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Entertainment & Sports,
Contracts

Apr. 21, 2026

Litigation lessons for entertainment transactional attorneys: Unexecuted work-for-hire agreements

Using independent contractors without signed work-for-hire agreements can leave entertainment companies without exclusive copyright ownership and exposed to infringement, contract, fraud and misclassification claims.

Ashlee Difuntorum

Associate
Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir, LLP

See more...

Litigation lessons for entertainment transactional attorneys: Unexecuted work-for-hire agreements
Shutterstock

Entertainment projects frequently involve creative professionals like songwriters, choreographers, screenwriters, visual effects artists and others who are engaged as independent contractors to contribute work to a film, television show or other production. When those contributions are made without a signed work-for-hire agreement in place, the company releasing the project may face significant legal exposure.

Understanding what is at stake and how court...

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