Hiring Graphic Artist Contract

[Cur!ous1]

Hello,

I have 3 artists I want to hire to draw ideas for me that I plan to put on anything I want. Shirts, posters, decals. etc.
I need a contract that states once the piece is complete and paid for, I will own all rights to the piece and they will give up all and any rights or ownership of the work.
Basically, I can use it for whatever I want and no matter the gains, money, status, fame, etc. they have no rights to it and cant be used by them at all.

Do I need a lawyer to write this up or is there any easier way to approach this?
There are simple free contracts online I could use. but I want to make sure it would hold up in case someone comes back for any reason.
Thank You for your valuable time!
Zak

 

[Tax Counsel]

Do I need a lawyer to write this up or is there any easier way to approach this?

Hiring an intellectual property lawyer to do this for you is a really good idea when you don't know how to do it yourself. Assuming you are in the U.S, there things involved in this kind of agreement that are important to include but that most nonlawyers would never think to put in the contract. If it's really important to you to own all the rights then its worth it pay a lawyer a few bucks to draft a good contract for it.

If you are not in the U.S. then you need to find a forum that handles the law for your country. This forum focuses on law in the U.S.

 

[Cur!ous1]

Hiring an intellectual property lawyer to do this for you is a really good idea when you don't know how to do it yourself. Assuming you are in the U.S, there things involved in this kind of agreement that are important to include but that most nonlawyers would never think to put in the contract. If it's really important to you to own all the rights then its worth it pay a lawyer a few bucks to draft a good contract for it.

If you are not in the U.S. then you need to find a forum that handles the law for your country. This forum focuses on law in the U.S.

Yes, I am in the US. The other concern is if things are different if the artists are all in other states.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[adjusterjack]

Do I need a lawyer to write this up or is there any easier way to approach this?

If you plan on making money with your endeavor you would be wise to have a lawyer create the appropriate contract for you.

Meantime, google copyright work for hire so you will at least know what to talk about when you consult the attorney.

 

[zddoodah]

Do I need a lawyer to write this up

Define "need." If you the best chance of having the agreement properly prepared and tailored to your business, you should have an attorney prepare it. It is not, however, legally required.

is there any easier way to approach this?

Easier than calling a lawyer and saying, "please prepare for me a form agreement I can use"? Not sure what could be easier than that. If you meant "less expensive," you could try to google for a form agreement and DIY. That would be less expensive, but it would not, IMO, be "easier."

There are simple free contracts online I could use. but I want to make sure it would hold up in case someone comes back for any reason.

Those sorts of assurances can't really come other than from retaining an attorney.

I am in the US. The other concern is if things are different if the artists are all in other states.

No. What you'd be looking for is a document that effects transfers of copyrights. Copyright law exists only at the federal level, so it doesn't matter what state anyone is in (although contract law does vary from state to state, but you can deal with that by something called a "choice of law" provision).

Meantime, google copyright work for hire so you will at least know what to talk about when you consult the attorney.

While there's nothing wrong with the OP educating him/herself on this subject, this is not a work for hire issue. A work for hire ("WFH") is defined in section 101 of the Copyright Act as a work created by another who is either an employee or an independent contractor. A WFH created by an employee can be any type of work within the subject matter of copyright. However, the types of works that can be a WFH prepared by an independent contractor are very limited, and the sorts of works the OP described would not qualify. Accordingly, as mentioned above, the OP needs a transfer agreement, not a WFH agreement.