A Cre8asite Forums thread asks if a PPC company has the right not to hand over their client's keyword list for the PPC campaign they are running for the client.
For example, ABCChairs.com hires XYZPPC Inc, to set up a paid search campaign for the company. ABCChairs.com asks XYZPPC for a copy of the keyword list that they set up for the PPC campaign. Can XYZPPC tell ABCChairs.com no?
Personally, I never heard of a PPC company who owned a client's campaign. But I suspect it is possible. How so? Well, if a client only pays a percent of spend to their PPC company and the PPC company spent a month setting up the perfect campaign. What happens if the PPC's client drops the PPC company after all the hard work is done? What is keeping the client there?
That is why typically a PPC company would charge a set up fee or set up a contract for a minimum term contract. But I guess if a PPC company doesn't want to set up either a set up fee or a minimum term contract, then they can hold the keyword campaign 'hostage.'
Projectphp got it right in that thread, it is totally based on what the contract between the two parties has in it.
Forum discussion at Cre8asite Forums.