17 U.S.C. § 202 — Ownership of copyright as distinct from ownership of material object

Owning a copyright, or any of the exclusive rights that come with a copyright, is separate from owning the physical thing the work is stored in — like a book, painting, or record. If someone transfers ownership of that physical object, including the very first copy or recording the work was fixed in, that transfer by itself does not give the new owner any rights in the copyrighted work itself. In the same way, unless the parties agree otherwise, transferring the copyright or any exclusive right under it does not give the new copyright owner any property rights in the physical object.