University of Virginia Library

3. ASSIGNED DUTY

When a work is prepared by an employee within the scope of employment, under copyright law it is considered a "work made for hire." Generally, the University will exercise ownership under the work made for hire rationale only when the employee was given an assignment to create the product whose ownership is in question. A FACULTY MEMBER'S GENERAL OBLIGATION TO PRODUCE SCHOLARLY WORKS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE SUCH A UNIVERSITY ASSIGNMENT.

---

0004

For purposes of the Copyright Policy only, a faculty member's scope of employment shall not be considered to include preparation of copyrightable materials in connection with that person's teaching assignments, participation in research projects, artistic creations, or other scholarship which flow from individual initiative. The University will not claim a copyright interest in these works unless their creation was part of a specific assignment by a chairman, dean or other University administrator, or required significant use of University facilities and resources.