RE05 Intellectual Property - Research - Ownership and Licensing Policy

Sep 16, 2026

Policy RE05 Intellectual Property establishes ownership and management rules for intellectual property created and developed through college-related research and collaborative work. It applies to employees, volunteers, students, and associated persons participating in projects using college employees, students, or resources, while excluding licensing of teaching materials governed elsewhere. The document defines key terms including ARO, collaborative research agreements, confidentiality agreements, licensing agreements, moral rights, and copyright, and outlines governance responsibilities and principles for innovation, employee works, and responsible handling of IP rights.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

Scope

Definitions

Key terms (ARO, CRA, confidentiality, copyright)

Policy

College innovation and discovery

Employee works of innovation and discovery

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RE05 Intellectual Property | | | Classification: Research
Responsible Authority: Director, Applied Research Office
Executive Sponsor: Senior Vice President, Academic
Approval Authority: Algonquin College Executive Team
Date First Approved: 2005-02-23
Date Last Reviewed: 2022-12-20
Mandatory Review Date 2024-12-20 | | |
PURPOSE | | | To establish the ownership of intellectual property (IP) on the creation and development of works within the College, as identified in any agreements and supplementary documents. | | |
SCOPE | | | All employees, volunteers, and students and associates (persons who are not employees or students of the College) who engage in projects using the College’s employees, students and/or resources. Note this policy does not apply to the licencing of teaching materials which is covered under policy AA33 . | | |
DEFINITIONS | | | Word/Term
ARO
Client
Collaborative Research Agreements (CRA)
Confidentiality Agreements
Copyright | Definition
Applied Research Office
A College department or employee or third party (an external company, agency, person, or organization) that seeks to and/or does collaborate on research projects through the Applied Research Office.
Collaborative Research Agreements (CRA) are written agreements between Clients and the College that delineate the terms and rights and responsibilities of each party in a research project undertaken collaboratively between the College and the Client.
Confidentiality Agreements are executed between the College and a third party to protect the IP of both parties. They may also be called a NonDisclosure Agreement (NDA) .
Copyright means the right to produce, reproduce and copy works. Only the copyright owner has the right to decide when and how the work is tobe copied. Copyright protection is automatic once the work is created, and applies whether or not a copyright statement appears on the material. For the purposes of this policy, copyright means, in relation to a work, the sole right to produce or reproduce the work or any substantial part of the work in any material form, including without limitation, in electronic form and to communicate electronic copies of the work. | Word/Term Definition Intellectual Property (IP) Means any form of knowledge or expression created by one's intellect that can be legally protected, including technical information, inventions, models, drawings, photographs, specifications, prototypes, computer software, curriculum and teaching materials and other creations that can be protected under patent, copyright, trademark, integrated circuit topography, plant breeders rights and industrial design laws. For the purposes of this policy, confidential information having a commercial value is to be considered Intellectual Property Licensing Agreements Licensing Agreements relate to written agreements between the College and third parties, in which the College grants the third parties the right to use materials proprietary to the College (or proprietary to others, and in which the College has licensing rights) upon terms and conditions set out in the written agreements. Moral Rights Whether or not the College owns the IP rights of a work, and in particular the copyright therein (pursuant to the Copyright Act, 1985), it will take steps to respect the moral rights of the authors or creators of the work. Specifically, it is understood that the author or creator has the right to request, where reasonable in the circumstances, to be given recognition of the work by name or by pseudonym; to remain anonymous; or to choose not to be associated with any modification of the work that is perceived to be prejudicial to his/her honour or reputation. The author or creator’s moral right to the integrity of the work is infringed only if the work is distorted, modified or mutilated, or used in association with a product service, cause, or institution

FAQs

What is the purpose of the RE05 Intellectual Property policy?

It sets out how ownership of intellectual property is established for works created and developed within the College through agreements and supplementary documents.

Who does the policy apply to?

It applies to employees, volunteers, students, and associates who engage in projects using the College’s employees, students, and/or resources.

How does the policy treat employee-created works?

Absent a written agreement to the contrary, the College owns all IP rights in works created by an employee in the course of employment, considering factors such as working hours, use of college premises/resources, and whether compensation was provided.

Sep 16, 2026

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