The College’s Intellectual Property (IP) policy governs the ownership and management of College IP and the College’s discretionary Reward to Inventors Scheme. It applies to all College employees and extends to associates and students.
The Patents Act 1977 and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, with any related IP legislation, make it clear that all forms of IP generated by an employee, made in the course of the employee's normal duties, belong to their employer. Hence, as prescribed by law, any IP created by College employees in the course of their normal duties shall be the property of the College.
From time to time, however, the College commissions College employees to carry out projects outside their normal duties. In such cases these College employees are required to assign the rights to any IP created in the course of the commissioned activities to the College.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the IP policy, the terms of any and all contracts and agreements agreed with external organisations that concern College IP shall prevail.
Where students generate IP in the course of their study or research they will own that IP in their own right unless one of the following applies:
- they generate IP which is subject to governing terms or an agreement with an external organisation whereby the IP vests with College or a third party; or
- they generate IP which builds upon existing IP generated by College Employees or Associates; or
- they generate IP jointly with College Employees or Associates; or
- they are, or have the status of, College Employee (in which case they are treated by College and the law as employees).
Individuals who are affiliated to College but who are neither employees nor students, “Associates” (for instance Honoraries, Visiting Readers, Senior Research Investigators, Visiting Professors and Visiting Researchers), may be required to assign the rights to any IP they create in the course of their College activities to the College.
College inventors seeking information, guidance, training and further information in relation to IP and technology transfer should refer to Enterprise