Boston University (BU) is a renowned private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. BU is committed to creating and disseminating knowledge through research, teaching, and scholarship. To ensure the protection and effective use of its intellectual property, BU requires all faculty, staff, and students to sign an intellectual property agreement.
The BU Intellectual Property Agreement outlines the rights and obligations of BU and its employees and students regarding the ownership, protection, and use of intellectual property created in the course of their work or studies at BU. The agreement covers a wide range of intellectual property, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other forms of intellectual property.
The agreement establishes BU`s ownership of any intellectual property created by its employees or students in the course of their work or studies at BU. This includes inventions, discoveries, software, artistic works, and written work, among others. BU has the right to file for patents or otherwise protect the intellectual property and to license or transfer the intellectual property to others.
BU recognizes that its employees and students may also have an interest in the intellectual property they create. The agreement provides for a fair distribution of the proceeds from the commercialization of the intellectual property between BU and its creators. The agreement also allows creators to request a waiver of BU`s rights to the intellectual property under certain circumstances, such as when the intellectual property was created outside the scope of their work or studies at BU.
The agreement also sets out the responsibilities of BU employees and students regarding the protection and use of intellectual property. The agreement requires employees and students to maintain the confidentiality of any trade secrets or other confidential information they may receive in the course of their work or studies. The agreement also requires employees and students to obtain BU`s approval before disclosing or using any BU intellectual property.
BU`s intellectual property agreement is an important tool in protecting and maximizing the value of the intellectual property created at the university. By establishing clear rules for the ownership, protection, and use of intellectual property, the agreement promotes innovation, facilitates commercialization, and ensures that the benefits of the intellectual property are shared fairly between BU and its creators. All BU employees and students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the terms of the intellectual property agreement and to seek guidance from BU`s Office of Technology Development if they have any questions or concerns.
