Who Owns and Holds the Rights to a Copyright :
First, it's helpful to review the various exclusive rights granted to copyright holders by the Copyright Act of 1976:
reproduction rights: the right to make copies of a protected work
distribution rights: the right to sell or otherwise distribute copies to the public
right to create adaptations: the right to prepare new works based on the protected work (called derivative works), and
performance and display rights: the rights to perform a protected work (such as a stage play) or to display a work in public.
This bundle of rights allows a copyright owner to be flexible when deciding how to realize commercial gain from the underlying work; the owner may keep those rights, or as outlined above, may sell, assign, or license any of the rights by contract.
Assignment of Copyright Owner's Rights
When a copyright owner wishes to commercially exploit a work covered by copyright, the owner typically transfers one or more of these rights to the person or entity who will be responsible for getting the work to market, such as a book or software publisher.
Ways copyright ownership can be transferred:
Assignment or license. An assignment is a transfer of ownership interest in the copyright; a license is a grant of only some of the rights comprising copyright.
Mortgage or security. A copyright can be mortgaged or used as security for an obligation. This is somewhat rare for most copyright owners.
Transfer upon death. If an owner of copyright dies with a valid will, the copyright will be transferred to a designated beneficiary. If an owner of copyright dies without a will, transfer of ownership will occur according to the rules of intestate succession.
Involuntary transfer. Under certain circumstances (for example, bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosure, or divorce), a court can order the transfer of copyright.
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SOURCE : https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/copyright-ownership-rights-
