[game_edu] Student IP for coursework

[Ira Fay]

Hello all,

Greg is right re: IP microtalks at GDC 2016, and I co-organized it with Owen Gottleib. It's on the vault, but for anyone who doesn't have access, feel free to email me and I can send you the slide deck.

To answer Ian's questions for Hampshire College: We have a college-wide IP policy that governs these issues, but I think many people on campus still don't know about it, and even the best IP policy can't resolve the murky issues of shared IP on joint projects - that can really only be solved with conversation, ideally before the issue comes up.

Also, I help the students by generally encouraging all IP created in courses to be open source. It aligns with the ideals of academia, and it actually solves a lot of the profit issues, and issues of "we want to go one direction and you want to go a different direction after the course," etc. I include a section on IP in every syllabus, mention it during the first class, and link to the Hampshire policy:
https://www.hampshire.edu/sites/default/files/presidentsoffice/files/IP-Policy.pdf

I'm happy to answer more questions!

Thanks,
Ira

> On Aug 24, 2017, at 10:34 AM, Garvey, Gregory P. Prof. <Greg.Garvey at quinnipiac.edu> wrote:
> 
> ?Since starting our game design program here at Quinnipiac we have attempted to address the very same issues.
> 
> 
> Perhaps HEVGA (the Higher Education Video Game Alliance) could establish a set of guidelines for higher ed game design programs on addressing these IP issues.
> 
> 
> At the Educators Summit at GDC last March Ira Fay (if I recall correctly) organized a panel where panelists discussed how their individual institutions address these IP issues. GDC is a good place to continue this discussion leading to establishing guidelines.
> 
> 
> - Greg
> 
> 
> Gregory P. Garvey, Professor
> Director, Game Design & Development
> Department of Visual and Performing Arts
> CAS 1-322 Mail Drop:     CL-AC1
> Quinnipiac University
> 275 Mount Carmel Avenue
> Hamden, CT 06518
> 
> 203-582-8389 Office
> email: greg.garvey at quinnipiac.edu
> ________________________________
> From: game_edu <game_edu-bounces at igda.org> on behalf of Ian Schreiber via game_edu <game_edu at igda.org>
> Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2017 9:38 AM
> To: IGDA Game Education Listserv
> Cc: Ian Schreiber
> Subject: [game_edu] Student IP for coursework
> 
> Question for those of you who teach courses that involve the creation of games that may go on to be commercialized, submitted to festivals, or similar (e.g. capstone courses):
> 
> What do you do, if anything, involving student ownership of IP? Do you have them sign a contract as part of the syllabus (and if so, what's in the contract and how did you put it together)? How do you handle cases where some of the student team might want to take the game forward and others would not? How do you deal with crediting and ownership in the case of students who are low performers, or who are late adds or late drops (or who contribute to the project peripherally even though they're not taking the course, e.g. a student whose roommate provides some art on their own time)? And... how much of this is covered by university or department policy, vs. how much is entirely up to you as the instructor?
> 
> Just at my own institution it seems like there's no standard, every professor handles this differently, so I'm interested to hear what others have done in this space.
> 
> - Ian
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