Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property includes text, images, photos, calculations, worksheets, handouts, manuals, exams, projects, and presentations.
There are multiple possible owners of the Intellectual Property:
- Watershape University
- Faculty / Instructor
- Instructor’s Employee
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Secrets
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets are the respective property of their owners. Faculty developing programs shall acknowledge the rightful owners of certain property as required. For example, an image reproduced in a presentation shall include a proper reference to the original source.
Professional Acknowledgement
Credit shall be given to the person(s) or firm(s) responsible for producing certain content. For example, if a contractor-instructor is showing finished work designed by an architect then the architect shall be acknowledged.
Program Development
Program Development includes program:
- Title, Learning Outcomes, and Description
- Outline, Timeline, and Sequence of Subtopics
- Research
- Data Collection
- Drafting Handout/Manual
- Drafting Presentation
- Drafting Exam / Project
- Finalizing Handout / Manual.
- Finalizing Presentation
- Finalizing Exam / Project
Watershape University typically pays a Program Development Fee for programs researched and assembled by its faculty. If the program will not be usable by other faculty for repeat use then Program Development Fees are not likely to occur. The Program Development Fee is not a Content Purchase Fee.
To improve quality, reduce the development time for each instructor, and produce multiple qualified instructors, Watershape University encourages multiple instructors to co-develop programs. At a minimum, our compliance manager will review all programs to ensure they meet standard, codes, laws, etc. and our engagement team manager will review all programs to seek opportunities to include their products.
Content Purchase
Content Purchase refers to the specific purchase of Intellectual Property by Watershape University. For example, a proprietary photograph owned by an instructor may be purchased by Watershape University for a minimum Content Purchase Fee of $1.
The owner of the Intellectual Property establishes the fee. Of course, Watershape University gets to decide their perceived value and each party has the right to reject the others’ offer. Some content will be worth more or less than others.
It is expected that some Intellectual Property is not for sale. Or, that the value of the Intellectual Property is simply too high for Watershape University to acquire it. In these cases, the instructor is welcome to use the information in handouts, manuals, presentations, exams, and projects while retaining the Intellectual Property as their own. The Intellectual Property will not be used in any other programs or by any other instructors without the owner’s written approval.
Instructor Agreements
All instructors shall sign the Faculty Master Services Agreement. Additionally, other smaller agreements may include:
- Program Development Agreement
- Content Purchase Agreement
- Speaking Fee Agreement
- Teaching Assistant Agreement
