After project completion, who typically owns the lighting designer's instruments of service?

• A. The owner
• B. The architect
• C. The lighting designer (consultant)
• D. The contractor

Answer: (C)

Instruments of service are the design documents and tools the lighting designer creates to deliver the project—things like drawings, specifications, calculations, and digital files. These items are the designer’s intellectual property, produced by or for their professional services. Because they are proprietary work product, ownership typically stays with the lighting designer. The client is usually granted a license to use and rely on those materials for the project and ongoing operation, but ownership doesn’t automatically transfer to the owner or contractor unless the contract explicitly states otherwise. So, after project completion, the lighting designer generally retains ownership of their instruments of service.