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Copyright, Trademark, and Patent Ownership

COASTAL ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Policies and Procedures Manual

02.04 Copyright, Trademark, and Patent Ownership

Original Approval: 04/01/2022
Last Updated: 06/01/2023
Last Reviewed: 04/08/2024
 

Policy/Purpose:

It is the policy of Coastal Alabama Community College to ensure compliance with Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Board Policy 321.01 and Chancellor’s Procedures 321.01.

Scope:

This policy applies to all Coastal Alabama Community College students and employees during any activity involving the College, including the workday. In addition, visitors, vendors, contractors, and all other non-employees are expected to recognize and comply with College policies.

Definitions:

Royalties: Compensation to the owner of intellectual property (IP) or natural resources for the right to use or profit from the property.
Copyright: Type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression

Details:

  1. Copyrighted or trademarked material of patented inventions developed totally or partially on institution time with the use of institution materials or facilities or with institution funding will be owned by the institution.
  2. An employee has the right to trademark or copyright any literary material and to patent any invention unless duties of the employment contract or program agreement charges the employee with, or includes, the duty of producing material for the College to copyright or trademark, or to develop an invention for the College to patent. Profit earned from the creation of any invention, or literary materials that have been developed by the employee are considered to belong to the employee as long as said invention, or literary materials have been developed on the employee’s own time and college funds, materials, or facilities have not been used. However, provided college funds, materials, or facilities have been used, the College is considered the owner.
  3. Faculty members should be aware that students own the copyright to their work, including papers and assignments they have completed; therefore, student work is protected by copyright regulations.
  4. Faculty should have written permission from the student copyright holder to use their work.
  5. Students have the right to publish any of their own creative work and are entitled to 100% of the royalties for their work.
  6. Any student work that is to be placed on reserve must be accompanied by the written and signed permission of the student (specifying name, contact information, title of item[s], statement giving permission, and dates included).

Procedure(s):

  1. Refer to Chancellor’s Procedures 321.01.

Additional Provisions/Information

There are no Additional Provisions / Information applicable to this policy.

 

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