Intellectual Property Rights for students

Let’s suppose your invention, design or idea turn outs to be the answer to an economic or social need. Are you allowed to market it? We’ve made a list of the laws and regulations that are relevant to students when it comes to intellectual property rights (because that’s what this is about). In any case, you should take action: check your legal position and make sure you’ve concluded agreements in good time.

Students like you regularly come up with inventions, concepts, software or theses that are of interest to existing companies or may inspire a start-up. However, is the idea really yours to market? Who decides what happens to your internship or project outcome? Who shares in the profits, if any? In other words: who owns the intellectual property rights (IPR)?

The way IPR are regulated by law has been clarified for staff and students. Check what action you must take and make use of the facilities offered by The Gate, at our university. 

1.    Before you start your internship or research project, check your IPR position: what is laid down in your contract?
2.    Read the IPR guideline for students (see below)
3.    Conclude clear agreements and record them in writing

National IPR guidelines for students
The IPR rules that apply to academic startups are laid down in the IPR guidelines (by Universities of The Netherlands)

• Read the entire IPR guideline for students
• Check the FAQ by Universties of The Netherlands

Last but not least
TU/e proposed a framework on IP for students in the following document: IP created by TUE students. For any questions or more information please contact the IP specialists at The Gate via GateIPGroup@remove-this.tue.nl