Can multiple people own the same copyright?

Yes, multiple people can own the same copyright. Copyright law in California states that copyright protection is automatic when a work is created. A copyright is a set of exclusive rights given to the creator of the work to control the use of their work and protect it from unauthorized use. Copyrights can be owned by a single person, such as an author or director, or by multiple people. For example, if a song is co-written by two or more people, or if a movie has multiple writers, then all of the contributors can own the copyright in the work. When multiple people own the copyright, they share in the exclusive rights granted by that copyright. In the case of a joint work, each contributor will have an equal say in how the work is used or reproduced. If a dispute arises between the co-owners of a copyright, the court can decide how to divide the rights between the parties. Although copyright law in California grants exclusive rights to the creators of a work, those rights may be limited by the Fair Use doctrine. Fair Use is a legal principle that protects the use of copyrighted works for purposes of critique, education, news reporting, and other uses. For example, quoting from a copyrighted work for the sake of criticism is considered fair use.

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Can multiple people own the same copyright?

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