803.8 (D) Work Made for Hire Authorship
For a sound recording to be made for hire, it must fall within the statutory definition. See 17 U.S.C. § 101 (definition of “work made for hire”). If the applicant states that a sound recording was a work made for hire and if it appears that the work does not fall within the statutory definition, the registration specialist may communicate with the applicant.
For a detailed discussion of works made for hire, see Chapter 500, Section 506.