Intellectual Property Resources

Take a look at the table of contents to see free, online learning modules from Carleton, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, and other resources:

Intellectual Property Basics

Tutorial – Discover Intellectual Property

• What are the differences between the types of IP protection?
• Where can I learn more about intellectual property?

Fundamentals of Intellectual Property (Carleton)

• View the video below:

Plan for Success: Develop an Intellectual Property Strategy (PDF)

University of Toronto Entrepreneurship: IP Education Program

Fueling Innovation: Funding Opportunities for Start-Ups (PDF)

Software and IP Seminar (PDF)

Copyright and Moral Rights

Copyright can be extremely valuable for university researchers. In Canada, authors who are university researchers are typically the first owners of the copyright in their work. Graduate students, as the authors/creators of their theses, hold the copyright to their thesis.  Ownership of copyright is not affected by signing the Carleton license and the Library and Archives Canada license, which are non-exclusive.

• Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42)
• Copyright requirement for graduate students at Carleton University
• Social Media and Intellectual Property (PDF)

The author’s moral rights are an important related consideration. Moral rights include the author’s right to maintain the integrity of the work and the right to be cited as its author. While an author’s moral rights in his/her work cannot be assigned, they can be waived in favour of another party. Such waivers should be avoided by university researchers, particularly graduate students, as they may materially impact thesis requirements.

Inventions

Unless otherwise agreed to, it is generally understood that ownership of inventions made by Carleton University researchers during the course of their investigations is to be retained by the inventing researchers.

The formal agreement regarding ownership of inventions created by appointed Carleton University Faculty members is detailed in Article 14 of the Carleton University Academic Staff Association Collective Agreement.

Patents

Tutorial – Patents

• What is a patent?
• Which inventions are patentable?
• The steps involved in filing a patent application.

Intellectual Property Roadmap – Your Path to Getting a Patent Grant

• What is the process for obtaining a patent grant?

Inventing the Next Big Thing: Why Patents Matter (PDF)

Trademarks and Branding

Tutorial – Trademarks

• How can a Trademark protect your unique name or logo for the products or services you offer?
• How can a Trademark help you develop a brand identity and image for consumers to recognize in the marketplace?

Tutorial – Industrial Designs

• A novel look and distinctive visual features applied to a product can get consumers’ attention.
• Learn how novel and effective designs can help you market and sell your product.

Protect your Brand: Why Trademarks Matter (PDF)