Intellectual Property Rights

[philh]

I'm not entirely sure I'm in the right section here, but here goes;

Basically I hope to attend a Computer Game Design course at university, and continue to possibly design and publish my own ideas in videogame or whatever form.
Now these great ideas that will earn me millions [ :p ] , if I use them during my course in order to obtain good grades and for my final project, who will they belong to?
I just went to an open day where they were planning to open a website with students' work and ideas, basically saying that the students' ideas are the university's ideas.
So who owns the ideas once I reveal them - me or the university? And if I keep them to myself, will i be hindering my study?
I'm not saying I have a multi-million pound idea here (doesnt everyone?), I'd just like to keep my options open and avoid lawsuits in the future ;)
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers, Phil

[cassimer]

It depends on your universitys regulations. At mine, the uni owns all ideas created under its teaching. My boyfriend had his final year project patented by the university, and would only earn about 2% of any profits should it be taken up by a company. I think if you dont submit your ideas as coursework, they might be your own and nothing to do with the uni, but very complicated. Check with your uni.

[Hgrove]

I think the above is essentially correct:  if you develop an idea as coursework, the uni may well say they own them (if they think there is money in them) but if you develop them on your own, the uni cannot have any claim.  It is a good idea to keep quiet about your ideas because there is no intellectual property right that can protect an idea.  You need to have committed your idea to paper/model/computer program or similar for an intellectual property right to come into existence, and even then, if anybody breaches your intellectual property right, you may have to sue them, costly and messy, so prevention in the form of keeping quiet about it is better than cure.

[philh]

Thanks for your replies, cassimer and Hgrove.
Cassimer: Did the uni not need permission from your boyfriend to patent *his* ideas? And I presume the university would recieve significantly more profits?
In general: My documented ideas are in physical existence; if they are named and dated, does that then mean they are legally mine? If I share them in my coursework/assignments/what have you, does this essentially mean I've given away my ideas?
I'm sorry to ramble on, but it's a daft and confusing concept.

[cassimer]

Hi!
No they did not need his permission. They get the other 98% in full, but the percentages vary depending on the profit (I think that if it makes more than a million, his percentage goes down to 1% or less). Sorry to be of little help, but i couldnt tell you about the specifics of your uni. I suspect if you write things down and not hand them in they would be yours. However, if the year after you leave you very publically release some clever software which makes you lots of money, potentially the univerity might be able to claim some right to ownership if they can prove that your ideas came directly from a university source. The best thing to do is contact your department, or if that is a bit difficult, contact the university admin system and get an official polic statement. These things must be written down somewhere. Oh.. and keep your best ideas to yourself until you are sure!

[philh]

Thanks for your help! And I didn't realise they took the whole 98%...that's ridiculous! I'll take your advice and be cautious, so thanks a lot. I didn't really think of this problem until an open day a few days ago, and it seems somewhat ridiculous although I do see the point of the ''we taught it'' argument. Anyway, thanks again.

[joko]

I know its not the same but I have had two pieces of artwork stolen - by tutors! From two different colleges! Mad I know. But this is how some people are when it come to 'talent', and in your case cash.

Keep your idea to yourself until you get the chance to do someothing with them as you also don't know if any outside poachers will see your idea at the open day and develop the idea for themselves - then you have no control