Which statement about ownership and permission is true?

Which statement about ownership and permission is true?

• A. The license grants permission without transferring ownership
• B. The owner loses ownership under a license
• C. A license places the work into the public domain
• D. A license automatically creates a new copyright

Answer: (A)

Ownership stays with the creator even when a license is granted. A license is a contractual permission to use the work under defined terms (how long, where, for what purposes, and what rights are being granted). It does not transfer ownership of the copyright. Even with an exclusive license, the right to use is given to the licensee while the owner still holds the copyright; the license simply restricts the owner’s ability to grant those rights to others. Licensing also does not put the work into the public domain or create new copyright; public domain results from expiration, waiver, or dedication, and a license doesn’t create new copyrights—it just authorizes specific uses of the existing rights.

Ownership stays with the creator even when a license is granted. A license is a contractual permission to use the work under defined terms (how long, where, for what purposes, and what rights are being granted). It does not transfer ownership of the copyright. Even with an exclusive license, the right to use is given to the licensee while the owner still holds the copyright; the license simply restricts the owner’s ability to grant those rights to others. Licensing also does not put the work into the public domain or create new copyright; public domain results from expiration, waiver, or dedication, and a license doesn’t create new copyrights—it just authorizes specific uses of the existing rights.