May 1, 1990
This section is a general statement on copyright regulations of University-sponsored educational materials and does not contain the complete copyright regulations. If this section indicates that a staff member has prepared or developed materials which come under the provisions of the copyright regulations, The University pamphlet, University-Sponsored Educational Materials, approved February 19, 1971, or the University Patents and Licensing Office, should be consulted. It is available from the research administration office on each campus. The research administration offices can also answer questions concerning University-sponsored educational materials and copyright regulations.
Ownership of University-sponsored educational materials is vested in the Curators of the University, subject to conditions set forth below. The University shall copyright the subject materials when it appears copyrighting is possible and in the best interests of the University and the author or producer of the educational materials.
Staff members have personal ownership of books or similar materials which were not commissioned by the University and the preparation of which was not supported or assisted in any substantial way by or through any University agency established to furnish such support or assistance.
Educational materials are "University-sponsored" if:
The term "employee" includes:
This policy is designed to include the following types of educational materials, but is not necessarily limited to:
All staff members are subject to these provisions as a condition of their employment contract.
The staff member retains the right to use the contents of the educational materials in forms other than the University-sponsored form, so long as the University's copyright is protected in the supplemental use.
According to Missouri law, educational materials in which a staff member has a direct or indirect financial interest cannot be used by any campus of the University, unless the staff member assigns, prior to the sale of the materials, either all royalties, or all royalties on those materials sold for use at the University, to a charity of the author's choice, or to the University. If this assignment is made prior to sale of the materials the author has no interest in such sale.
Questions concerning the interpretation or application of the policy shall be considered first by the appropriate departmental chairperson or immediate administrative supervisor.
Unresolved questions can be referred, through appropriate channels, to the President, or his/her designee, for transmittal to the Patent, Copyright and University-Sponsored Educational Materials Committee for its consideration.
No interpretation or application of the policy statement shall have any effect as a precedent in later cases, unless the interpretation or application has been approved by the President. In making his/her decision in such cases, the President shall first receive a recommendation from the Patent, Copyright and University-Sponsored Educational Materials Committee.