Intellectual Property is defined as all ideas, information, and knowledge that
have been created by human beings. Like physical property, intellectual property
is protected by law. Students’ written work, for example, is protected by
intellectual property rights; as such, faculty may not duplicate or distribute
students’ written work without the student’s permission. Similarly, in-person
and online course content, including lecture notes, spoken recordings, lectures,
directions for online posts, assignments, and learning activities are also
protected from unauthorized use, as is content in all Meridian publications such
as handbooks. Dissertations and clinical case studies cannot receive final
approval or be published if they violate these standards. (See Academic
Integrity policy as well.)
Students may not distribute or sell lecture notes, directions for posts,
assignments, and/or learning activities, or other content from any Meridian
course (in-person or online) or publication. Additionally, students must always
give appropriate and accurate attribution to Meridian faculty and other
theorists in their written work, which is further addressed below.
Teaching and the Distribution of Knowledge
Faculty are encouraged to reference third-party scholarly work in their teaching (both in writing and in class and only as legally permitted) as well as their own scholarly output and the University's curriculum as a whole. When faculty reference their own intellectual property or the University's intellectual property in their teaching, they are not inherently providing any kind of approval or permission for student use of such property. In order to support faculty's freedom to teach and share in academic contexts, the University strongly defends its faculty with regard to intellectual property issues.University Intellectual Property
Meridian University's curriculum is proprietary and may not be duplicated, adapted, or exploited without written approval from Meridian University's Legal Affairs Team. Meridian intellectual property includes all written course content and terminology provided within the Pivot learning platform or by other means unless such content is clearly attributed to a source external to the University. Curriculum provided via class session teaching — whether onsite or via video call — is provided by University faculty based on the University's course outlines and rubrics and is the property of the University. Concepts and principles that are used in the teaching of Meridian courses generally include references to the University's own rubrics, learning outcomes, and other publications. This curricular content is owned by the University and must be regarded as such when it comes to academic reference and business enterprise efforts undertaken by students, faculty, and staff. In addition to curricular property, University intellectual property also includes, but is not limited to, content on the website, the Pivot platform itself as a software application, the content of the Knowledge Base, and the brandmarks, logos, and various wordmarks created by the University.Academic References
Appropriate citation of University curricular content and documents in the context of academic writing for the sole purpose of academic publication is not a breach of this policy. Academic reference of University curriculum must be clearly and conspicuously cited using applicable bibliographic standards appropriate to the means of publication. Prior approval does not need to be sought in order to cite University curriculum in academic publications. However, if the author is concerned that their writing and/or the use of Meridian curriculum in their writing: 1) may not be considered academic writing, 2) may not be considered academic publication, 3) may be for-profit, or 4) may breech confidentiality of student work, they should seek approval. Publication that is related to the author's business purposes (e.g. a for-profit educational enterprise) is not considered academic publication and as such must be approved in writing by Meridian University's Legal Affairs Team, which may delegate such authority to the Student Development Committee in cases involving University students. Unapproved use of University intellectual property for for-profit purposes is a breach of this policy.Seeking Approval
Students or alumni can write to studentservices@meridianuniversity.edu to initiate the Legal Affairs Team's review of their use of University intellectual property.Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws
Failure to comply with copyright and intellectual property laws can result in a variety of consequences. In addition to cease-and-desist letters or lawsuits from copyright holders or companies, students may be subject to federal penalties such as injunctions, federally assessed damages and profits, seizures, forfeitures, recovery of legal costs, and criminal prosecution. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the Website of the U.S. Copyright Office at: https://www.copyright.gov. It is important that students understand the following terms:- Copyright laws and regulations (http://www.copyright.gov).
- Public Domain: For updated information about Public Domain materials, consult the U. S. Copyright Office http://www.copyright.gov.
- Fair Use: Fair Use is not clearly defined and often is only defined
individually in legal cases. The four factors judges consider are:
- The purpose and character of your use
- The nature of the copyrighted work
- The amount and substantiality of the portion taken
- The effect of the use upon the potential market