This. Especially regarding your tech transfer office. Usually, you've signed something somewhere that says the university owns everything that you do that relates to them in some way. So you've gotta get them to either give you a release on the IP, or an exclusive license.
They aren't. This is why I recommend not worrying about it. However, if you're the worrisome sort, "Look, you and I both know you don't really care about undergraduates. How about you sign this piece of paper? You aren't giving away anything you care about, and it gets me out of your office quickly!" works wonders.
Actually, most of us are undergraduates, and the project isn't affiliated directly with the university. However, we do get together and use thier lab for development, so they can still claim rights, since we used their stuff.
Any tips then if I wanted to get around this? In my case I won't be using anything from the University for the project. To be honest, I might do work on it in the library from time to time or something, but I could even avoid this if absolutely necessary. I'd literally just be doing coding on my laptop and using my own hosting.
I'd just like to see the language behind the agreement I signed I guess.
It's not really an easy read, but it seems that, by default, the University wants in on anything you do in their facilities. They make this condition for students, though:
"Students are exempt from this policy for cases in which University facilities are not used and where the invention or discovery is not made in the course of the students studies at the University."
So since it's sort of "in the course of the student's studies", I might have to go after the following conditions in the policy:
" If, however, the inventor or another institution believes that the circumstances surrounding the invention, including such factors as support provided by other than the University, place where discovery was made, or lack of relevance to the regular work of the member of the faculty or staff, warrant another distribution, the inventor or the institution may request the Office of Technology Management, in consultation with the Technology Transfer Committee, to review the circumstances. After review, and upon consultation with the Office of General Counsel and the Senior Vice Chancellors, the Office of Technology Management will make recommendations to the Chancellor on the distribution of proceeds.
The University, as determined by the Technology Transfer Committee and the Office of Technology Management, may choose to waive all rights to file a patent on a particular invention or to pursue licensing of such invention, electing instead to grant the inventor permission to proceed on his or her own in whatever manner the inventor deemsappropriate."
Most of the language seems really targeted towards faculty and staff, however, so I think I can work around it. I'll try the person you suggested once I hear back from my department head.
As luck would have it, my cofounder here used to work for them... he says that you're probably fine, but you should go to the office and double check. Or you can email Dan Bates at dbates@provost.pitt.edu, who's apparently a reasonable dude there.
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This. Especially regarding your tech transfer office. Usually, you've signed something somewhere that says the university owns everything that you do that relates to them in some way. So you've gotta get them to either give you a release on the IP, or an exclusive license.
Thank the Bayh-Dole act.
Hm, I hadn't realized that the tech transfer office was now routinely dealing with undergraduates. Ouch.
They aren't. This is why I recommend not worrying about it. However, if you're the worrisome sort, "Look, you and I both know you don't really care about undergraduates. How about you sign this piece of paper? You aren't giving away anything you care about, and it gets me out of your office quickly!" works wonders.
Actually, most of us are undergraduates, and the project isn't affiliated directly with the university. However, we do get together and use thier lab for development, so they can still claim rights, since we used their stuff.
EDIT: Also, apparently I went to his school.
Any tips then if I wanted to get around this? In my case I won't be using anything from the University for the project. To be honest, I might do work on it in the library from time to time or something, but I could even avoid this if absolutely necessary. I'd literally just be doing coding on my laptop and using my own hosting.
I'd just like to see the language behind the agreement I signed I guess.
I found some documentation online about several policies surrounding this: http://www.pitt.edu/~offres/policyu.html
It's not really an easy read, but it seems that, by default, the University wants in on anything you do in their facilities. They make this condition for students, though:
"Students are exempt from this policy for cases in which University facilities are not used and where the invention or discovery is not made in the course of the students studies at the University."
So since it's sort of "in the course of the student's studies", I might have to go after the following conditions in the policy:
" If, however, the inventor or another institution believes that the circumstances surrounding the invention, including such factors as support provided by other than the University, place where discovery was made, or lack of relevance to the regular work of the member of the faculty or staff, warrant another distribution, the inventor or the institution may request the Office of Technology Management, in consultation with the Technology Transfer Committee, to review the circumstances. After review, and upon consultation with the Office of General Counsel and the Senior Vice Chancellors, the Office of Technology Management will make recommendations to the Chancellor on the distribution of proceeds.
Most of the language seems really targeted towards faculty and staff, however, so I think I can work around it. I'll try the person you suggested once I hear back from my department head.Yeah. Unfortunatly, the OTM website is apparently down: http://www.otm.pitt.edu/
As luck would have it, my cofounder here used to work for them... he says that you're probably fine, but you should go to the office and double check. Or you can email Dan Bates at dbates@provost.pitt.edu, who's apparently a reasonable dude there.