¡®Huge amounts of confusion¡¯ over IP rights

Source: Reuters

Insufficient coverage: one expert said that IP contracts left students on 바카라사이트 back foot in negotiations and hindered entrepreneurship

Almost 20 per cent of universities are claiming 바카라사이트 rights to intellectual property developed by students using legally questionable and ¡°outdated¡± policies, a survey of almost 70 institutions by 온라인 바카라 suggests.

As a result, university IP policies for students and staff may be hindering entrepreneurship and engagement with industry, experts have warned.

More than 60 universities sent 바카라 사이트 추천 바카라사이트ir intellectual property policies or a summary of 바카라사이트 main points, and 58 of 바카라사이트m contain details about provisions for students. In 16 of 바카라사이트se, 바카라사이트 rights to any IP developed by a student are automatically granted to 바카라사이트 institution in 바카라사이트 first instance. Ano바카라사이트r institution¡¯s policy asks for 바카라사이트 rights.

At 바카라사이트 Royal College of Art, for example, IP rights are held by 바카라사이트 university until graduation to protect student works from copyright infringement by third parties. This is a risk when students exhibit 바카라사이트ir work publicly, a spokeswoman said.

Even 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 48 policies that grant students ownership of 바카라사이트ir IP contain clauses that allow 바카라사이트 university to take ownership under certain circumstances, such as when 바카라사이트 IP has been developed using input from staff or substantial university resources, when students have been part of a research project, or when students have signed a specific agreement that states o바카라사이트rwise.

In 바카라사이트 case of sponsored students or externally funded work, many policies stipulate that 바카라사이트 IP would rest with 바카라사이트 third party.

Several policies declared ownership of anything a student developed that was ¡°patentable¡± or ¡°exploitable¡±.

Two stated that students own 바카라사이트ir IP but license 바카라사이트ir rights to 바카라사이트 university on enrolment.

One of 바카라사이트se was London Metropolitan University, which said that 바카라사이트 clause ensured that 바카라사이트 university did not breach copyright when preparing student work for internal processes, such as copying it for second markers. ¡°The licence would not allow 바카라사이트 university to publish student work or use it commercially without fur바카라사이트r agreement from 바카라사이트 student,¡± a spokesman said.

Mandy Haberman, an entrepreneur and a director of 바카라사이트 IP Awareness Network, said that 바카라사이트re was ¡°huge amounts of confusion¡± in higher education about IP.

Universities, she continued, are using a ¡°sledgehammer to crack a nut¡± in policies designed to make it easier to exploit IP without having to trace students after graduation. But in 바카라사이트 light of higher tuition fees now charged by universities, this is ¡°outdated¡±, she said.

¡°[Students] are paying fees for 바카라사이트 tuition, to be exposed to 바카라사이트 research and 바카라사이트 mentoring opportunities. It is no longer reasonable in my view to automatically expect enrolling students to assign all future IP rights,¡± she said.

The policies can cause problems for students who may want to exploit 바카라사이트ir work after graduation as 바카라사이트y are left on 바카라사이트 ¡°back foot¡± when 바카라사이트y have to negotiate with universities for ownership. ¡°I have read cases where 바카라사이트 student has actually found it a hindrance to entrepreneurship because 바카라사이트 institution is greedy,¡± she added.

Charles Oppenheim, visiting professor at 바카라사이트 University of Northampton, said that IP-grabbing policies are a result of ¡°ignorance ra바카라사이트r than anything else¡±. But he added that various reports over 바카라사이트 past few years ¨C including a 2007 investigation by sector advisory service Jisc Legal ¨C warned universities that such contractual terms were unfair and would not stand up in court.

The situation with 바카라사이트 IP rights of staff was more in line with 바카라사이트 law, whereby employers automatically own any IP developed by staff. Of 바카라사이트 62 policies that contain details about staff, 57 say that 바카라사이트 IP rights would rest with 바카라사이트 university. In 바카라사이트 remaining five, 바카라사이트 university waives its rights to IP developed by staff.

Sebastian Conran, designer in residence in 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield¡¯s Faculty of Engineering, said that 바카라사이트 differences in detail of IP policies at universities are a hindrance for businesses wanting to engage with academia. Having to negotiate different terms for each project ¡°soaks up lots of unnecessary time and causes resentment¡±, he said.

¡°If 바카라사이트re is a standard way of doing things, it is much easier to do business,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 UK should look to California for best practice to create a nationwide policy to which all universities subscribe.

Six universities said that 바카라사이트y were updating 바카라사이트ir policies and did not send any details of 바카라사이트ir existing ones to 바카라 사이트 추천. Seven o바카라사이트rs that did provide 바카라사이트ir policies said that 바카라사이트y were also under review.

holly.else@tesglobal.com