The School is committed to fostering a supportive and equitable environment for intellectual property (IP) creation and management. Our Student Intellectual Property Policy ensures that IP rights are clearly defined, respecting the contributions of students while promoting fairness. The policy outlines IP ownership, licensing procedures, disclosure requirements, and conflict of interest guidelines, balancing innovation with transparency and fairness.
This Policy has been developed in line with the applicable laws, regulations, regulatory advice, and sector best practices, including the following:
Intellectual property (IP) refers to the outcomes of your creative and intellectual work, including:
This definition encompasses all forms of IP resulting from your innovation and creativity, ensuring clarity on what constitutes IP for the purposes of this policy.
Intellectual property (IP) rights arise in several ways, including:
This rule ensures that IP rights are recognised whether they arise automatically from creation or through formal registration, covering all potential methods of establishing IP rights.
The assumption is that students will own any intellectual property (IP) created during their time at the School, except in the following cases:
This rule clarifies that students generally retain ownership of IP they create, with specific exceptions where the School may claim ownership due to significant use of resources, funding, or formal agreements.
In case of a dispute over intellectual property (IP) ownership, students should first follow the complaints process outlined in the School’s regulations and policies. If internal complaints channels are exhausted, both parties must submit the matter to mediation by a mediator appointed by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).
This rule ensures that disputes over IP ownership are resolved through the School's internal procedures first and, if necessary, through external mediation, providing a structured approach to dispute resolution.
When intellectual property (IP) rights vest in the School, the School has the rights to use, control, license, and commercialise the IP. The student is granted a worldwide licence to copy, adapt, make available, or otherwise use the IP solely for non-commercial purposes.
This rule ensures that the School can fully exploit and manage IP it owns while providing students with a global licence to use the IP for non-commercial activities, clarifying the scope of permitted use.
When intellectual property (IP) rights vest in the student, the student may use, control, license, and commercialise the IP. The student must grant the School a royalty-free, worldwide licence to copy, adapt, make available, or otherwise use the IP for any School-related business.
This rule allows students to fully manage their IP while ensuring the School has a free, global licence to use the IP for its business purposes, balancing student ownership with the School’s operational needs.
All intellectual property (IP) arising under this section must be recorded and disclosed to the School promptly.
This rule ensures that the School is informed of all IP developments in a timely manner, maintaining transparency and allowing the School to manage and protect its interests effectively.
All conflicts of interest that could impact the commercial or other value of intellectual property (IP) must be disclosed by relevant parties as soon as possible.
This rule ensures that any potential conflicts affecting the value of IP are identified and reported promptly, maintaining transparency and protecting the integrity of IP management.
The School and students must not engage in any actions that undermine the intellectual property (IP), including patents, commercial value, or trade secrets. They must also agree to keep all related matters confidential.
This rule ensures the protection of IP and its associated value by preventing actions that could harm its integrity or commercial potential, while maintaining confidentiality.
The following metrics will be measured and regularly reviewed as performance indicators for the School to ensure the effectiveness of this policy and associated operations.