8. Intellectual Property Rights¶
Each year, students ask about the ownership of the intellectual property in Major/Minor projects. The answer depends upon the type of project and factors such as:
the level and type of input by the supervisor and/or other member of staff, and
the potential use of specialist equipment or facilities provided by the University.
Other factors may also be considered as appropriate.
The Department wants to see students develop the skills to meet the academic standards for the degree and will support the students as they graduate and apply for jobs. If the Major/Minor project can be exploited commercially, the University can provide guidance on taking the ideas further.
In the Major/Minor project a student might generate intellectual property including, without limitation, software code and copyright therein, inventions (both patentable and unpatentable e.g., algorithms) and/or confidential information.
Aberystwyth’s Intellectual Property Policy (the “Policy”) sets out the position of the University and student with respect to the creation, ownership, protection and exploitation of Intellectual Property, together with procedures for, and obligations of, staff and students.
The Policy will apply unless otherwise agreed between the student and the University. The student must notify the University via their supervisor prior to signing any agreement with a third party in relation to intellectual property arising via their Major/Minor Project.
In the case where a project might generate or has generated IP that is potentially commercially exploitable, the issue must be discussed with the supervisor in the first instance at the first available opportunity. The student should notify their supervisor If the student wishes to carry out a Major/Minor project they consider is based upon their own ideas and not derived from the use of University facilities and/or intellectual property, the student should notify their supervisor. The Department of Computer Science may refer the matter to the University’s Research, Business and Innovation (RBI) department. RBI will discuss the matter with all parties and advise on how to proceed. In some situations, the parties might be asked to sign an agreement related to intellectual property. RBI offers a range of support to staff and students of the University interested to start businesses and commercially exploit intellectual property.
If you have any questions about this statement, speak to the module coordinator in the first instance.
