PATENTS & COPYRIGHTS

Policy

The educational and research activities of employees of the Board of Higher Education and its institutions frequently result in the discovery of new knowledge in the form of inventions, technological improvements, and the productions of educational and professional materials. It shall be the general policy of the Board that such results be made available to the public in the most expeditious manner.

Objectives of Policies

Provide systematic means of bringing inventions, technological improvements, and educational and professional materials into the public domain.

Encourage the development of new knowledge while protecting academic freedom of employees in the publication of materials, development of inventions, and discovery of technological improvements.

Establish principles and procedures for equitably sharing net royalty income with employees, and with sponsoring agencies when required by an agreement.

Employee Responsibilities and Rights

As a condition of employment, all Board and institution employees shall agree to assign to the Board rights to:

1. Any invention or improvement in technology conceived or developed using institutional facilities, personnel, information, or other resources; and

2. Educational and professional materials, whether or not copyright able, which result from the instructional, research, or public service activities of the institutions.

Employees shall be responsible for cooperating and assisting Board and institutional representatives responsible for patenting, licensing, publishing, copyrighting, and generally developed by employees, the institution shall:

1. Apply Board-adopted policies and procedures.

2. Encourage employee activities which lead to new knowledge.

3. Actively seek applications for new knowledge developed by employees.

4. Anticipate and comply with conditions in contracts, grants, and agreements with sponsoring agencies.

5. Recommend to the Vice Chancellor for Administration or designee contractual agreements, patent applications, and equitable sharing of net royalty income.

Office of Administration (OUS) Responsibilities

The Office of Administration shall:

1. Assist institutions in the development of procedures implementing Board policies and managing new knowledge.

2. Monitor institutional application of Board policies.

3. Review and approve institutional recommendations regarding assignment of rights, applications for patents, execution of licenses and agreements, and distribution of royalties.

See the Oregon Department of Higher Education Internal Management Directives 6.205 through 6.255 for more details. Copies of these directives are available in the Vice President for Administration and Finance's Office.

[Responsible for Accuracy: Darlene Morgan, Vice President for Administration and Finance - Last Verified: 9/12/97]