You would usually own copyright in text you have written unless: 

• You wrote it as part of your job in salaried employment; OR
• You transferred (assigned) your copyright to someone else (e.g. a publisher or a client).

You can own copyright in text that you agreed to write for a fee - for example, for a publisher, commissioning editor or client - if you didn't transfer your copyright as part of the agreement.

A transfer of copyright by a writer usually requires a written communication (e.g. a clause in a publishing contract or contributor agreement) that is signed by the writer. It can be an electronic signature.

When completing the Writers Royalty Claim, you should check any documentation that relates to the works you list on the online form. You may also need to check with your publisher.

Although salaried writers do not usually own copyright in writing done as part of their job, salaried writers employed by newspapers and magazines can be entitled to copyright payments for photocopying directly from printed newspapers and magazines, though this type of copying occurs less frequently now than in the past.