Can multiple people own the same copyright?

Yes, multiple people can own the same copyright in Texas. This is known as “joint authorship.” In fact, according to Texas copyright law, joint authorship occurs when two or more authors “create a work with the intent that their contributions be merged into inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole.” Essentially, two or more people can be considered co-authors of a single work and thus, are also considered co-owners of the copyright. However, if two or more people collaborate to create a work that is intended to be separate works, for example, a song composed of two separate parts, each author can own the copyright to their separate part. This is known as “works made for hire” and it allows each author to own an exclusive copyright to their work. It is important to note that not all collaborative works will be considered works made for hire. No matter what the arrangement, all owners of a copyright will generally have the same exclusive rights to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies of the work, and publicly display the work. It is important for all parties involved in a joint authorship arrangement to clearly outline their intentions so that each party understands their rights and responsibilities.

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