This document discusses intellectual property rights (IPRs) from the viewpoint of researchers. It notes that copyrights and industrial property rights like patents are protected internationally and nationally, but must be registered. For researchers, they retain rights to earlier works and inventions unless assigned away, and are bound by non-disclosure agreements, but these do not limit future work. Finnish researchers have varying situations depending on employer. Research plans should include agreements on rights and obligations. University IPR policies distinguish between collaborative external research, where the university can acquire invention rights, and open internal research, where the inventor retains rights. IPR contracts should address cooperation, rights assignment, confidentiality and material transfer.

1. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
IPRs:
Intellectual Property Rights
Researcher’s Viewpoint
Marko Nieminen
Professor of usability and user interfaces
Software Business and Engineering Laboratory
P.O.Box 9210, FIN-02015 TKK, FINLAND
T-0.7050 Introduction to Postgraduate Studies
in Computer Science
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2. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
www.aka.fi
The Researcher’s Mobility Portal
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3. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
IPRs
Author's right / Copyright
Copyright and neighbouring rights do not require registration
to be valid
Industrial property rights
Patents, utility models
trade marks, trade names, brands
designs
protection of integrated circuits, layout designs, plant variety
rights
Protected by international, regional and national law
Granted for a limited time
Transfer of ownership and the conditions of use determined by
contracts
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4. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
Uses of IPR
The author / inventor who can, in the first place,
exclusively decide about the use of his work or invention
Inventor often sells part of his economic rights to a
publisher
The moral rights remain with the author / inventor:
the right to be mentioned as the author
the right to object to the derogatory treatment of his
work
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5. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
IPR: Researcher Viewpoint
A researcher has certain rights to the
publications and patented inventions he has
made earlier (unless he has assigned his rights)
He may also be bound by a non-disclosure
agreement (NDA)
These contracts cannot, however, prevent him
from using his professional skills at a new
employer
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6. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
Researchers in Finland
In Finland, researchers are in very different
positions depending on where they work
individual doctoral students
participants of graduate schools
university projects with or without external
funding
research in companies or research institutes
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7. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
IPRs When Submitting a Research Plan
Research might generate inventions with
commercial potential
Researcher team: the research plan should also
contain a description of the mutual rights and
obligations of the parties involved.
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8. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
Inventions and IPRs: University policies
The ownership of inventions made in higher education
institutions (HEI) was re-defined by legislation entering
into force on 1 January 2007
Two categories: collaborative and open
Collaborative research
At least one party external to the HEI, and it includes
liabilities related to the research outcome. In this case,
the HEI is entitled to acquire the rights to the
invention, but the inventor is entitled to a fair
compensation, which is determined case-by-case.
Open research
No parties outside the university are involved, and the
inventor retains the rights to his invention.
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9. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
Contents of the IPR Contracts
Universities have model contracts to be used in
research projects
Contracts should be concluded at least on the
following issues: research co-operation, the
assignment of rights, confidentiality, and the
transfer of material.
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10. SoberIT
Ohjelmistoliiketoiminnan ja –tuotannon instituutti
Responsibilities
Ultimately the leader of the research project
responsible for the material and technology used in the
research project not to be violating anyone's rights
The researcher
answers for his own know-how and the possible
restrictions caused by an NDA or trade secret
contracts.
IPR contracts of universities with other parties are
negotiated by each university's administration, not by
individual researchers or projects
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