Faculty Ownership of Copyright Materials

Terms relating to copyright ownership and use of materials created by faculty are set out in Article 39 of the Collective Agreement Between Brock University and the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA). The current Collective Agreement (2011-2014) provides that faculty own any copyright materials they produce, including lecture and seminar materials, subject to certain qualifications, such as:

• When the University contributes significant resources to the development of the materials – in which case, there should be a specific contract setting out ownership and rights to use and revise the material.
• Commissioned works – where the University has employed the faculty member for the express purpose of creating a specific copyright work or works, the University may reserve ownership of the material, unless other arrangements have been made. 

Different rules apply to materials created by Brock staff and independent contractors.

Ownership can be affected by agreements with industry sponsors or joint authors, who may have an interest in the works which they have helped to create or fund. Ultimately, ownership will depend on the facts of your situation. You should contact the Office of Research Services if you are unsure about the ownership of your work.

Under the Collective Agreement with BUFA, faculty generally own any copyright materials they produce at Brock. Ownership can, however, be affected by University contracts, agreements with industry sponsors, and the contributions of joint authors.