What is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual Property (IP) is the legal right which results from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) let people own the work they create. The most common types of IPR are patents, trademarks, designs and copyright.

• Patents: protect what makes things work e.g. the workings of a - 
• Trademarks: protect words and logos that are used to distinguish goods and services in the marketplace.
• Designs: protect the appearance and shape of an object.
• Copyright: protects written and artistic works such as books, films and music.

More information on IPR can be found on the UK Intellectual Property Office website: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/

FIRM aims to work with your organisation in the co creation of innovative products and services that help your organisation develop and grow. Throughout the partnering and development period FIRM will offer advice on, and seek to protect, any arising Intellectual Property Rights for the benefit of all parties.

IP and the Process

Step 1 – Submit your idea

Organisations submitting their ideas or expressions of interest to the FIRM website are encouraged to only submit non confidential outlines of their ideas. A non confidential submission is one where only limited detail of the idea is given.

Step 2 – Review, discuss

During the initial stages of the collaboration, FIRM encourages partners to discuss their ideas in an open manner such that FIRM can better understand the idea and how it can best support the organisation. These initial exchanges will typically not make use of confidentiality agreements; however accurate records of these exchanges will be taken to ensure that any party creating innovative products and services can be attributed to it.

Step 3 - Collaboration

During this stage the parties may decide to enter into a confidentiality agreement (NDA) meaning any detailed information being shared will be kept confidential between the collaborating parties. More information on Non Disclosure agreements can be found here. FIRM will arrange for all the necessary legal agreements for the parties to sign.

Stage 4 – Joint Development

The joint development of ideas may take many different formats, though a common outcome is for the parties to jointly bid for further funding to develop a commercial product or service. Given the diverse nature of potential funding streams no ‘one size fits all’ approach can be taken. However, IPR will be developed thus the terms under which this is done is crucial to both the University and the collaborators. FIRM, in addition to offering advice and guidance in the writing of joint bid proposals will use well established IP ‘toolkits’ to ensure all parties are rewarded for their contributions and intellectual efforts.

In particular, two well known collaboration ‘toolkits’ will be used: Lambert and NESTA.

The Lambert Toolkit for collaborative research is a series of guidelines and model agreements for Universities and organisations wishing to undertake collaborative research projects, in particular where technology based development is being undertaken.

“The aim of the model agreements is to maximise innovation. They have not been developed with the aim of maximising the commercial return to the universities; but to encourage university and industry collaboration and the sharing of knowledge. They do not represent an ideal position for any party; depending on the circumstances they are designed to represent a workable and reasonable compromise for both or all parties”.

More information on the Lambert toolkit can be found here: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/whyuse/research/research-ukip.htm

The NESTA IPR Frameworks are particularly relevant for digital commissions such as a new website, animation, software or mobile application

“These guidelines set out the rights frameworks under which Public Organisations will commission stand-alone new media propositions.

They aim to give clear guidance to both commissioners and suppliers about the way rights should be treated in new media commissions.

They are aimed at ensuring that Public Organisations are able to meet their public service commitments while at the same time allowing suppliers to retain and exploit rights where appropriate”

More information on the NESTA IPR Frameworks can be found here: http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/creative_economy/ipr_frameworks