When you hold a copyright, you possess a bundle of exclusive rights to your original work. Assignments and transfers allow you to hand over some or all of these rights to another party.
The transfer of these rights can be temporary, through a license, or permanent, through an assignment.
An Assignment is a complete transfer of the copyright owner’s rights, title, and interest in a copyrighted work.
- Once assigned, the original owner no longer has rights over that work.
A Transfer is a broader term that encompasses assignments but can also refer to other types of transfers such as licenses.