Few university faculty realize when they submit a paper for publication they are giving away their right to their Copyright.

Faculty
members will submit research papers to the repository often unaware
that they have signed away the rights to their work to a journal
publisher, Ms. Davis said. “They are stunned that they have not
retained the copyrights,” she said. “They’re vehemently adamant” that
they still have rights to the work.

In our experience, few authors value their Copyright, and even fewer publishers respect an author’s claim to want to own the Copyright from page one publication of their work.

As
the original creator of the work, the Author, by default, owns the
Copyright in full and cannot lose Copyright unless and until that right
is explicitly released verbally, or by agreeing to a publication
policy, or by acquiescing that right in writing.

Beware of what you say and what you sign!