Assignment of work is a good thing when used properly. I’ve written jingles and arrangements and even sold one song outright for some TV show that never aired. Graphic artists sign away their work all the time.
It’s a good way for artists to make money.
The problems arise when the agreements are one-sided, like producers getting co-author credits on all the songs or artists being forced to sign away rights to future works.
The only reason those kinds of abuses don’t happen (much) anymore is that the unions lobbied hard to get the practices outlawed.
