Research in Science (Intellectual Property)

A professor, who teaches advanced courses in computer programming, presented a course project to his students. The professor proposed the problem and supplied the necessary facts. The problem was to create a program that automated the enrollment process for a private secondary school in the area. The enrollment problem in the school is real (not fictional) and the students were informed that the best project would be donated to the school and in that way help the community. At the end of the semester, the students that did the best job denied the professor the disc containing the code for the enrollment program, saying that it was their intellectual property and that it was subject to negotiation. This action was taken after they made sure the professor had assigned the final grades. The case is under consideration by a legal assistant.

This case is reprinted with permission from the cases found at the Center for Ethics in the Professions at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez.