The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities define intellectual property as “any work of authorship, invention, discovery, or other original creation that may be protected by copyright, patent, trademark, or other category of law.” (Board Policy 3.26 , Part 3, Subpart I) Historically, colleges and universities have been major sources of the development of intellectual property through creative works in art, music, theater, scholarly writings, research and other innovative processes.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is strongly committed to protecting the intellectual property created or commissioned within the academic community. This traditional commitment to faculty and student ownership in scholarly work is recognized by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees through its adoption of specific policies governing the development and ownership of intellectual property.

This online tutorial introduces and explains Board Policy 3.26, Intellectual Property, which applies to agreements between colleges, universities, the Office of the Chancellor and their respective faculty, staff and students.

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Please note, this guide summarizes provisions of Board Policy 3.26. Questions concerning the policy and its applicability to specific situations should be directed to the Intellectual Property Coordinator appointed for each college, university, and the Office of the Chancellor.