# Who Owns CNC Programs and G-Code? Machine Shop Files and AI

> Who owns CNC programs, CAM files and G-code at a machine shop, what AI buyers ask for, what the CAM licence allows, and what the files are worth when you sell the shop.

Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/guides/machine-shop-cnc-cam-files-ai
By: Origin Data Partners
Status: Published
Published: 2026-11-13
Updated: 2026-11-13
Sources checked: 2026-11-12

## Quick answer

A CNC machine shop usually owns the part programs, CAM files and setup sheets its own programmers wrote, unless a purchase order assigned them to the customer. The customer's drawings and models stay the customer's. AI developers have asked shops for native CAM files with toolpaths, posted G-code and setup sheets for parts that were really cut, made under a commercial CAM licence and cleared with the customer.

## Key points

- Copyright in a program starts with whoever wrote it; work by your employees belongs to the shop.
- Aerospace and defense purchase orders often give the buyer everything you develop for the order. Read yours.
- The customer's model and drawing are never yours to license; your toolpaths and setup know-how may be.
- One public buyer listing paid per part and refused CAM files made on educational or personal-use licences.

## Who owns CNC programs and G-code: the shop or the customer?

Start from copyright. It "vests initially in the author or authors of the work" ([17 U.S.C. 201](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/201)), and a program your employee wrote on the job is "a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment" ([17 U.S.C. 101](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/101)), so the shop is treated as the author. A toolpath strategy, a post-processed program and a setup sheet written by your own staff therefore start out as the shop's property.

The purchase order can change that. GE Aerospace's standard purchase terms, for example, define intellectual property as "data, notes, reports, specifications, designs, drawings, computer software including source code and object code, methods, processes, techniques, know-how", call anything the seller develops while filling the order "Foreground Intellectual Property", and state: "Purchaser shall own all Foreground Intellectual Property along with any Intellectual Property Rights thereto." ([GE Aerospace](https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/default/files/GE-PO-Terms.pdf)). Under terms like those, the CNC program you wrote for that customer's part belongs to the customer.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It quotes the statute or the contract for each point; your own counsel applies it to your purchase orders.

| File in the archive | Who usually owns it | What decides it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customer's 3D model and drawing (build-to-print) | The customer | The customer authored it; your NDA and PO add confidentiality |
| CAM file with toolpaths and setups | The shop, if your staff programmed it | Purchase order terms; some assign everything made for the order to the buyer |
| Posted G-code | Same as the CAM file it came from | Same purchase order terms |
| Setup sheets, tool lists, cycle-time notes | The shop | Purchase order terms and confidentiality clauses |
| Fixture and soft-jaw designs | The shop, unless the customer paid for the tooling | Tooling clause in the PO or supply agreement |
| Inspection reports (CMM, first article) | Shared: your measurements of their part | Quality clauses; often deliverables to the customer |


## What AI buyers want from a machine shop archive

They want parts that were really machined, with the full file set. A job listing posted on Cad Crowd by a startup building physical-AI training data opened: "Do you run a CNC shop or have years of machined customer jobs sitting in your archive? We'll pay you to license them." It asked for the native "Original, editable Fusion 360 file (.f3d) / Mastercam (.mcam) with all setups and toolpaths", "Posted G-code for every setup (e.g., top + flip = two programs)", a STEP model, a drawing, and a setup sheet listing "machine make/model and travels, material, stock size, workholding, number of setups, Fusion/mastercam version and licence type" ([Cad Crowd](https://www.cadcrowd.com/job/11643-cnc-machine-shops-fusion-360-or-mastercam-paid)).

That listing priced each part by machining type: "Compensation: 3-axis machining $20 3+2-axis machining $25 4-axis machining $35 5-axis machining $45", with "50 parts minimum, up to 100 per partner, delivered in batches". It was marked ended when read on 12 November 2026. It is one listing from one buyer, not a market price, and it says nothing about what a company-wide license of a shop's archive would pay.

For whole engineering archives, Mercor's Hardware Engineering Company listing publishes a company range of $45K to $1.3M ([Mercor](https://data.mercor.com/refer/view/?slug=hardware)). That is a buyer program's published range, not a closed deal. That listing is written for companies that design their own products: it lists "Designs owned by your customers" as not a fit ([Mercor](https://data.mercor.com/refer/view/?slug=hardware)). A job shop whose archive is mostly build-to-print work should expect per-part interest like the listing above, not a company-level figure.

To see where your archive sits, try the [CAD archive calculator](https://origindatapartners.com/tools/cad-archive-value) or [ask Origin for a valuation](https://origindatapartners.com/check-fit).


## Customer drawings, build-to-print work and NDAs: what stays out

Most job-shop work is made to a customer's model, which is why consent matters. The Cad Crowd listing required "You must have the right to license every part." and refused "Defence, export-controlled, or NDA parts" ([Cad Crowd](https://www.cadcrowd.com/job/11643-cnc-machine-shops-fusion-360-or-mastercam-paid)). Even a toolpath you own shows the customer's part geometry, so licensing it without the customer's agreement can breach your NDA.

Confidential customer data can also be a trade secret. Federal law covers "patterns, plans, compilations, program devices, formulas, designs, prototypes, methods, techniques, processes, procedures, programs, or codes" kept secret with reasonable measures ([18 U.S.C. 1839](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1839)). Purchase terms can go further: GE's say "Seller may use Purchaser's Property for the sole purpose of performing its obligations under this Agreement and not for any other purpose." ([GE Aerospace](https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/default/files/GE-PO-Terms.pdf)).

- Sort jobs by customer first, then by whether a PO assigned the work product or restricted its use.
- Ask long-standing commercial customers for written consent for a defined set of parts; some will agree for older, out-of-production parts.
- Leave out defense, aerospace and any export-classified work until it has been reviewed. The [export-control checklist](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/itar-ear-checklist-cad-data-ai) covers the review.
- Your own products, prototypes you designed in-house and parts for customers who released their rights are the easiest to include.


## Does your CAM software licence matter?

Yes, buyers check it. The Cad Crowd listing required "All CAM in Fusion 360/Mastercam under a commercial licence. Files from Educational or Personal Use licences can't be accepted." ([Cad Crowd](https://www.cadcrowd.com/job/11643-cnc-machine-shops-fusion-360-or-mastercam-paid)). Files made on a non-commercial licence may themselves break the vendor's terms if they were used for paid work.

Read the edition you used. Autodesk's special terms for Fusion for personal use say: "For personal, non-commercial projects only. Limited to individuals generating less than $1,000 USD annually and not for use in primary employment, company environments, or commercial training." ([Autodesk](https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal), read 12 November 2026). Mastercam says its Learning Edition "will not generate a G-code so it cannot be used for the actual production." ([Mastercam](https://www.mastercam.com/solutions/products/mastercam-learning-edition/), read the same day).

| CAM seat that made the file | What its vendor says | Likely buyer view |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fusion commercial subscription | Full CAM; no personal-use limit | Accepted |
| Fusion for personal use | Non-commercial projects only; not in company environments | Refused by the listing above |
| Mastercam industrial seat | Production use | Accepted |
| Mastercam Learning Edition | Does not post G-code; not for production | No posted G-code, so not a complete package |


## How to describe your shop files to a buyer

A first conversation needs counts and rights, not files. Prepare a one-page summary with these lines:

- Years covered, number of jobs, and how many have the native CAM file, posted programs and a setup sheet together.
- Machines and axis counts (3-axis, 3+2, 4-axis, 5-axis, turning, mill-turn), with control types.
- CAM systems and versions, and confirmation that every seat was a commercial licence.
- Materials and industries, and the share of jobs that are your own designs versus customer models.
- Inspection records you keep: first-article reports, CMM data, scrap and rework notes.
- Which customers have NDAs, which POs assign work product, and which jobs are defense or export-classified.

The general [CAD and engineering data guide](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/license-cad-engineering-data-ai) explains how buyers judge native files; shops that also run production lines should read the [contract manufacturer guide](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/contract-manufacturer-design-data-ai).


## Selling or closing a machine shop: the files are a separate asset

When you sell a machine shop, buyers and valuers look first at machines, customers and staff. The program archive is a separate asset and should be listed separately in the sale, because copyright moves only in writing: a transfer "is not valid unless an instrument of conveyance, or a note or memorandum of the transfer, is in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed" ([17 U.S.C. 204](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/204)).

Before an auction or a wind-down, separate what you own from what you hold for customers. Customer property usually has to go back: GE's terms say "Upon Purchaser's written request, Seller shall remove and deliver Purchaser's Property to Purchaser" ([GE Aerospace](https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/default/files/GE-PO-Terms.pdf)). The shop's own programs, setup records and fixture designs can be sold with the business, kept by the owner, or licensed before the servers are wiped.

- Keep the CAM server, PDM or shared drive running until the archive is inventoried; wiping it destroys the asset.
- Name the file archive and its rights in the asset purchase agreement, or reserve it for the seller.
- If the company is closing rather than being sold, see [a hardware company closing: what to do with the CAD archive](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/hardware-company-closing-cad-archive) and [selling intellectual property from a closed company](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/sell-intellectual-property-closed-company).


## What manufacturers have been paid for their data

[A 47-person manufacturer was paid $730,000](https://origindatapartners.com/case-studies/manufacturer-quality-records-730000) for licensing work instructions, quality and nonconformance reports, maintenance logs and engineering change records.

These are deals Origin helped place. Company and buyer names stay private, and each is an individual outcome, not a forecast for another company: what a buyer pays depends on the records, rights, demand and agreed scope. See [all case studies](https://origindatapartners.com/case-studies).

| Company, anonymized | Records licensed | Payment received |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Manufacturer (47 people) | Work instructions, quality and nonconformance reports, maintenance logs and engineering change records | $730,000 |


## Next step

Pick fifty finished jobs your own team programmed for commercial customers, check the PO terms on each, and count how many have the full set: native CAM file, posted code, setup sheet and inspection report. That count is the honest starting point for any buyer conversation.

Does your company hold records like these? [See what your data is worth](https://origindatapartners.com/check-fit).

Origin Data Partners works with companies that own data and helps get it bought. We are independent of the services on this page, and a buyer may pay us when a deal closes ([how Origin is paid](https://origindatapartners.com/referral-disclosure)). [See what your data is worth](https://origindatapartners.com/check-fit).


## Questions and answers

### Who owns CNC programs written by a machine shop?

The shop, by default, when its own employees wrote them, because copyright starts with the author and an employee's work belongs to the employer. A purchase order can change that. Some aerospace purchase terms give the buyer everything the supplier develops while filling the order, including data and software, so check each customer's terms.

### Who owns G-code made from a customer drawing?

The posted program follows the CAM file it came from, so the shop usually owns it unless the purchase order assigns it. The part geometry inside it is still the customer's confidential design. In practice you need the customer's consent before licensing it, and an NDA may forbid sharing it at all.

### Can a machine shop sell its CAM files to an AI company?

Yes, for jobs it has the right to license. One public listing asked CNC shops for native Fusion 360 or Mastercam files with toolpaths, posted G-code, a STEP model, a drawing and a setup sheet, for parts actually cut, and required the shop to hold the right to license every part.

### How much do AI companies pay for CNC part files?

One ended Cad Crowd listing paid $20 per 3-axis part, $25 for 3+2-axis, $35 for 4-axis and $45 for 5-axis, for 50 to 100 parts per shop. That is one listing, not a market price. Company-level ranges published for hardware engineering archives are written for firms that own their designs.

### Can I use files made with Fusion for personal use?

Not for this purpose. Autodesk's terms limit Fusion for personal use to non-commercial projects and exclude company environments. The one public buyer listing for shop files refused CAM made on educational or personal-use licences, and asked for the licence type on every setup sheet.

### What is a machine shop worth when it is sold, and do the files count?

Buyers usually price the machines, customer contracts and staff. The program and setup archive is a separate asset that is often left out. List it in the sale agreement, because a copyright transfer must be in writing. Customer-owned models and tooling go back to the customer, not to the buyer.

### Do AI buyers want fixture and soft-jaw designs?

Not the buyer behind the Cad Crowd listing, which excluded fixtures and workholding made for the shop's own use. Fixture designs are still useful as part of a complete job package, showing how a part was held, and they are often the clearest example of design work the shop itself owns.

## Sources

- [Cad Crowd job listing: CNC machine shops, paid licensing of archived 3-axis parts (read 12 Nov 2026)](https://www.cadcrowd.com/job/11643-cnc-machine-shops-fusion-360-or-mastercam-paid)
- [Mercor Data: Hardware Engineering Company listing](https://data.mercor.com/refer/view/?slug=hardware)
- [17 U.S.C. 201: ownership of copyright](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/201)
- [17 U.S.C. 101: definitions (work made for hire; pictorial, graphic and sculptural works)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/101)
- [17 U.S.C. 204: execution of transfers of copyright ownership](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/204)
- [18 U.S.C. 1839: trade secret definitions](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1839)
- [GE Aerospace: Terms and Conditions of Purchase (GO64, revised 10 Oct 2025)](https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/default/files/GE-PO-Terms.pdf)
- [Autodesk: Fusion for personal use, special terms](https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal)
- [Mastercam: Learning Edition](https://www.mastercam.com/solutions/products/mastercam-learning-edition/)

## Related reading

- [Licensing CAD files and engineering data to AI companies](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/license-cad-engineering-data-ai)
- [/tools/cad-archive-value](https://origindatapartners.com/tools/cad-archive-value)
- [Who Owns Contract Manufacturer Tooling and Process Data?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/contract-manufacturer-design-data-ai)
- [Who Owns CAD Files: the Design Consultancy or the Client?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/product-design-consultancy-client-cad-files)
- [ITAR and EAR Checklist Before You Share CAD Files With AI](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/itar-ear-checklist-cad-data-ai)
- [Hardware Startup Shutdown: What Happens to the CAD Archive](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/hardware-company-closing-cad-archive)
- [Sell intellectual property: patents, trademarks and domains](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/sell-intellectual-property-closed-company)
- [/who-we-help/manufacturers](https://origindatapartners.com/who-we-help/manufacturers)
- [CAD Data and Quality Records for AI: Manufacturer Guide](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/engineered-product-manufacturer-data)
- [Non-Conformance Report (NCR): Template and Examples](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/non-conformance-report-template)
- [Engineering Change Order (ECO): Template and Process](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/engineering-change-order-template)