Frequently Asked Questions
How do I determine ownership of intellectual property I have or I am developing?
In 1987, the Board of Visitors approved the GMU Patent Policy and Procedures and the Copyright Policy and Procedures. Although these documents govern the university’s rules on ownership of intellectual property can be ambiguous. Generally, except in the case of scholarly and other academic publications, intellectual property developed by faculty as a part of their employment or where they have used university resources including their effort, university students, facilities or equipment are the property of the university. For details, the university community should consult the specific policy and procedure documents.
A phone call to the Office of Technology Transfer 703-993-2985 or email to jmurphy@gmu.edu may help clear questions you may have.
What is the role of the Office of Technology Transfer?
The OTT administers university intellectual property policies. It receives faculty intellectual property disclosures and refers them as appropriate to the Intellectual Property committee or, in the case of clear ownership, it assigns them directly to George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc. (GMIP) in the latter case, OTT manages the legal aspects of assignments from inventors/creators and of assignment to GMIP.
Who is George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc?
George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc. (GMIP), a separate 501C-3 non-profit organization specifically established to handle the protection and commercialization of George Mason University’s intellectual property.
Why did GMU establish a separate organization to handle intellectual property?
Because Mason is a public institution, we are bound by certain state regulations that make some aspects of technology transfer inefficient and difficult. By creating a separate entity we will ensure that we can access the best intellectual property counsel for the patenting of university inventions. In addition, we will be in a position to be able to take equity in lieu of or in combination with fees and royalties in new companies started up around new GMU technologies.
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