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Perhaps after proving it was indeed his original idea with the documentation and date of his class research project that the professors’ are capitalizing on, it would give them opportunity to make amends and provide compensation to Frederick. Then if he was met hostility, would advise Frederick to appeal to the COFFS Dean of Students with his case or register a grievance with the professors As we have read in our text, most businesses have a code of conduct established, if not a code of ethics. His professors are under the authority of the university and subject to such a code.
One WOUld hope that given it’s a university, infringement on intellectual property should be addressed there and consequences or course of action explained. I know LIZ has a code of honor as a Christian university and has a higher standard than most public universities. So, I did some research. I found that found that the University of Mary Washington, a liberal arts institution’s employee handbook does indeed define and address intellectual property including that of staff, students and visitors. They define it to be “any property to which the owner holds a patent or copyright or which may be insider to be patentable or copyrightable. ( University of Mary Washington Faculty Handbook Section 4. 4. 2 ) They go on to state that this includes inventions with the exception of inventions developed as a part of a university assignment. I would advise Frederick to file suit only after pursuing justice within the confines of the university first. I would encourage him to examine his heart to make sure he was seeking justice and not vengeance; to trust the Lord. As God gave him the idea in the first place, God can certainly give him another, better one.