Q: How do I leave something I created and what ownership do I retain?
I created a comedy website and blog with another woman. I paid for it, built the entire site and created the content. It pairs with a comedy troupe. She was to run the troupe and I the website. We have a difficult working relationship and I want out. She cannot pay me for the site and I don't want to give up credit for being a founder. I'm not sure what to do.
A: If the ideas of your website contents are initiated and authored by both of you, the contents of the website is under a joint copyright by you and the woman. Joint copyright owners have an equal right to use the content. Unless you have an written agreement to divide the joint ownership, each of you has the right to commercially use the contents, provided that the other copyright owners get an equal share of the proceeds. In your case, if the contents themselves do not generate proceeds (like book or video), you may not have any recourse or the right to stop her use of the content. If the woman refuse to pay the cost of the website, you may try to shut it down, but she, if as a joint owner of copyright, may start a new website by using the same contents that she enjoy the joint ownership. However, your case is more like issues of sharing the cost of the website and a termination of the implied partnership. For the sharing of cost under the context of partnership, you should find a local attorney having experience in partnership to handle it.
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