Who owns college projects?

The_B_Man

If I do a final year project in IT Tallaght, then I submit it and get graded on it, who is the legal owner of that project?

IF I wanted to use it to make money, do I get 100% of the money, does the college get 100% of the money, or do we split it?


Cheers.

macrubicon

One issue is who owns the equipment on which you developed it.

The project would not exist unless the college allowed you access to the equipment to enable the project to occur etc.

Now - if you were to develop it at home on a student edition of something then it's yours. If you do it as a part of a project the college will "own" a part of it at least.

In short - if you have a functioning idea, don't do it as a college project!

theGavin

I actually asked a lecturer this last year.

The project is yours entirely, regardless of which machine it was written on. Unless the rules have been changed the past few months.

graigavern

The college own's the project I'm afraid, This goes towards the revenue of the college.
It has happent to my friend in the past and the airline luggage department are using it now.

If you believe your project is worth been patent, keep it for yourelf and come up with another one to do for college, or use it to get into your 5th your to do your master's for free as a trade off.............

Best of luck with your final year.

davey101

theGavin wrote: »

I actually asked a lecturer this last year.

The project is yours entirely, regardless of which machine it was written on. Unless the rules have been changed the past few months.

Lecturer was wrong, college own the IP rights to all project done as long as you are a student. However i did hear a story of a person whom did his project and left out the key info/data in actual report and when he finished created the product himself. but i doubt he got any patent on it. I think in terms of making money from it there are percentages that are split between the college and the student best place to ask about this is the synergy centre. thats the place to go if you are thinking of submitting a proposal to find out, but do it before you submit to the project coordinator.

theGavin

davey101 wrote: »

Lecturer was wrong, college own the IP rights to all project done as long as you are a student. However i did hear a story of a person whom did his project and left out the key info/data in actual report and when he finished created the product himself. but i doubt he got any patent on it. I think in terms of making money from it there are percentages that are split between the college and the student best place to ask about this is the synergy centre. thats the place to go if you are thinking of submitting a proposal to find out, but do it before you submit to the project coordinator.

What about if you write the project on your own machine, not one of the colleges?

davey101

theGavin wrote: »

What about if you write the project on your own machine, not one of the colleges?

Ha ha no mate, still the colleges property to some extent.
IP rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property

Are you getting confused with IP address
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address

Synergy centre would have all the info you need to know and more.

theGavin

davey101 wrote: »

Ha ha no mate, still the colleges property to some extent.
IP rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property

Are you getting confused with IP address
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address

Synergy centre would have all the info you need to know and more.

Nope, ain't getting confused with IP addresses.
I just cant understand how the college can claim ownership of code which was written on a machine not owned by the college, aswell as the fact I don't remember signing anything which gives them copyright of any project I do, unless of course when you begin the project then they ask you to sign something.

macrubicon

In some form it comes down to the fact that the college requested you to start the project, supports you through it with advice, equipment and services. You also submit it to them for review, critique and acceptence.

Nick or Onray over in Synergy would be the guys to talk to.

CramCycle

theGavin wrote: »

I actually asked a lecturer this last year.

The project is yours entirely, regardless of which machine it was written on. Unless the rules have been changed the past few months.

Belongs to the college but if you could get a functioning business/sellable product out of it then they will help you develop it. You can go to the college and ask for it to be made yours (an old flatmate done it in DCU, never made any money out of it though), I can't remember how this works again but basically some one in ICON will sign off that the college is making no claim to the IP. The synergy centre should have someone who will know.

theGavin wrote: »

What about if you write the project on your own machine, not one of the colleges?

If it is the colleges project (ie they gave you the idea on which you started or if they in anyway contributed to it (even if it is your idea/work and you hand it in as a project)) then no, it's still theirs. On the other hand if you don't do any of it through the college and just "come up" with it when you leave then you should be fine.