This is the number 1 legal question I get from Roblox devs...

“I helped code a game for a studio. Then they ghosted me. No contract. No payment. What are my rights?”

Under U.S. copyright law, most video games are considered joint works. Meaning multiple people created something that’s merged into one inseparable thing.

🧠 Think of it like co-writing a book: You can’t just yank out one author’s words and say, “This part is mine.”

The story is one whole thing.

Same with a game. The code, assets, sounds... it all blends together to form one thing.

If you contributed to the game, and there’s no contract saying otherwise, you’re probably a co-owner.

✅ That means you have the legal right to distribute, publish, or even remix the entire game — not just “your part.”

Moral of the story? No contract = shared control.

And shared control can get messy.