Who typically owns the instruments of service on an A201 project?

• A. Contractor
• B. Owner
• C. Architect
• D. Subcontractor

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that the instruments of service—drawings, specifications, models, and other design documents created for the project—are owned by the Owner. Since the Owner pays for the design and will use these documents to build, operate, and potentially modify the project, it makes sense for them to hold the rights to the design data. The Architect typically retains ownership of the instruments as its intellectual property but licenses their use to the Owner for this Project. The Contractor and any subcontractors don’t own the instruments; they receive a limited license to use the documents solely to perform their work. This setup gives the Owner control over the project documents for current construction and future needs, while protecting the Architect’s rights to their work.