They want to use another's work beyond the bounds of fair use and need to know whom to ask for permission. The basics of who owns what are the same regardless of which concern one has, so we will cover the basics first, then apply them to these two situations. The author is usually the owner . An author-owner is free to assign copyright to anyone, so a written contract can change these basic rules. Many publishers require assignment of copyright as a condition of publication.
Ownership can be complicated.
Some categories of works that used to be distinct and about which there were few issues of ownership may now be merged into a single work. Scholarly works owned by faculty members can be implemented in software, which is usually identified as an invention and owned by the Board. Policy Other issues arise because of collaboration. The more cooks there are stirring the stew, the more complicated it becomes to figure out who owns what. Finally, some issues arise because University resources are scarce and must be allocated wisely and recovered when possible.