Ownership of IP
Ownership of IP generated by students at the University of Essex
Students may generate inventions and other intellectual property while carrying out research or similar projects at the university. For these purposes, ‘Intellectual Property’ includes:
a) The ownership of and exclusive right to exploit any patentable discovery or invention made, including any resulting patents and patent applications
b) All rights to any design produced
c) Copyright and database rights in: (i) any computer program; (ii) design capable of commercial exploitation; and (iii) any reports and other materials produced in the course of performing the project
d) Copyright in any documentation and other materials relating to the above.
In the event that a student creates intellectual property in the course of a university project, either solely or in collaboration (where the collaborators may be fellow students, members of University of Essex staff, employees of a sponsoring organisation or collaborative partner or a combination thereof), he or she is asked to assign to the university any intellectual property that he or she may generate. Assignment will only take place in the event that intellectual property is generated. A student shall then give to the university all reasonable assistance to enable the university to obtain patents or other forms of legal protection for the intellectual property.
In return for this assignment the university operates a system for rewarding inventors, which is described in the university’s Revenue Sharing Policy (as amended from time to time). If the university seeks to exploit commercially any intellectual property generated by a student, it shall ensure that the student is treated in the same way as an employee inventor in accordance with the university’s Revenue Sharing Policy in force at the time.
In the event that a student generates intellectual property independently of their research project, university facilities or intellectual supervision, that intellectual property shall remain the property of the student. However, subject to the results of due diligence examination, the university may be willing to manage the commercialisation of the intellectual property on behalf of the student. This would require the student to assign their intellectual property rights to the university in return for an inventor’s reward as described in the university’s Revenue Sharing Scheme.
Information disclosed to a student during the course of a student’s research activities and any results generated during that period (whether or not technical or commercial in nature) may constitute valuable intellectual property and require protection prior to any form of non-confidential disclosure. It is the responsibility of the research project supervisor to advise the student as to which results and / or information are to be kept confidential. If in any doubt, advice should be sought from the Research and Business Development Office.
IP and externally funded studentships
Where an external party, such as a company, provides the funding for a research project, the funding party may require the student to execute alternative agreements on intellectual property and publication rights as a condition of participation in the research project. Any such agreements will include provision for the student to be rewarded in line with the university’s revenue sharing policy and will be included as a constituent part of any official offer of a studentship placement from the university.
