When I taught at the university level, sometimes it was difficult to tell where the university stopped and I began. In the background of much of my scholarship was a quiet office in which to work, a voluminous library, and near limitless access to online databases. I recall my science and engineering colleagues confessing a fear of the university claiming ownership over patents that came from work they did in university labs and workspaces.
The research professor's relationship with their university puts two American ideals squarely at odds:
No person is an island
Creators have a right to own and profit from their ideas
Sometimes these tensions are parsed out in an employment contract. Sometimes not. If you are a university professor looking to bring one of your ideas to market this year, feel free to contact us for a consultation. We can go over your employment contract and faculty handbook with you to help you understand your rights and responsibilities. We can also assist you with any needed copyright and trademark registration.
Professors sacrifice so many things for their students. The rights to ownership need not be one of them.
Blog posts do not constitute legal advice nor representation. Consult us or another attorney of your choosing before acting.
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