Legal Definitions - anonymous work

An anonymous work is a creative piece, such as a book, song, film, or artwork, where the identity of the author or creator is not publicly revealed or is unknown.

This means that the individual or group responsible for creating the work has either chosen to remain unidentified, used a pseudonym that is not generally known to be their real name, or their identity has simply been lost over time.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: A Widely Circulated Blog Post

  Imagine a highly influential blog post discussing a sensitive political topic that is published on a popular website. The post is attributed only to "A Concerned Citizen" and provides no other identifying information about the author. Despite the post gaining significant traction and sparking widespread debate, the true identity of "A Concerned Citizen" is never revealed to the public.

  This illustrates an anonymous work because the creative content (the blog post) is published, but the individual who authored it remains unidentified to the public.

• Example 2: An Ancient Manuscript

  Consider an ancient philosophical text discovered in an archaeological dig. The manuscript contains profound insights and complex arguments, but there are no signatures, dedications, or historical records that definitively link it to a specific author. Scholars study and attribute the work to "Anonymous" because the original creator's identity is lost to history.

  This demonstrates an anonymous work because the creative work (the philosophical text) exists, but its original author's identity is unknown and cannot be determined.

• Example 3: A Street Art Mural

  A vibrant and intricate mural appears overnight on the side of a building in a major city. The artwork quickly becomes a local landmark, admired for its artistic merit and social commentary. However, no artist steps forward to claim responsibility, and despite public speculation and media attention, the creator's identity remains a mystery.

  This is an anonymous work because the visual artwork is publicly displayed and appreciated, yet the artist who created it has chosen to remain unidentified.