First Owner of Copyright and His Rights 1. Who is the First Owner of Copyright? Copyright refers to the exclusive legal rights granted to the creator of an original work, including literary, artistic, musical, and cinematographic works. The first owner of copyright is the original author or creator of the work, as per Section 17 of the Copyright Act, 1957 . Legal Definition (Section 17, Copyright Act, 1957) "The author of a work shall be the first owner of the copyright, except where the work is created under certain contractual obligations." Who is Considered the First Owner? For literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works – The author/creator is the first owner. For photographs – The photographer is the first owner. For cinematographic films and sound recordings – The producer is the first owner. For computer programs – The programmer or company creating the software owns the copyright. Exceptions: When the First Owner is Not the Author Work Don...