Correct, the majority of studio players are a "work for hire" situation, which means they are paid-off with no recourse with regard to the product, not even to expect a credit (although that's fairly unheard-of since the ghost-drumming days of the sixties.)
The bigger question is, would anyone actually play such a signature part on another artist's recording of a different song?
Anyone remember The Youngbloods' "Get Together"? That poor drummer will forever be known as the guy who nabbed Ringo's part from "In My Life", "All I've Got To Do" and "Anna".
Bermuda
It probably helps if the signature part is on a song that's not too well known. Like Bonham playing Charles Conner's intro to "Keep A-Knockin'" on "Rock and Roll".