As a researcher, it’s important to understand copyright and intellectual property (IP). This page explains the basics and provides links to further support and guidance.
On this page:
- Definition of intellectual property
- Ownership of intellectual property
- Moral and economic rights
- Publishing agreements and open access rights
- Further help and support
Definition of intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is anything you create using your mind and is written down. This includes things like:
- articles, books and reports
- software and code
- data and datasets
- presentations, lectures and recordings
These works are protected by intellectual property rights (IPR), such as:
- copyright
- patents
- design rights
- trademarks
IPR help you control how others use your work. For example, they can prevent someone from copying or sharing your work without permission.
Ownership of intellectual property
Under the University of Cambridge intellectual property policy, most copyright and unregistered IP belongs to the person who created it. This includes:
- written work
- software and code
- images, audio and video
However, the University may own the IP if:
- you created it for administrative or managerial purposes (such as library records or examination materials)
- it was commissioned by the University
- your research agreement or funder terms say otherwise
Always check the terms of any contracts or agreements before sharing or publishing your work.
Moral and economic rights
Copyright gives you two types of rights: moral and economic.
Moral rights
Moral rights protect your reputation. They include the right to:
- paternity - to be named as the author of your work
- integrity - to object if someone misrepresents your work
- object to false attribution - if someone falsely names you as the author of something you did not create
- privacy - to stop certain materials, such as photos or films, being shared
You cannot sell or give away moral rights, although you can choose not to use them.
Economic rights
Economic rights let you control how others use your work. These include the right to:
- copy or adapt the work
- publish or share it publicly
- perform, show or play it in public
- make it available online
You can transfer economic rights, for example when you publish in a journal.
Publishing agreements and open access rights
When you publish your research, you usually sign an agreement with the publisher. This may transfer your economic rights to them and limit how you can share your work.
Many publishers allow you to share certain versions of your work, such as preprints or accepted manuscripts. Sharing these can help you meet your funder’s open access requirements.
Before signing a publishing agreement:
- check what rights you are keeping or giving away
- review your funder’s open access policy
- contact the Open Access team for advice
Further help and support
If you have questions or need advice on copyright and intellectual property, please contact the Open Access team.