Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California

I am a Ph.D. student, and as part of my thesis I have developed a significant software project from scratch. For the first two years of this process, I worked as a teaching assistant, and for about the last year, I have been supported as a research assistant. Who holds the copyright on the software I have created, given that most of the work was done while I was a teaching assistant or during periods when I received no compensation (e.g. summer)? Would I benefit from registering my software as a work in progress with the copyright office? I am the sole author of the software in question and am in possession of the only copy in existence.


Asked on 7/20/12, 8:37 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Bryan Whipple Bryan R. R. Whipple, Attorney at Law

I'd start by asking your university if it has a policy on this, or if it is aware of any precedent. Maybe other faculty members with some software creation-and-copyright experience can assist. If the university is of any size at all, tis is not a new question for it.

Read more
Answered on 7/20/12, 8:49 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Intellectual Property questions and answers in California