Procedure – Managing Trademarks and Copyrights

Related Policy – Intellectual Property and Copyright

About This Procedure

Responsible Officer
Vice President of Human Resources & Operations

Policy Owner
Vice President of Human Resources & Operations

Policy Contact
Vice President of Human Resources & Operations

Issued
2026-01-12

University Procedure

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Employees seeking to use university trademarks or register copyrightable works coordinate with appropriate university offices to protect university brand and intellectual property rights.

Trademark Usage

1. Submit trademark usage requests to the Marketing and Communications Office including detailed usage plans, proposed applications, and samples of intended use
2. Provide context regarding purpose, audience, duration, and relationship to university mission
3. Allow the Marketing and Communications Office at least 10 business days to review requests and provide approval or denial
4. Follow all usage guidelines provided including color specifications, sizing requirements, and prohibited applications
5. Discontinue unauthorized trademark usage immediately upon notification

Copyright Registration

1. Submit copyrightable works requiring formal copyright registration to university counsel for ownership review
2. Provide complete documentation of creation circumstances including employment context, resources used, and funding sources
3. Await university counsel determination regarding university ownership or individual ownership
4. Follow university counsel guidance regarding registration priority, registration timing, and registration responsibility
5. Coordinate with university counsel on any licensing agreements, publication arrangements, or transfer of rights

No individual may register copyrights or file trademark applications for university-owned intellectual property without written authorization from university counsel.

Negotiating External Collaboration Agreements

Faculty and staff planning collaborative research or creative projects with external entities must notify university counsel early in planning to protect university intellectual property rights and ensure proper agreement execution before work begins.

1. Identify proposed external collaborators including specific individuals, institutions, and organizations
2. Describe the planned collaboration including objectives, methodologies, timeline, and expected outcomes
3. Identify all university resources that the collaboration will use including equipment, facilities, personnel, data, and intellectual property
4. Notify university counsel at least 60 days before beginning collaborative work to allow adequate time for agreement negotiation
5. Provide university counsel with information about collaborator requirements, expectations, and proposed terms
6. Participate in discussions with university counsel regarding appropriate agreement terms and intellectual property provisions
7. Review draft agreements provided by university counsel before execution
8. Await fully executed agreements before beginning collaborative work or sharing university resources
9. Comply with all agreement terms throughout the collaboration period

Collaborations beginning before agreement execution place university intellectual property at risk and may result in loss of university rights.

Manage Sponsored Research Intellectual Property 

Principal investigators managing sponsored research must ensure proper intellectual property handling throughout the project lifecycle to satisfy sponsor requirements and protect university rights.

1. Review sponsor intellectual property requirements during proposal development before submission
2. Coordinate with university counsel regarding any sponsor intellectual property terms requiring negotiation or clarification
3. Brief all research team members including faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars on their intellectual property obligations under the sponsored agreement
4. Maintain records documenting team member acknowledgment of intellectual property obligations
5. Monitor compliance with disclosure requirements, record-keeping obligations, and reporting deadlines throughout the project
6. Submit invention disclosures to university counsel within required timeframes when team members develop potentially patentable inventions
7. Coordinate with university counsel regarding sponsor notifications, patent decisions, and licensing negotiations
8. Ensure proper marking of publications and presentations acknowledging sponsor support as required by agreement terms
9. Maintain research records documenting intellectual property development for the period specified in sponsored agreements

Sponsored agreements often impose shortened disclosure deadlines and specific reporting requirements that override general university timelines.