Regents' Policy Manual - Section 5.8: Intellectual Property

Adopted Date: 09-12-1996
Amended: 11-09-1999
Amended: 09-14-2010

Applicability

This policy applies to all faculty, staff and students who create intellectual property which can be protected by patent, copyright or other means. This policy applies to the ownership, protection and transfer of scholarly/artistic works and technological works created by University faculty, staff and students.

Policy

In the course of conducting University-administered activities such as research, investigation and education, the faculty, staff and students often create intellectual property which may be protectable by patent, copyright or other means. It is the policy of the University to encourage, support and reward scientific research and scholarship, and to recognize the rights and interests of creators, the University and the public. It is also the policy of the University to encourage the treatment of intellectual property in ways beneficial to the creators (in part by sharing royalties with creators), as well as to the University and to the public, by the University retaining ownership of intellectual property and pursuing commercialization thereof. These efforts can only be successful if the University and the creators assist each other in identifying, evaluating, protecting and exploiting such property. These efforts also contribute to the recognition that the creation of intellectual property is a significant academic achievement.

Accordingly, it is the policy of the University to recognize these achievements by providing advice of legal relationships with respect to intellectual property, encouraging the creators' performance of key roles in the utilization of intellectual property and optimizing the benefits of potentially valuable intellectual property to the creators through commercialization efforts and sharing of royalties with the creators, as well as the University and the public.

The University's commitment to teaching and research is primary. This policy does not diminish the right and obligation of faculty, staff and students to disseminate research results for scholarly purposes. The latter is considered by the University to take precedence over the commercialization of scholarly/artistic and technological works.

Implementation

On September 14, 2010, following review and action by the faculty, the Board approved a revision of the detailed "Intellectual Property Policy" originally adopted in 1989, which is available on the Internet and from chairs and deans.

Reference

Detailed "Intellectual Property Policy" adopted by Faculty Senate 4-27-2010.