Generally speaking, intellectual property rights, among other things, refer to novel information and ideas that the law protects. It means the material or communicable result of scientific, humanistic, literary, and artistic effort. It includes, but is not limited to, works in the forms of copyrights, designs, inventions, discoveries, trademarks, formulae, processes, computer software, drawings and sculptures, journal articles, and conference presentations.

Intellectual Property created by RPg students in the course of their studies at PolyU shall be owned by PolyU if the RPg student:

• receives financial support from PolyU in the form of wages, salary, Postgraduate Scholarship, Teaching Postgraduate Studentship or other assistantship for undertaking his/her studies or research in PolyU;
• makes material use of PolyU’s resources for his/her research work;
• receives material guidance and intellectual input from PolyU’s staff for his/her research work; or
• if his/her research work is funded by a grant to PolyU or to him/her by virtue of his/her studies with PolyU.

RPg students should not, therefore, make the claim that they own the intellectual property of the research works in their theses or in other publications that resulted from their research works.

More details are available at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ar/students-in-taught-programmes/student-handbook/.