Terms and conditions
This wiki page is currently for discussion only, and does not represent confirmed policy.
Preface
Each client and design brief is unique, and there is no intention to impose uniformity through regulation. Responding to the specific needs of a particular client and/or brief is an integral part of the group design project course. This is expected to include negotiation between the team and client over technical requirements, in order to complete the project within the allocated time budget.
If a client, or any member of a team, is concerned that others are acting unreasonably, the first port of call should be the group project coordinators (via the address group-project@cl.cam.ac.uk). The coordinators are completely happy to offer advice or assistance, or if necessary, arbitrate where negotiations have broken down.
Parties
In each project, the parties to any discussion of terms and conditions are the students who are members of that team, the client, who may be acting on behalf of an employer or other body, and the Computer Laboratory, represented by the group project coordinators. Any discussion of issues relating to terms and conditions below should include all of these parties.
During the course of the group design project course, from the kick-off meeting until the end of the public demonstration, the members of the team are those assigned to that project by the group project organisers. After the completion of the project, all members of the team who have received an individual tick will continue to be recognised as members of the team. Any member who has not received an individual tick may also be included in further discussion, but at the discretion of the other members.
Framework for Intellectual Property
University of Cambridge policy is that individual students hold the copyright in their own work. The group design project does not constitute creative work undertaken for payment, so it can be assumed that students also own this copyright in their own work.
Nevertheless, since this is a group project, all students are expected to make their own contribution available to other members of the group. We recommend that, if the work of the group is to be published, this should be done under an open source licence. The group may choose otherwise if they agree to do so.
It is recognised that all parties - the client, the members of the team, and the Computer Laboratory - have contributed background IP to the project. Rights to background IP remains with the original owner.
Promotional activities
It is generally beneficial to all parties to publicise the work achieved in the design projects. This may include press releases or promotional literature from clients, personal portfolios from CVs for students, and outreach literature and events from the Computer Laboratory. All parties should be informed in advance of any promotional activity. The activity should only continue if all parties agree to this use. It is hoped that team members may be available to participate in promotional activities after the project is complete, but there is no obligation for them to do so. They should not be expected to suffer any financial penalty (eg forgoing paid work) or academic (eg conflict with other course requirements).
Other sections to be completed
- use of open source code (I suggest unrestricted, including use of GPL)
- subsequent use of code by team members (I suggest non-exclusive use for non-commercial purposes by any member)
- employment of group members by client
- commercial development by the team (I suggest that partnership in directly related commercial activity should be offered to whole team as equal partners, subject to members having received both ticks. Client may be offered a commercial stake, but team may decide not to do this).
- protection of client confidential information
