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Copyright assignment deed for a ghostwritten book
The ghostwriting agreement already assigns copyright. Publishers, literary agents and film producers still ask for one clean document that says who owns the book. This is that document. It runs to two pages and it is signed once.
A copyright assignment deed is the one document that moves ownership of a ghostwritten book from the writer to the client. In India, section 19 of the Copyright Act 1957 says it must be in writing and signed, and must name the work, the rights, the term and the territory. Leave the term out and it ends after five years.
- Who signs
- The writer assigns and the client accepts, with two witnesses.
- When
- When the final payment is made, or when a publisher or distributor asks for proof that the client owns the book.
- Length
- 9 clauses, each with a plain-English note
- Formats
- Word and PDF. Free, no sign-up.
Not legal adviceThis is a template, not a lawyer-drafted legal document and not legal advice. It replaces the verbal agreement most of this work runs on, so both sides have the terms in writing. Laws differ by country and by state. Have a lawyer where you live read it before anyone signs. I am a writer, not a lawyer. These are the documents I would want in place, written in plain English so you can see what each line does.
The deed, clause by clause
Each clause reads as it does in the download. Type straight into the blanks and tick the options you want (a line with a box is an option: keep one), then download your filled copy in Word or PDF from the bar at the bottom. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
The parties
1.1This deed is made on [DATE] between [WRITER FULL NAME], of [ADDRESS] (the “Assignor”), and [CLIENT FULL NAME], of [ADDRESS] (the “Assignee”).
What it meansThe assignor is the writer. The assignee is you.
Background
2.1Under an agreement dated [DATE OF WRITING AGREEMENT], the Assignor wrote the work described in Schedule 1 (the “Work”) for the Assignee. The Assignor is the author and first owner of the copyright in the Work.
What it meansTies this deed to the writing agreement, and records that the writer was the first owner. That is the starting point in India, the UK and the US.
Assignment
3.1In return for the fee paid under that agreement, which the Assignor confirms has been received in full, the Assignor assigns to the Assignee all copyright and all other rights in the Work, including all drafts, outlines, notes, recordings and transcripts made for it.
What it meansThe core sentence. It also records that the writer has been paid, which closes off any later claim that the transfer depended on money still owed.
Rights, territory and term
4.1The rights assigned include the right to reproduce, publish, distribute, adapt, translate, abridge, serialise, perform, broadcast and communicate the Work to the public, and to make films, television programmes, audiobooks, ebooks and stage versions of it, in every medium and format now known or developed later.
4.2The assignment is for the whole world and for the full term of copyright, including any renewal or extension.
What it meansIndia’s section 19 needs the rights, the territory and the term spelled out. Section 18 adds that a new medium is only covered if the assignment says so, hence “now known or developed later”.
Royalty
5.1No royalty or further payment is due to the Assignor for the assignment or for any use of the Work.
What it meansIndian law asks the deed to state any royalty. Saying “none” in writing is clearer than saying nothing.
No lapse
6.1This assignment does not lapse if the Assignee does not exercise any right within one year, or at all.
What it meansWithout this line an Indian assignment of a right the client does not use for a year can fall away. A family book can sit in a drawer for a decade before a publisher comes calling.
Moral rights and credit
7.1To the extent the law allows, the Assignor waives, or agrees not to assert, any right to be identified as author of the Work, beyond the credit agreed in writing, and consents to the Assignee editing and adapting the Work.
What it meansIn India and the UAE the writer cannot give away the right to be named, so this is a promise not to use it. In the UK and Australia it can be waived outright.
Promises by the Assignor
8.1The Assignor confirms that the Work is original to the Assignor except for material supplied by the Assignee or quoted with permission, that the Assignor has not assigned or licensed any right in it to anyone else, and that the Assignor will sign any further document the Assignee reasonably needs to record or enforce this assignment.
What it meansThe writer confirms it is their own work and nobody else has a claim on it.
Law
9.1This deed is governed by the laws of [COUNTRY, AND STATE OR EMIRATE IF ANY].
What it meansUse the same law as the writing agreement.
Schedule 1: the Work
Title: [TITLE]
Description: [FOR EXAMPLE, A BIOGRAPHY OF NAME, ABOUT 75,000 WORDS]
Final manuscript delivered on: [DATE]
Signatures
Take the deed with you
Deed of Assignment of Copyright: Word (.docx) to edit, PDF to print. Free, no sign-up. Blanks are highlighted. Or fill it in on this page and download it filled.
Know a writer who works on a handshake?
Most freelance work starts with a phone call and a promise. Then the invoice is late, or the scope doubles, and nobody wrote anything down. Send this deed to one writer, or one client, before their next job starts. It is free, it needs no sign-up, and it saves an argument later.
Assignment or licence?
| Document | Who owns the copyright after | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment (this deed) | The client | A book you paid a writer to write |
| Exclusive licence | The writer, who lets only you use it | A publisher deal on a book the author keeps |
| Non-exclusive licence | The owner, who lets you and others use it | An interviewee’s words, or a cousin’s photographs |
The interview release form and the photo permission form are non-exclusive licences on purpose: the family uses the words and pictures in the book, and the people who gave them keep the right to use them too.
India and other countries
India
Section 19 of the Copyright Act 1957 is the checklist: in writing, signed by the assignor, identifying the work, the rights, the duration and the territory, and stating the royalty and other consideration. Without a stated term it is five years; without a territory it is India only; an unused right lapses after a year unless the deed says otherwise. Section 18 says a new medium is not covered unless named. The deed covers each point. Two witnesses are not required by the Act but make the deed easier to prove. Stamp it under your state’s Stamp Act; the rate for an assignment of copyright differs by state. If the book is registered with the Copyright Office, record the new owner by filing Form XV, a change in particulars, with a notarised copy of this deed. The fee for a literary work is ₹200, and filing is online. Recording is optional; the deed binds both sides from the day it is signed.
UK
Section 90 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 needs the assignment in writing and signed by or for the assignor. Signing as a deed, with a witness, is optional but adds weight. Moral rights can be waived in writing under section 87.
US
Section 204 of the Copyright Act needs a signed written transfer. You can record it with the US Copyright Office, which gives public notice and helps in any dispute over who owns the book. An individual author keeps a right to end the transfer after 35 years under section 203, which no contract can remove.
UAE
Copyright is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021, in force since 2 January 2022. Where a work is made for the benefit of another person, the economic rights can sit with that person unless the parties agree otherwise, but a written assignment removes the doubt. Moral rights, such as the right to be named, cannot be assigned or waived under UAE law, so a credit clause there is a promise about how the writer chooses to act, not a waiver. If either party is in a free zone such as DIFC or ADGM, its own courts and rules can apply.
Singapore, Canada and Australia
All three need an assignment of copyright to be in writing and signed by the assignor, and all three give authors moral rights. Australia and Canada let an author consent to, or waive, those rights in writing; Singapore protects the right to be named as author. Use the same template and ask a local lawyer to check the moral rights line.
Questions people ask
Do I need a copyright assignment if my contract already assigns copyright?
Not in law, if the contract assignment is written well. In practice publishers, agents and producers ask for a separate deed because it is one clean page instead of a twenty-clause contract.
What happens in India if the assignment does not mention the term?
Section 19(5) of the Copyright Act 1957 treats it as five years from the date of assignment. After that the rights go back to the writer. This deed says full term of copyright.
Does a copyright assignment need to be stamped in India?
Yes. It is a document chargeable under your state’s Stamp Act. An unstamped document cannot be relied on in court until the duty and a penalty are paid.
Does a copyright assignment need to be signed?
Yes. In India section 19(1) makes an assignment invalid unless it is in writing and signed by the assignor. In the UK and the US a transfer needs a signed written document too. This deed has signature lines for both sides and two witnesses.
Can a copyright assignment be registered in India?
If the book is on the Register of Copyrights, the new owner can be recorded with Form XV and a notarised copy of the deed, for ₹200. Recording is optional. The deed binds both sides from signing.
What is the difference between assignment and licence of copyright?
An assignment transfers ownership. A licence gives permission to use the work while the owner keeps the copyright. A ghostwritten book needs an assignment, so the client owns it outright.
Do moral rights pass with a copyright assignment?
No. In India and the UAE the writer keeps the right to be named and to object to distortion. This deed has the writer promise not to use it, in clause 7.
Hiring a writer for a family book?
Send me the contract you have been offered, or ask for mine. I respond within 48 hours, in confidence.