A. The boards of visitors of state-supported institutions of higher education and the State Board for Community Colleges shall adopt policies regarding the ownership, protection, assignment, and use of intellectual property.

B. All employees, including student employees, of state-supported institutions of higher education, including the Virginia Community College System, as a condition of employment, shall be bound by the intellectual property policies of the institution employing them.

C. Upon adoption of policies pursuant to subsection A, the boards of visitors of state-supported institutions of higher education, including the State Board for Community Colleges, shall provide a copy of their intellectual property policies to the Governor and the Joint Commission on Technology and Science.

D. The boards of visitors of state-supported institutions of higher education shall adopt policies that are supportive of the intellectual property rights of matriculated students who are not employed by such institution.

E. For purposes of this section, “intellectual property” means (i) a potentially patentable machine, article of manufacture, composition of matter, process, or improvement in any of those; (ii) an issued patent; (iii) a legal right that inheres in a patent; or (iv) anything that is copyrightable.

History

1986, c. 358; 2006, cc. 77, 899; 2016, c. 441.