The FUD Intellectual Property (IP) Policy is born out of the need to have guidelines in place for proper IP management. In order to strengthen commercialization, there is a need to develop and establish a protective mechanism for IP assets falling within the FUD framework. In this era of globalization, digital society, and a knowledge-based economy, the need for IP policy is very important and cannot be overemphasized. The policy on the one hand is an instrument for protecting IP; on the other hand, it facilitates optimal utilization of intellectual knowledge generated from the institution within and outside the country. The Federal University Dutse, therefore sets up the rules to harmonize the conflicting interests of stakeholders relating to ownership of IP, distribution of income, marketing, commercialization, licensing of patents, and intellectual property developed by academic, administrative, and support staff and students of the Federal University Dutse.
The goals of the policy are to protect the intellectual property generated at FUD, to promote the progress of science and technology, and to ensure that discoveries, inventions, and creations generated by staff and students are utilized in mutual ways to benefit the source of IP, the university and the public. This Policy is therefore set up basically:
- to protect the intellectual property generated at the FUD;
- to promote the progress of science and technology;
- to ensure that discoveries, inventions, and creations generated by staff and students are utilized in ways most likely to benefit the public.
The main objective of this Policy is to provide a framework, within which the Federal University Dutse IP is developed, managed, and effectively harnessed for the benefit of the University, the inventor/author, and the general public. The specific objectives are:
- to protect the traditional rights of scholars;
- to control the products of their scholarly work;
- to ensure that the commercial results, financial or other benefits are distributed in a fair and equitable manner that recognizes the contributions of the inventors and the institution as well as those of any other stakeholder (s);
- to ensure that both intellectual property and other products of research are made
available to the public through an efficient and timely process of technology
transfer; - to establish standards for determining the rights and obligations of the Federal University Dutse, the creators of intellectual property and their sponsors, with respect to inventions, discoveries, and works created at the institution;
- to encourage and assist in the provision of mutually beneficial rewards for the university and its staff who transfer intellectual property to the public through commercialization and licensing;
- to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and enable the university to secure sponsored research funding at all levels of research;
- to create an environment that encourages and expedites the dissemination of discoveries, creations, and new knowledge generated by researchers for the benefit of the public.
- To ensure that its name and insignias are properly used, especially that the use of its name or insignia to imply an association with the institution is accurate and appropriate and that it receives a fair share of any commercial benefits from the use of its names.