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 conracts will address who owns the Courseware, who has what rights to use it, for how long, and a host of other issues. 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. If such a work is commercialized, the University may even wish to share in the royalties.