The author of a work shall be the first owner of the moral and economic rights in his work.
OWNERSHIP OF RIGHTS IN WORKS OF JOINT AUTHORSHIP
The joint authors of a work of joint authorship shall be the first joint owners of the moral and economic rights in that work. However, if a work of joint authorship may be divided into independent parts, that is to say if the parts of such work may be reproduced, performed or otherwise used separately, the joint authors shall enjoy independent rights in those parts, whilst remaining joint owners of the rights in the work of joint authorship considered as a whole.
OWNERSHIP OF RIGHTS IN COLLECTIVE WORKS
The first owner of the moral and economic rights in a collective work shall be the natural or legal person on whose initiative and under whose responsibility the work has been created and who has published it under his name.
OWNERSHIP OF RIGHTS IN WORKS CREATED UNDER A WORK CONTRACT OR ON COMMISSION
Where a work is created on behalf of a natural or legal person, private or public, under a work contract of the author or where the work is commissioned from the author by such person, the first owner of the economic and moral rights shall be the author, but the economic rights in the work shall be deemed to have been transferred to the employer to the extent justified by the habitual activities of the employer or of such natural or legal person at the time of the creation of the work.
OWNERSHIP OF RIGHTS IN AUDIO-VISUAL WORKS
In the case of an audio-visual work, the first owners of the moral and economic rights shall be the joint authors of the work, such as the director, the scriptwriter, the composer of the music. The authors of pre-existing works adapted or used for audio-visual works shall be deemed to have been assimilated to such joint authors.
The contract concluded between the producer of an audio-visual work and the joint authors of such work, other than the authors of musical works included therein, shall imply assignment to the producer of the economic rights of the joint authors in their contributions. However, the joint authors shall maintain, unless otherwise agreed in the contract, their economic rights in other uses for their contributions to the extent that the latter may be used separately from the audio-visual work.
AUTHORS PRESUMPTION OF OWNERSHIP
In order that the author of a work be deemed such, in the absence of proof to the contrary, and consequently be entitled to institute proceedings, it shall suffice for his name to appear on the work in the usual manner.
In the case of an anonymous work or of a pseudonymous work, except where the pseudonym leaves no doubt as to the identity of the author, the publisher whose name appears on the work shall be deemed, in the absence of proof to the contrary, to represent the author and, in that capacity, to be entitled to protect and ensure compliance with the rights of the author. This shall cease to apply when the author reveals his identity and proves his authorship.