From an architect's point of view, retaining ownership of electronic data created for a project is as important as, if not more important than, ownership of hard copies of the contract documents. The issues involve both compensation and liability concerns.
When CADD hit the marketplace, it was thought it would do for drawings what word processing did for typing. However, now it has become a medium for the exchange of information. Clients more and more frequently require the project be completed on CADD, and may even supply their criteria to their architect on electronic media for the architect's reuse and alteration. The client may expect to pay lower architectural fees as a result, and have more accuracy on their project.