "related to company business."

Can I use company code in side projects?

NO. That is copyright infringement. Code written for company is company property. You cannot reuse it. Create new code for side projects (independently written, from scratch).

May 10, 2026·7 min read·✓ Updated May 2026(quarterly reviews)·By WorkContractReview.com · AI-assisted analysis, human-edited

Work-For-Hire Clauses: Understanding Who Owns Your Creative Work

A work-for-hire clause assigns ownership of everything you create during employment to your employer. But do they really own EVERYTHING? Side projects? Skills? This guide explains what work-for-hire actually means and how to negotiate carve-outs.

Key Points in This Guide

1Work-for-hire definition
2What is included
3What you can negotiate
4Side project protection
5Skills and knowledge ownership
6Invention assignment scope
7Pre-employment work ownership

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About this guide: This article is written and maintained by the WorkContractReview.com editorial team. Where statutes are cited (e.g. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §16600, C.R.S. §8-2-113), we link directly to the official legislative source. AI analysis on this site is powered by Claude claude-opus-4-6 by Anthropic. Content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. See all cited sources →

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