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Copyright: who owns this work - my business or the person who made it?
Paying for work does not always mean you own the copyright. The answer depends on who made it, on what terms, and what kind of work it is.
The employer is usually the first owner.
Lower complexity
- Section 17(c): for a work made in the course of employment under a contract of service or apprenticeship, the employer is the first owner unless there is an agreement to the contrary.
- Check that the work really was made in the course of the job. Work done outside the role may belong to the employee.
- Section 17(a) has a special rule for newspaper and magazine employees.
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Not sure whether this applies to your invention?
The honest answer usually needs someone to look at your actual disclosure, your timeline and the prior art. That is a conversation, not an article.