This note provides guidance for students at the
University on the handling of intellectual property rights — that is,
copyright and the right of exploitation of inventions.
If you are a student at the University, then by default all the rights
in work you produce as a student belong to you. This covers written
works, artistic works, and recordings. Written works include computer
programs, tables and so forth, as well as more obviously “literary”
writings. In particular, you own the intellectual property rights in
any Masters or PhD thesis you produce at the University.
There may be exceptions to this rule if your work has been sponsored
by a commercial organisation. In such cases the University’s
Research and Enterprise Office helps draw up a contractual agreement with the
commercial organisation concerned which will cover any special
intellectual property provisions.
In the course of your
student work you may produce an invention, or part of an invention,
which could be commercially exploited. The intellectual property in
such an invention belongs to you. However commercial exploitation is
difficult and costly to achieve. The University would seek to reach an
agreement with you to assist you in exploitation and share the
benefits.
When you submit a postgraduate research
thesis to the University, both the Library and your department have
the right to keep a copy. The
Library
regulations summarise how the University will preserve your rights
while providing for academic access to your thesis.
You
can find the University
Regulations governing intellectual property
rights under Regulations relating to
Academic Affairs,
Higher Degree Regulations and Procedures, and
Library
Regulations.
You can find information on respecting
other people’s intellectual property rights on the University’s
IPR web pages.
