>Copywrite law is Federal but various states have regulations concerning who can obtain copywrite on computer code. In Georgia, if you write code for a customer and receive payment for it, the code itself belongs to your customer unless there is a prearrangement. This makes sense to me since the programmer is acting under the direction of the customer.

This law may run contrary to federal law. If it does, it can't be enforced. Federal law states that the rights must be signed over at the END of the contract. Even if signed over before, it is what happens at the end that counts. At least, that's how it was explained to me by my attorney.