Can I copyright what I write for my employer?

[quanrud]

What is the name of your state? NY

My employer assigned me to write a series of articles for marketing purposes. Now they want me to ghost write a book for the CEO. I feel I should be given co-authorship and I'd like to pursue that, in a nice way.

I assume that technically they would owe me nothing beyond my salary and it would be entirely up to them whether or not to offer co-authorship.

What recourse do I have? What precedents exist?

THANKS

 

[hexeliebe]

If the writing is produced during normal work hours then it is work-product and you have no rights to it.

However, you still have negotiating power here. I have been involved with a few projects (ghosting) that required me to work on the project outside of normal working hours and there were other concessions available such as extra compensation and royalties.

The best advice I can give you is to get everything in writing, tell the CEO you would have to work on the project outside of your normal duties at times and put the co-authorship on the table but accept a royalty agreement in it's place.

The purpose of ghosts is make the book appear to be written by the subject, not the ghost.