Confidentiality

The University of Maine uses standard agreements to safeguard confidential and proprietary information. The Department of Industrial Cooperation (of the Office of Innovation and Economic Development ) is an excellent resource and works closely with the PDC to review and tailor collaboration and non-disclosure agreements for specific projects. You can access their forms including the Two-Way Confidential Disclosure Agreement by visiting the DIC’s forms page.

Intellectual Property

The intellectual property (IP) rights accruing to work performed at UMaine are negotiable based upon the respective roles of the client and the PDC when new processes, products, and technologies are developed.

Publications

Industry-sponsored research conducted at the PDC is kept strictly confidential. When both parties agree that results should be published, the client is afforded an opportunity to review such materials and to exclude proprietary/confidential information. Publications may be delayed until suitable IP protection is secured. Publication rights will be determined prior to the start of any project and are protected by Confidential Disclosure Agreements.

For research that is sponsored by Federal and/or State grants or funding, publication is generally required so that new knowledge is transferred to the public. This is in keeping with UMaine’s role as a public institution and its efforts to advance science for the public good.