Who owns the copyright to a speech?

The copyright to a speech is owned by the speaker. This is because, under copyright law, the creator of original works is typically considered the owner of those works upon their creation. In this context, when a speaker delivers a speech, they are expressing their ideas and creativity, which are protected by copyright. As such, the speaker holds the rights to control reproduction, distribution, and public performance of the speech.

In contrast, the audience; the organization that hosted the speech; and the event organizer do not automatically gain copyright ownership simply by virtue of their roles in the speech's presentation or distribution. Even if the organization supported or facilitated the speech, the rights to the intellectual property of that speech remain with the individual who created it, unless there is a prior agreement that assigns those rights elsewhere.