A proposed policy change at Ball State University has some students worried the university will take their hard-earned money if they develop a marketable product using Ball State resources. The proposed revision to the Muncie, IN-based school’s technology and intellectual property policy, which was presented to students and faculty after being developed by a university task force, increases Ball State’s share if a student or faculty member who used university resources for a project sells a property to a commercial entity. Existing policy gives the first $1,500 to the inventor or author, then all direct costs are recouped by the university. The remaining royalty revenue is then split 50/50 between the author or inventor and the university. Under the proposed revision, 10% of revenues would go directly to the TTO. Then, 30% would go to the university, 30% to the author or inventor, and 30% to the department up to a $30,000 annual cap. The amount over $30,000 would go back to the university in support of the intellectual property.

The committee making the proposal says it would bring Ball State in line with a majority of U.S. universities. Nancy Carlson, chair of the policy committee, pointed out that the change is need to support the TTO, which created in summer 2007 to provides the expertise needed to market and commercialize any IP. Carlson and Robert Morris, associate provost for research, assured students who objected to the proposal that they would own all rights to most music, film, or writings produced in their classes unless unusually large amounts of university resources were used. Morris noted that only $83,000 in royalty revenue was earned by Ball State’s fledgeling TTO last year. But “someday, something’s going to strike it big,” Carlson said. And if someone strikes it big after they’ve used thousands of dollars of university equipment and resources, a fair share of royalties should belong to the university. “You’ve got to plan for the big one that hasn’t happened yet,” she said. Go to: The Star Press

Posted November 12th, 2008 under Tech Transfer

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