Literary Property Rights Governing the Results of Research Projects in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Safar Beigzadeh Arough
Assistant Professor, Department of Research on Information Ethics and Law, Institute for Society and Information, Iran Information Science and Technology Research Institute (IRANDAC), Tehran, Iran
10.22034/aimj.2024.491525.1617
Abstract
This study aims to elucidate the regulations governing the ownership of research projects. It examines the existing legal framework in Iran and, where relevant, explores measures and approaches adopted by other countries. The research employs a descriptive-analytical method, striving to analyze the subject matter through a comparative lens. The findings indicate that, despite the recognized necessity, the Iranian legislative system has yet to address this issue comprehensively and specifically. Consequently, the determination of intellectual property rights in academic works has been delegated to two relevant ministries (the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, and the Ministry of Health), resulting in the issuance of two separate regulations. However, these regulations have failed to create clarity, leaving room for universities to assert their rights arbitrarily. As a result, the intellectual property rights of faculty members remain ambiguous, and inconsistencies in determining the share of literary ownership across Iranian universities are evident. This study recommends that the Iranian Parliament take legislative action to address the issue with precision and clarity.

Keywords

Belderbos, R., Cassiman, B., Faems, D., Leten, B. & Van Looy, B. (2014). Co-ownership of intellectual property: Exploring the value-appropriation and value-creation implications of co-patenting with different partners. Research Policy, 43(5), 841-852. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.08.013
Delerue, H. (2018). Shadow of joint patents: Intellectual property rights sharing by SMEs in contractual R&D alliances. Journal of Business Research, 87, 12-23. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.02.002
Françon, A. & Ginsburg, J. C. (1985). Authors' Rights in France: The Moral Right of the Creator of a Commissioned Work to Compel the Commissioning Party to Complete the Work. Colum.-VLA J. L. & Arts, Article 381. https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship/3798
Garon, J. M. (2018). Ownership of University Intellectual Property. Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal, 36(3). https://ssrn.com/abstract=3431752
Garon, J. M. & Ziff, E. D. (2011). The Work Made for Hire Doctrine Revisited: Startup and TechnologyEmployees and the Use of Contracts in a Hiring Relationship. Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technolog, 12(2). https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mjlst/vol12/iss2/5
George Mason University. (2008). Copyright in University Works. George Mason University. Retrieved September 01 from https://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/copyright-in-university-works/
Hvide, H. K. & Jones, B. F. (2018). University Innovation and the Professor's Privilege. American Economic Review, 108(7), 1860-1898. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20160284
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2022). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 15 from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/
Regulations on the Structure and Policy of Intellectual Property and Innovation in Medical Sciences Universities of the Country, (2019).
Nelsen, L. (1998). The Rise of Intellectual Property Protection in The American University. Science, 279(5356), 1460-1461. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.279.5356.1460
Pila, J. (2010). Who Owns the Intellectual Property Rights in Academic Work? European Intellectual Property Review, 2010, 609–613. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1618172
Reid, T. (2004). Academics and Intellectual Property: Treading the Tightrope. Deakin Law Review, 9(2). https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/DeakinLawRw/2004/32.html
Sápi, E. (2024). Authors’ Moral Rights in the Digital Environment. Journal of Digital Technologies and Law, 2(1), 141-162. https://doi.org/10.21202/jdtl.2024.8
University of Melbourne. (2022). Copyright ownership at the University of Melbourne. University of Melbourne. Retrieved September 02 from https://copyright.unimelb.edu.au/shared/basic-principles-of-copyright/copyright-ownership-at-the-university-of-melbourne
University of Queensland. (2021). Copyright and teaching. University of Queensland. Retrieved September 02 from https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/copyright/copyright-and-teaching
University of South Australia. (2016). Intellectual Property: Ownership and Management Policy. University of South Australia. Retrieved September 02 from https://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/university-policies/research/res-22/
University of Tasmania. (2018). Intellectual Property Policy. University of Tasmania. Retrieved September 02 from https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1457746/4.3-Intellectual-Property-Policy.pdf
Vacca, R. (2017). Work Made For Hire -- Analyzing the Multifactor Balancing Test. Florida State University Law Review, 42(1). https://ir.law.fsu.edu/lr/vol42/iss1/8
Policies and Regulations of Intellectual Property Rights in Scientific and Research Institutions, (2023). https://isc.ac/file/download/page/1683695895-khatmashi-hoghoghe-malekiyate-fekri.pdf
Woodcock, J. (2018). Digital Labour in the University: Understanding the Transformations of Academic Work in the UK. tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, 16(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.31269/triplec.v16i1.880
World Intellectual Property Organization. (2023). IP Policies for Universities and Research Institutions. World Intellectual Property Organization. Retrieved January 11 from https://www.wipo.int/technology-transfer/en/ip-policies.html

  • Receive Date 30 November 2024
  • Revise Date 11 December 2024
  • Accept Date 21 December 2024