The period of copyright protection is relatively long. Ordinarily the period is the life of the author or producer plus 50 years. Because rights to copyrighted material may ordinarily be sold, inherited, etc. a publisher or an heir may enforce a copyright for 50 years after the producer's death. If a work is produced by an employee or an independent contractor working under a work-for-hire contract the copyright period is the shorter of 75 years from publication or 100 years from creation. In many work for hire situations the gives up ownership of the copyright; but, if the author is an independent contractor, there must be a written contract indicating that the work is work-for-hire and the type of work one in the statutory listing.