owner. One who has the right to possess, use, and convey something; a person in whom one or more interests are vested. • An owner may have complete property in the thing or may have parted with some interests in it (as by granting an easement or making a lease). See OWNERSHIP.
adjoining owner.A person who owns land abutting another’s; ABUTTER. [Cases: Adjoining
Landowners 1. C.J.S. Adjoining Landowners §§ 2, 6–8, 39.]
beneficial owner. 1. One recognized in equity as the owner of something because use and title belong to that person, even though legal title may belong to someone else; esp., one for whom property is held in trust. — Also termed equitable owner. [Cases: Trusts 139. C.J.S. Trover and Conversion § 251.] 2. A corporate shareholder who has the power to buy or sell the shares, but who is not registered on the corporation’s books as the owner. [Cases: Corporations 135. C.J.S. Corporations § 282.] 3.Intellectual property. A person or entity who is entitled to enjoy the rights in a patent, trademark, or copyright even though legal title is vested in someone else. • The beneficial owner has standing to sue for infringement. A corporation is typically a beneficial owner if it has a contractual right to the assignment of the patent but the employee who owns the patent has failed to assign it. Similarly, a patent or copyright owner who has transferred title as collateral to secure a loan would be a beneficial owner entitled to sue for infringement.
copyright owner.See COPYRIGHT OWNER.
equitable owner.See beneficial owner (1).
general owner.One who has the primary or residuary title to property; one who has the
ultimate ownership of property. Cf. special owner.
legal owner.One recognized by law as the owner of something; esp., one who holds legal title to property for the benefit of another. See TRUSTEE(1). [Cases: Trusts 133. C.J.S. Trover and
Conversion §§ 245–246.]
limited owner.A tenant for life; the owner of a life estate. See life estate under ESTATE(1).
[Cases: Life Estates 1. C.J.S. Estates §§ 28–29, 31, 34.]
naked owner.Civil law. A person whose property is burdened by a usufruct. • The naked owner has the right to dispose of the property subject to the usufruct, but not to derive its fruits. See USUFRUCT. [Cases: Estates in Property 1. C.J.S. Estates §§ 2–5, 8, 15–21, 116–128, 137,
243.] owner of record.See record owner. owner pro hac vice (proh hahk vee-chay). See demise charter under CHARTER (8).
record owner. 1. A property owner in whose name the title appears in the public records.
sole and unconditional owner.Insurance. The owner who has full equitable title to, and
exclusive interest in, the insured property. [Cases: Insurance 2992(2).] special owner.One (such as a bailee) with a qualified interest in property. Cf. general owner.
[Blacks Law 8th]