Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property

The UMW Board of Visitors adopted a policy on intellectual property on September 19, 1987. The policy applies to all University employees, whether their appointments are permanent or temporary, full-time or part-time, salaried, on wages or on contract, paid by state funds or by outside sponsors. It also applies to students of the University enrolled in programs of study leading to degrees and to visitors who may from time to time participate in University programs or activities. The complete policy is available at http://publications.umw.edu/facultyhandbook/section_5/working_conditions

One section of that policy has particular relevance to intellectual property resulting from work that was supported by external grants or contracts. Current UMW policy states the following:

“Materials or inventions developed by University employees, students, or visitors in the course of contractual or consulting work for outside organizations, or as supported by funds and facilities awarded as grants to the University by governmental, commercial, industrial or other organizations, shall not be considered as having been made or developed with specific University support, except in situations where the University itself is party to the contract or consulting agreement and declares proprietary interest, or the University’s proprietary interest is defined and made a specific part of the conditions of the grant. Accordingly, the rights to such materials or inventions shall remain with the individual, subject to any agreement there may be in the actual contract, consulting agreement, or grant..”