Widener University has it's own policy for handling the IP of employees and students while they are affiliated with the university. This policy lays out the rules for what is protected, claiming ownership, and using copyrighted works within the university. The full document can be downloaded, this page is meant to be an overview.
The creation of this document is intended to create an intellectual environment where creative endeavors and innovations can be encouraged, supported, and rewarded.
More information on this topic can be found on the "Start Here" page of this guide.
Widener University does not claim ownership to pedagogical, scholarly, or artistic works produced by faculty or students, regardless of their form of expression, with limited exceptions. If a faculty member moves to a new institution, they cannot use recorded lectures prepared at Widener for a course at their new institution. Works produced by students while they are employed by faculty members at Widener are considered "works for hire" and owned by the faculty member.
Widener University retains ownership of institutional works - works created at the direction of the University for a specific University purpose. This does not include pedagogical, scholarly, or artistic works. The ownership of works created by Widener University staff are works-for-hire as long as they are within the staff member's scope of employment.
More information on this topic can be found on the "Start Here" page of this guide.
Exceptions are written into the Copyright Act for situations when breaking copyright benefits society. More information on this topic can be found on the "Exceptions to Copyright" page of this guide. Questions about exceptions to copyright can be sent to Kristina Dorsett (kidorsett@widener.edu).
This part of the policy directs readers to a brochure created by the Association for Research Libraries that has been updated in 2022. You can download a copy of the brochure here.