In Australia, as in many other countries, education is increasingly thought of in terms of trade. Given that copyright law has long functioned as a trade regulation device, it may be reasonable to expect that consideration would be given to the role that copyright may play in regulating the so-called education industry. However, the approach taken to copyright law is often disparate and confusing. This article re-examines approaches to ownership of copyright of works in universities and how copyright may be seen, not as a property right to be fought over but as a specific tool of regulation and governance.