MTSA recognizes the importance of intellectual property (IP) rights and seeks to establish clear guidelines regarding the ownership of materials, processes, and inventions developed by faculty members.
Faculty-Owned Intellectual Property
Faculty members retain ownership of any materials, processes, or inventions developed solely through their individual effort, time, and expenses. Such works may be copyrighted or patented in the faculty member’s name.
Faculty members who have previously developed intellectual property meeting these criteria and wish to retain ownership and rights must disclose such works prior to any use on behalf of MTSA.
MTSA-Owned Intellectual Property (Work for Hire)
Materials, processes, or inventions created or produced on behalf of MTSA as part of a faculty member’s paid employment will be considered Work for Hire. In such cases, ownership shall vest in MTSA, and MTSA reserves the right to copyright or patent the intellectual property in its name.
Shared Development and Institutional Support
If a faculty member utilizes MTSA resources (including but not limited to time, facilities, or funding) to develop materials, processes, or inventions, ownership and rights must be negotiated in advance. A written agreement between the faculty member and MTSA shall specify the ownership, vesting, and copyright rights prior to the commencement of work.
If no written agreement is established, ownership and all associated rights shall vest in MTSA.