Tool

Transferring a Repository

GitHub · GitHub Docs Free Beginner

If a developer already built your code in their own account, this is the official step-by-step for moving the repository to your account or organization. It also confirms the ownership mechanics: the new owner controls the repo, and the old owner drops to collaborator. Bookmark it for the handover moment.

  • A repo can be transferred to your org from the Settings danger zone.
  • After transfer the previous owner keeps only collaborator access.
  • The target account cannot already hold a repo of the same name.
Open on docs.github.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. How do I make sure I actually own the code my freelancer writes?

Read with it

  1. This lays out the one fact most first-time founders get wrong: under Indian copyright law your freelancer owns the code they... iPleaders (blog.ipleaders.in) Article · ~20 min read Freelancer Agreement in India: IP, Ownership and the Clauses That Actually Bind iPleaders
  2. This is the plain-English India explainer that maps exactly to your problem: it walks through Section 17(c) (employees vest in... Khurana & Khurana Article · 10 min read Copyright Ownership in Employment and Freelance Contracts: Key Legal Insights Khurana & Khurana, Advocates and IP Attorneys
  3. Explains that without a written assignment, the agency, not you, may own the code you paid for. It covers present tense... Horizon Labs Article Code Ownership and IP Assignment for Contractors: 2026 Guide Horizon Labs
  4. A lawyer's note on the exact wording that actually transfers code ownership in a development agreement. It is short and... Willcox Savage Article Use the Magic Words: Ownership of Code Developed under a Software Development Agreement Joseph B. Allen
  5. Cooley is the law firm behind a huge share of venture-backed startups, and this short piece tells you exactly why your company... Cooley GO Article What You Need in Your Contractor Agreements Cooley LLP
  6. A plain founder-level explainer from a top startup law firm on why the person who writes the code owns it by default, and what... WilmerHale Launch Article Who Owns Your IP WilmerHale
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