What doe intellectual property laws says about using contracted work in own portfolio?

Question by marcovalence: What doe intellectual property laws says about using contracted work in own portfolio?
I’ve found this on the web:
“Independent contractors (unlike employees) usually own all IP rights in the works they create – even if you have paid for it -, unless otherwise agreed in a written contract”, from (Lien Verbauwhede, IP Ownership: Avoiding Disputes, 2002)

I worked as a contractor-no-contract, as the typical way for employers to save money in employer taxes, for a company that is complaining about the work samples of some of those works I posted in my portfolio.
No doubt I deserve the credit for that work, but I wonder if I can use a screen capture of the screen of a website which is or was on the public web.

No Confidentiality Agreement was signed for that company, except a “Employee Handbook” which was specifically intended for employees, contractors with contract and other types of work relations not fitting to me.

The work pieces are not registered either. They just use the Copyright symbol but nothing is actually registered.
PS: “doe” doesn’t speak! hehe. I just don’t know how to edit the title to say “does” !!

Best answer:

Answer by jascotty
i’m not sure how well this answers your question… haven’t looked it up in a while…

if you were paid by someone to make something, then you own the rights to it. however, if that was part of your job (making it for an employer), then the company who you work for owns it.

i looked for somewhere to verify, but didn’t find much 🙁
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property

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