Computer Materials

Ownership of Employee/Student-Produced Computer Materials

The college may have legal claim on all products created by its employees/students which in any way may be an outgrowth of their job responsibility or study assignments. In order to minimize misunderstanding about the ownership of such products, the following procedures are to be observed by all persons who are or might be developing commercially attractive products which are or might be construed to be associated with their normal job responsibility or study assignments.

Instructional Projects

1. All instructional projects and possible change-orders are to be submitted to the vice president of instruction or his/her designee to be subject to approval after he/she confers with the person in charge of computer operations.

2. If additional costs are necessary for the development of the project, the vice president of instruction may wish to seek approval of the president.

Ownership of Employee/Student-Produced ComputerMaterials
               

1. Computer materials or devices created as part of any officially assigned college responsibility or classroom activity undertaken on school time will be the property of the college. The college may patent or copyright all such materials or devices in its own name; however, such items will bear the name(s) of the creator(s). All royalties and other proceeds from the production, sale or distribution of the materials or devices will be paid to the college.
2. Ownership of computer materials by an employee/student in a federal program during hours for which the employee was paid by federal funds and/or in which the use of federally funded supplies or equipment played a substantial role lies in the public domain.
3. The employee/student has all rights of ownership of computer materials produced by him/her on his/her own time without any substantial involvement of college equipment and supplies.
4. The administration may enter into an agreement with an employee/student regarding rights of use and ownership of computer instructional materials.
5. The agreement shall settle any existing doubt about who has the rights of ownership; if the employee/student does not initiate and enter into such an agreement within one year of the completion of the computer materials or devices, the rights of ownership shall belong to the college.  Forms for such agreement may be obtained from the Vice President in charge of computer operations.

This replaces policy dated Jul-30-2001