In accordance with the University of Texas System Board of Regents' Rules , the Board (University) does not exert ownership in scholarly works UNLESS it is a scholarly work (i) created by someone who was specifically hired or required to create it or (ii) commissioned by the System or a component institution of System, in either of which cases, Board, not the creator, will own the intellectual property.  Scholarly works include: educational materials, artworks, musical compositions, and dramatic and nondramatic literary works related to the author's academic or professional field, regardless of the medium of expression.  This applies to works authored by students, professionals, faculty, and non-faculty researchers. The Board retains certain rights in these works as set forth in the Policy and Guidelines for Management and Marketing of Copyrighted Works. 

NOTE: Software is NOT considered a scholarly work unless it is integral to the presentation of the content of the scholarly work listed above.  Software is considered an invention and should be disclosed to the University using the Software Disclosure Form.  For questions regarding software refer to the University’s Intellectual Property Handbook, the Regents' Rules, or contact the Office of Technology Transfer.

 The University encourages authors to manage their copyrights carefully.  For more information about copyrightable materials and use, go to the Copyright Crash Course at:
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/IntellectualProperty/cprtindx.htm