Under Work for Hire stipulations, the hired party transfers the copyright of the work being created to the hiring party. This is a problem because Work for Hire strips the original composer of all control over the work and potential royalties it can earn. I pitched several Work for Hire alternatives to people in the entertainment industry, but no one seemed to think it could be replaced.

In my research, I came across Artist Morality: a series of rights that every artist is entitled to, such as the right to be credited to their work or the right to reject an alteration of their creation if it could harm their reputation. Artist Morality is in U.S. Law, but miscodified, making them virtually ineffectual. If Artist Morality is able to become codified in United States law, composers will retain rights they deserve.

Links to Project Materials:

College of Visual & Performing Arts 2020, Professional Projects 2020, 2020