Orphan work Law and Legal Definition
Orphan works are works which are under copyright, but whose owner or the estate either cannot be found or cannot be identified. Sometimes the name of the creator or copyright owner may be known but other than the name no information can be established. Other reasons for a work to be orphan include that the copyright owner is unaware of their ownership or that the copyright owner has died and it is not possible to establish to whom ownership of the copyright has passed.
