Compare a term sheet with the rights in a copyright licence
Key facts
- Human involvement
- RedLawyer-led
- How AI is used
- List each right the term sheet names, the term, the territory, and whether the sheet says the grant is exclusive. Write no sentence of the licence or assignment.
- What the lawyer must review
- You write the instrument. 17 U.S.C. § 201(d)(2) allows any exclusive right in § 106, including a subdivision of it, to be transferred and owned separately. Section 204(a) provides that a transfer of copyright ownership, other than by operation of law, is not valid unless an instrument of conveyance, or a note or memorandum of the transfer, is in writing and signed by the owner or the owner's agent. Section 106 is the list of exclusive rights, subject to §§ 107 through 122. You decide whether the deal transfers ownership, and so needs § 204(a), or is a permission that does not. Open § 101 before you classify the grant.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Supporting preparation only. Consider narrowly defined preparation support after confirming the tool’s capability and permitted scope. The tool writes nothing into the document. Substantive advice, judgement and any restricted content remain with the responsible human. |
| Lawyer | Perform the substantive analysis and decisions. Independently check any permitted supporting work and approve the exact output for its intended use. |
Checklist
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.
Forms and precedents for this task
| Form or precedent | Kind | AI use | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-form copyright assignment | Agreement | AI use Yellow | A writing that transfers copyright ownership in a named work, for 17 U.S.C. § 204(a). |
| Work made for hire clause | Clause | AI use Yellow | Clause for a work made for hire on or after 1 January 1978, using the two paths in Copyright Office Circular 30. |
Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one. All precedents.