UW Policy

Presidential Executive Order No. 36 — Inventions, Discoveries, and Copyright

This policy outlines ownership of inventions, discoveries and copyright created at UW.

For the most part, students own the work they create (prototypes, designs, and applications) as part of class assignments or independent projects.

However, the University of Washington may claim ownership when a project meets any of the following conditions:

• Hosting web apps or services on UW servers.
• Using UW computing infrastructure, networks, or licensed cloud environments.
• Accessing UW facilities, specialized software, or databases.
• Working with institutional data or the Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) governed by UW Data Governance policies.

Note: Using the HuskyFetch API or the Student Innovation Lab’s free consulting services does not constitute substantial use of UW resources and therefore does not affect your intellectual property ownership.

Administrative Policy Statement 59.4 — Technology Transfer and Revenue Distribution

This policy covers what happens when an invention or project has commercial potential. In the context of student projects, this means:

• If you create something that could be patented, licensed, or become a startup, you may need to disclose it to CoMotion.
• Revenue (like licensing fees or startup equity) is shared between the inventor(s), their department, and UW, according to the policy.
• For most class projects and prototypes, this won’t apply. But, if your project grows into a commercial product, CoMotion is the official pathway for managing IP and revenue sharing.

Trademarks & Licensing Policy 

UW’s trademark policy requires approval from the UW Trademarks and Licensing office for all uses of its trademarks, including names, logos, and symbols, on any products or promotional items. 

In the context of student projects, this means:

• Students may not use protected UW trademarks such as “Husky,” “Dawg,” “DUB,” or official UW logos without permission.
• Student projects must not imply or appear as an official UW service or product.
• Using UW trademarks without approval can lead to legal or disciplinary action.

Registration Abuse Policy 

This policy governs misuse of the registration system, including tampering, automation, and seat-swapping. 

In the context of student projects, this means: 

• Students may not create or use any automated tools or services that interact with the registration system, such as holding or swapping class seats.

FERPA Overview 

FERPA is a federal law protecting student education records and giving students rights to inspect, amend, and control disclosure of their own academic files.

UW FERPA Policy 

This policy provides UW-specific details and procedures around how the university interprets and implements FERPA.

In the context of student projects, these policies mean:

• Students cannot create, use, or share class artifacts that access, expose, or share real student education records or personal data, in accordance with FERPA and UW privacy policies.

Information Security and Privacy Policies (APS 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6)

These policies govern data confidentiality, integrity, privacy, and incident management. In the context of student projects, these policies mean:

• Students must protect all data, especially personal or sensitive information
• Students must comply with UW security standards when using UW resources or institutional data. 
• Students are responsible for data security and incident and breach reporting.