A new policy endorsed by the Faculty Assembly Wednesday to patent inventions by members of the NIU community will give the inventor first rights in the use of the invention.

Larry Sill, a member of the president’s commission to develop a patent and copyright policy for NIU, said this policy is advantageous to the inventor because it gives him first rights unless external funding is used. This policy is unusual because most universities in the country give the university ownership of the invention if the inventor uses any of its facilities to develop it, he said.

e said with this policy, royalties from an invention are distributed among the inventor, the department in which he worked and the university research foundation. One-third of the royalties will go to each party, he said.

All members of the university community, including students, can take advantage of this policy, Sill said.

The policy was endorsed by the assembly and will go straight to the University Council for approval because there was no opposition expressed by the assembly, Sill said.

Sill said the policy is advantageous because it will be consistent with the copyright policy the committee is working to develop. Sill said the copyright policy will give the author the first right of their work.

Currently, NIU does not have a copyright policy, Sill said. The patent policy, which has been in effect since 1985, was approved by the NIU president on an interim basis. “It is appropriate to have a faculty-approved policy,” Sill said.