An assignment transfers ownership of a copyright from one party to another. We draft the assignment deed, confirm the chain of title and any work-for-hire position, and record the transfer where the registry allows. An assignment moves ownership; a licence only grants permission to use.
From $295 — a flat professional fee, quoted before any drafting begins.
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How it works
Thirty minutes. You tell us the work, who holds it now, and who should hold it after. An attorney confirms the chain of title, checks whether a work-for-hire position already applies, and quotes a flat fee in writing before any drafting begins.
We draft the assignment deed — defining the work, the rights transferred, and the territory and term. Full or partial assignments are drafted to the same standard. You review and approve every clause before anything is signed.
We manage execution of the deed and, where the registry allows it, record the transfer — recordation with the US Copyright Office, or registration of the assignment in India. The recorded transfer is delivered to your client portal.
What it costs
Copyright Assignment starts from $295. An assignment is priced by complexity — a single-work transfer with a clear chain of title starts low, while a partial assignment, a portfolio of works, or a tangled title takes more drafting and is scoped accordingly. We quote the flat professional fee in writing after the free scoping call, and no work begins until you accept it. Registry recordal fees, where they apply, are passed through at cost.
What's included
Registry recordal and recordation fees, where they apply, are billed at cost on top of the flat professional fee and shown before you pay.
Get started
Tell us about the work and the parties, and a copyright attorney will confirm the chain of title and email a flat-fee quote — no payment, no obligation.
Your request
Name the work and what kind it is — for example, a book, song, software, logo, photo, or video.
The current owner transferring the rights — full legal name of the person or company (the assignor).
The new owner the rights are being transferred to — full legal name of the person or company (the assignee).
If the work is registered with a copyright office, enter its registration number. Leave blank if it is not registered — that is fine.
Tell us whether you are transferring all rights or only some, which countries it covers, and for how long (for example: all rights, worldwide, permanently).
Why GTC
An assignment moves ownership of the copyright; a licence only grants permission to use it. We draft the deed so the transfer is unambiguous on its face — the right work, the right rights, the right parties — rather than leaving ownership open to argument later.
A copyright can be split. We draft assignments by specific right, by territory, or by term — transferring everything, or carving out the slice the deal needs and keeping the rest with the assignor.
Before drafting we confirm who owns the work — author, employer under work-for-hire, or a prior assignee. A transfer signed by someone who does not hold the right transfers nothing, so the title work comes before the deed.
Some registries accept a record of the transfer — recordation with the US Copyright Office, or registration of the assignment in India. Recordal puts the transfer on the public record and can support priority and standing. We handle it where it is available.
Your Customer Success Team
Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing. They are named people who pick up the phone and already know your matter, so every step moves forward without delay.
Your day-to-day point of contact, who coordinates every matter, keeps things moving, and already knows your file. They have your full history, so you start every conversation where the last one left off.
Senior oversight on strategy and escalations, stepping in as your needs grow, so every important detail stays on track.
A named person, on email or a call, at every step.
How we compare
| What you get | GTC | Online filing services | Doing it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment deed drafted by a copyright attorney | |||
| Chain of title and ownership confirmed before drafting | |||
| Work-for-hire position confirmed or documented separately | |||
| Full or partial transfer scoped by right, territory, and term | |||
| Transfer recorded with the registry where recordal is available | |||
| Signed transfer document delivered to you |
Assignment deed drafted by a copyright attorney
Chain of title and ownership confirmed before drafting
Work-for-hire position confirmed or documented separately
Full or partial transfer scoped by right, territory, and term
Transfer recorded with the registry where recordal is available
Signed transfer document delivered to you
The timeline
An assignment is quick to draft once the chain of title is clear. Here is the path from your first call to a transfer on the public record. Where a registry accepts recordal, its processing time is set by the office.
You describe the work and the parties. We confirm the chain of title, check any work-for-hire position, and quote the flat professional fee in writing before any drafting begins.
We draft the assignment deed — the work, the rights, the territory, and the term — and send it for your review. You approve every clause before signing.
We manage signing of the deed by both parties, so the transfer is properly executed and the document is complete on its face.
Where the registry allows it, we record the transfer — recordation with the US Copyright Office, or registration of the assignment in India. Processing time is set by the office.
In their words
One accountable team across every practice, operating since 2016.
Copyright Assignment FAQ
Transfer ownership the right way
Book a free scoping call with a copyright attorney. We confirm the chain of title, check any work-for-hire position, and quote a flat professional fee in writing before any drafting begins.
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