Frequently Asked Questions

Intellectual property rights refer to a set of rights that protect human thought and creativity. These rights enable their owner to exclusively control, exploit, and use their intellectual property in the face of all others for a certain period according to the law. Intellectual property rights are divided into industrial property rights and literary and artistic property rights.

• Industrial Property Rights:
  • Patents
  • Designs of integrated circuits
  • Industrial designs
  • Plant varieties
  • Trademarks
  • Geographical indications
  • Trade secrets
• Literary and Artistic Property Rights:
  • Copyright
  • Related rights

Patent

• Invention: An idea that the inventor reaches, resulting in a solution to a specific problem in the field of technology.
• Inventor: Any person who creates a solution to a specific technical problem, either individually or in collaboration with others.
• Patent: An official document granted by the administrative authority to the inventor, giving them the exclusive right to commercially exploit their invention for a certain period.
• Protection period: Twenty years from the filing date.

Industrial Designs

• Industrial Design: A combination of lines or colors in two dimensions or a three-dimensional shape that gives a particular appearance to a product.
• Protection period: Fifteen years from the filing date.

Trademarks

• Trademark: A distinctive sign used to distinguish products or services from others.
• Protection period: Ten years, renewable.

Plant Varieties

• Plant Variety: A plant grouping with specific genetic characteristics.
• Protection period: Twenty years, and for trees and vines, twenty-five years.

Trade Secrets

• Trade Secrets: Information of economic value used in business and kept confidential.
• Protection period: Indefinite as long as the information remains secret.

Copyright

• Copyright: A set of moral and material interests that a person has over their work.
• Protection period: The lifetime of the author and 50 years after their death.

Computer Programs

The World Intellectual Property Organization defines computer programs as "a set of instructions that, when transferred to a readable device, allow the machine to perform a specific task."

Databases

Original databases are protected due to the selection and arrangement of their contents as intellectual creations.

New Application

A new application refers to a computer program designed to achieve specific results and is used on various devices like desktop computers, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, the internet, or other platforms for its intended purpose.

The Intellectual Property Policies document at King Saud University is based on University Council Resolution No. (18/1/42) from its first session for the academic year 1442H, held on 21/01/1442H.

A person is considered a contributor to intellectual property rights (e.g., an invention, design, or original work) in the following cases:

• If the subject of the right is a collaborative work between multiple persons, the right is shared equally unless agreed otherwise.
• The contribution must be substantive and innovative to qualify as a joint author or inventor. Mere assistance in executing the work does not qualify as a contribution to the intellectual property right.
• Contributions that do not qualify as joint authorship include:
  • Providing a general idea, suggestion, or guidance without a concrete method of implementation.
  • Making a trivial contribution that does not involve actual innovation.
  • Merely following instructions or directions given by others.
  • Providing financial support or resources needed for execution, such as machinery or laboratories.

Promising innovative ideas refer to activities that involve the creation or development of a product to improve quality, reduce costs, or enhance performance, and/or the creation or development of a mechanism for producing raw materials for a specific product, and/or the creation or development of IT applications for existing or new services.

The default rule is that if the subject of the intellectual property right is a collaborative work between multiple persons, the right is shared equally unless agreed otherwise.

The contribution percentage for the invention or any other intellectual property rights is determined through agreement between the creator of the right and the contributors.

King Saud University owns all intellectual property rights created by its employees or students, provided that the intellectual property resulted from one of the following situations:

• If the intellectual property was created as a result of a task assigned by the university, under university supervision and management.
• If the intellectual property was developed using the university's resources and facilities.
• If the intellectual property was created during the individual's employment or studies at the university, in the same professional field they belong to.
• If the intellectual property resulted from participation in research programs, chairs, centers of excellence, or agreements with third parties.

The depositor may own the intellectual property rights in the following situations:

• If the permanent supervisory committee rejects the registration application, unless the rejection is due to negligence or deliberate failure by the applicant.
• If the depositor developed the intellectual property before joining the university.
• If the depositor proves that they developed the intellectual property entirely by their own efforts, without any financial, technical, or material support from the university.
• If the university waives its rights to the depositor.

The depositor enjoys all moral rights recognized under applicable laws in Saudi Arabia. The university's ownership of intellectual property rights does not affect the depositor's right to be credited as the creator of the work, use it in research, conferences, or for academic promotion, or to be nominated for awards, if applicable.

The ownership of intellectual property rights resulting from agreements, contracts, or funded programs with other entities is subject to the terms and conditions agreed upon with those entities, including any revenue-sharing arrangements.

As an inventor, your role includes the following steps:

• Disclosure of the innovative idea: Submit the disclosure through the Knowledge Management System (KMS) and ensure all required details are provided.
• Screening and evaluation: The disclosure is evaluated by specialized scientific committees based on criteria such as the originality of the idea, its potential for development, and its commercial viability.
• Protection eligibility: A preliminary search is conducted to assess the patentability of the disclosed technology.
• Development: The Technology Development and Prototyping Center manages the process of converting the technology into a prototype, following specific conditions for each technology.
• Marketing: Participate in conferences, presentations, and investor meetings to seek funding opportunities.
• Support and development: Provide technical support to investors and use feedback to improve the invention.

Please review King Saud University's Intellectual Property Policies document for more details, or seek advice from intellectual property specialists at the Entrepreneurship Institute.

Disclosure is made through the Knowledge Management System (KMS) platform via this link: [KMS].

Disclosing through the KMS platform is essential as it is the official platform at King Saud University for managing the disclosure of innovative ideas and inventions. It ensures that your idea is evaluated securely while facilitating communication between specialists and innovators.

Disclosures should be made well in advance of any public disclosure to allow the Technology Transfer Office to take the necessary steps to protect potential intellectual property. Premature public disclosure may result in losing intellectual property protection rights.

Public disclosure refers to sharing information about an invention in a non-confidential manner, allowing anyone with ordinary skill in the field to replicate it. Common forms include:

• Publishing in scientific journals
• Conference presentations (lectures, poster sessions)
• Research abstracts
• Publicly accessible university seminars

The main procedures include:

• Register as a new user or log in – Select “Disclosure of an Innovative Idea or Invention.”
• Complete personal details and contributor information.
• Provide a detailed description of the technology, including previous work and how your invention improves upon it.
• Submit the disclosure form.
• Contributors will be notified via email to review and approve the disclosure.
• Once approved by all contributors, the submission goes through several stages of evaluation, development, and potential protection requests.

Here are the protection procedures and program ownership:

• The Entrepreneurship Institute handles the registration of software at the competent authority in Saudi Arabia.
• The submission is done through the Knowledge Management System (KMS) by selecting [Innovative Idea Development].
• Complete the required personal information and the details of the contributors and their contribution percentages.
• Complete the detailed information about the work being disclosed and attach a file containing the full source code in PDF format.
• King Saud University owns all works created by its employees as the rights holder. However, the creator of the work remains the author and enjoys all moral rights granted by applicable laws.

No, King Saud University owns all software and computer programs created by its affiliates. Any commercial exploitation or distribution of these works must be handled solely by the University.

For more information, guidance, and advice, you can contact the Technology Transfer Office at the Entrepreneurship Institute.

In case of commercial exploitation or monetization of intellectual property, the financial return is distributed, after the university's approval, between the university and the depositor according to the Intellectual Property Policies at King Saud University as follows:

1. Intellectual property expenses and any other legal costs are deducted according to the Intellectual Property Policies at King Saud University.
2. The remaining financial rights are distributed as follows:
   • The intellectual property depositor receives 60%.
   • The Entrepreneurship Institute receives 20%.
   • The depositor's college receives 10%.
   • 10% is transferred to the University's Research Savings Fund.

If the depositor is not affiliated with the university or developed the intellectual property independently:

In this case, the remaining financial rights, after the deduction mentioned above, are distributed as follows:

1. The intellectual property depositor receives 60%.
2. The Entrepreneurship Institute receives 20%.
3. The University's endowments receive 10%.
4. 10% is transferred to the University's Research Savings Fund.