Belmont University wants to ensure that faculty, staff and students are aware of their rights to individually created intellectual works, and hope to encourage the development of new ideas. The university has developed guidelines and resources for employees and students.
Students:
Academic Works: Unless Belmont University provides prior written notice to the contrary, the intellectual property rights to all materials created by Belmont students to satisfy course requirements for their respective majors and degree programs shall belong to the students who created the materials.
Student Employee Works: All materials created by Belmont students within the course and scope of their employment by Belmont, in whatever medium they may exist, are rendered at Belmont's request and direction as "Work Made for Hire" and shall be the sole property of Belmont. The student worker shall have no further rights in it.
Student Organization Works: The University owns the intellectual property rights to all materials created by Belmont students in the course and scope of their participation in co-curricular activities of student organizations which are chartered by or affiliated with Belmont University including but not limited to SGA, Program Board, and Student Leadership Council.
University Sponsored Clubs and Events: Belmont University retains all ownership rights in intellectual property created by Belmont students for production, conception, design, and promotion of university-produced events, regardless of any academic credit earned through the students' participation. Examples of such clubs and events include but are not limited to SIFE and the Curb College's Showcase Concert Series.
Faculty:
Belmont faculty have the right to patent, copyright, publish, or otherwise establish ownership of a creative work, to market any commercially valuable creative work which they produce by means of their expertise and labor, and to receive any and all royalties which result from such a work subject only to the conditions outlined in the Faculty Handbook. All works created within the scope of employment belong to the University. Works created using University resources may or may not be considered the property of the faculty or staff member. Employees should consult the Faculty Handbook, Section 2.14 and the Office of the University Counsel to determine the procedures that must be followed, and become fully aware of their rights.
Copyright Compliance Resources:
The university has created the following information for faculty, staff, and students to ensure copyright compliance: