Policies for the Protection and Commercialization of Intellectual Property

The College of Excellence for Archaeology and Tourism at the University of Mosul is committed to fostering an academic environment that respects intellectual property rights, safeguards the contributions of faculty members, researchers, staff, and female students, and encourages creativity and innovation. The College seeks to utilize its scientific, educational, literary, and artistic outputs in the service of society, and to regulate their use and commercialization in a manner that preserves the rights of their owners and complies with applicable Iraqi legislation, the instructions of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the regulations of the University of Mosul.

1. Objectives and Scope of Application

These policies aim to protect intellectual outputs, promote academic integrity, regulate the disclosure and documentation of innovations, and encourage the transformation of outputs with practical applications into useful products and services.

They apply to educational, research, and creative activities associated with the College, including research papers, books and other scholarly works, theses and dissertations, educational materials, software, designs, inventions, and literary and artistic works, according to the nature of each output and the legal requirements governing its protection. They also extend to joint projects with external entities in accordance with the contracts and agreements governing such projects.

2. Respect for Rights and Academic Integrity

All persons covered by these policies shall properly attribute works to their authors, cite sources, and accurately identify actual scientific contributions. Plagiarism, falsification or distortion of intellectual outputs, misappropriation, and reuse in violation of applicable rights or licenses are prohibited.

Citing a source alone does not constitute permission to republish a work or exploit it commercially. The permission of the rights holder, the terms of the applicable license, or any exceptions permitted by law shall be observed, as appropriate to each case.

3. Determination of Ownership of Intellectual Outputs

Moral rights, economic rights, and exploitation rights shall be determined in accordance with applicable legislation, University regulations, and relevant contracts, taking into account the nature of the work, employment-related assignments, funding, resources used, and the contributions of the participants.

Ownership of an intellectual output shall not be presumed to transfer to the College merely because its creator is affiliated with the College or a copy of the work has been deposited with it. Likewise, academic supervision or an administrative position alone shall not constitute grounds for entitlement to authorship or inventor status.

The rights of parties involved in joint projects shall be documented in writing, distinguishing between intellectual property existing before the project and outputs arising from it, and specifying the rights to use, publish, and commercialize such outputs.

4. Disclosure and Documentation

A confidential disclosure shall be submitted, before publication, for outputs that may require protection, through official channels to the entity designated by the College in coordination with the University. The disclosure shall include a description of the output, the names of its contributors, sources of funding, related agreements, and any previous publication or public presentation.

Dated records shall be maintained to document the stages of development, contributions, correspondence, and decisions relating to protection and commercialization, with access restricted according to authorized permissions. Internal disclosure and documentation shall not be considered substitutes for the legal protection procedures required by law.

5. Protection and Confidentiality

Outputs shall be assessed to determine the appropriate means of protection. Registration, filing, or other relevant procedures shall be coordinated with the competent authorities, according to the type of right and its applicable requirements.

Appropriate measures shall be taken to protect unpublished information, including storing files in approved systems, controlling access permissions, and using confidentiality agreements when necessary. Confidential details, samples, or files that would enable the exploitation of an output shall not be provided to external parties without appropriate authorization.

6. Scientific Publishing and Knowledge Accessibility

The College supports scientific publishing and knowledge exchange while respecting the rights of authors, publishers, and funding bodies, as well as the privacy of research participants.

Where public disclosure may affect the possibility of protecting an innovation, protection requirements shall be reviewed before the innovation is published or presented at a conference, in a public defense, or on an online platform. Any postponement of publication shall be justified and limited to the shortest necessary period approved by the authorized entity, while taking into account female students’ rights and graduation requirements.

The conditions governing the reuse of materials available on the College’s website or in its repositories shall be clearly specified. Making such materials publicly accessible shall not automatically be considered a waiver of their owners’ rights.

7. Evaluation and Commercialization of Intellectual Outputs

Commercialization opportunities shall be evaluated based on scientific and practical value, beneficiaries’ needs, economic and social feasibility, the readiness of the output, the costs of its protection and development, and the clarity of the rights associated with it.

Subject to the required powers and approvals, commercialization methods may include granting licenses for use, research and development collaboration, producing educational resources and software, knowledge transfer, and other permitted forms of investment.

Non-confidential promotional materials shall be prepared to present opportunities to potential beneficiaries. Such materials must accurately reflect the output’s level of readiness and test results and must avoid unsupported promises or claims. The names or logos of the College or the University shall not be used for commercial promotion without official approval.

8. Contracting and Licensing

Negotiations shall be conducted and contracts concluded through duly authorized entities, following the necessary legal, financial, and technical reviews. No individual may enter into an obligation on behalf of the College or the University beyond the scope of their authorization.

Contracts shall specify the rights covered, the scope of use, duration, financial consideration, exclusivity where granted, development obligations, confidentiality, liabilities, termination conditions, and dispute resolution mechanisms. They shall also regulate the rights associated with future improvements and provide, as appropriate to the nature of the agreement, for the retention of the rights necessary for educational and research purposes.

9. Revenues and Incentives

The mechanisms for calculating and distributing revenues shall be determined in accordance with applicable legislation, financial and University regulations, and approved agreements, with the permitted deductible expenses and the entitlements of the parties documented.

No fixed distribution percentages or financial obligations shall be established without an approved legal or regulatory basis issued by the competent authority. Transparency in recordkeeping and accuracy in identifying contributions shall be ensured, while researchers and female students shall be encouraged to develop their intellectual outputs within the available resources and authorized powers.

10. Conflicts of Interest and Female Students’ Rights

Participants involved in evaluation, negotiation, or contracting shall disclose any financial or personal interest that may affect the impartiality of their decisions. Individuals with such interests shall be excluded from the related decision-making process in accordance with approved procedures.

Female students’ rights in their intellectual outputs and contributions shall be safeguarded. Supervisory relationships shall not be exploited to impose a waiver of rights that is not supported by law or a valid agreement. The terms of participation in funded projects, including publication and exploitation rights, shall be clarified before work begins.

11. Digital Content and Artificial Intelligence Tools

The rights of third parties and the licenses governing software, images, and digital materials used in education, research, and commercialization shall be respected.

When artificial intelligence tools are used, users shall review their outputs, verify their sources and limitations regarding use, and disclose the use of such tools whenever required by applicable instructions. Confidential information, unpublished intellectual outputs, or protected data shall not be uploaded to these tools without appropriate authorization and verification of the applicable terms of service.

12. Reporting and Dispute Resolution

Complaints concerning infringement of rights or disputes over ownership or revenues shall be submitted to the Deanship of the College through its officially announced correspondence channels, for referral to the competent entity, accompanied by the available evidence.

The confidentiality of proceedings, the right of all parties to be heard, the impartiality of the review process, and protection against adverse treatment of individuals who submit reports in good faith shall be ensured. Violations shall be addressed in accordance with applicable regulations, without prejudice to the parties’ right to appeal and seek recourse to the competent authorities.

13. Implementation, Review, and Entry into Force

Responsibility for implementation and monitoring shall be assigned by a decision of the authorized entity, in coordination with the University’s academic, legal, and financial departments. The contact point and procedures for submitting disclosures, commercialization requests, and complaints shall be published on the College’s website.

These policies shall be reviewed periodically to keep pace with legislative and technological developments and the College’s needs. They shall enter into force on the date of their official approval and shall be interpreted in accordance with applicable legislation and University instructions. In the event of any conflict, such legislation and instructions shall prevail.