Legal — draft
Intellectual Property Notice
Who owns what: inventions, contributions, institutional rights and platform content.
Draft — requires professional legal review before launch
This document is a working draft prepared as part of the IPMeld website build. It has not been reviewed or approved by a qualified legal adviser and must not be relied upon in its current form. All bracketed placeholders require verified information before publication.
Version 1.0 draft · Last updated 2 September 2026 · Governing law: England and Wales [to be confirmed]
1. Your invention remains yours
Ownership of an invention is determined by law, by the circumstances in which it was created, and by any agreement or institutional policy that applies to the inventor. It is not determined by submission to IPMeld.
Neither IPMeld nor Big5 Network Ltd claims ownership of an invention merely because it has been submitted, assessed, summarised or included in a technology package. Any transfer or licence of rights requires a separate written agreement.
2. Employer, institutional and funder rights
Inventions made in the course of employment, during a studentship or placement, using institutional facilities, or under a funded programme are often owned by the employer, institution or funder rather than the individual. Grant conditions may also impose publication, reporting or rights obligations.
Because of this, IPMeld requires an ownership declaration and, where an institution is involved, a confirmed institutional position before a technology can progress towards licensing. Institutional partners can confirm positions and nominate authorised contacts through their workspace.
3. Contributors and inventorship
Inventorship is a legal question and is not the same as authorship or general assistance. IPMeld records every declared contributor and, where a package is assembled from several Submissions, circulates a proposed contributor allocation in writing before any agreement is executed. Allocation records commercial recognition; it does not determine legal inventorship, which is a matter for qualified patent advice.
4. Assembled technology packages
A technology package may combine several independently owned inventions so that an industrial partner can take one coordinated licence. Combining inventions into a package does not merge their ownership. Each underlying right stays with its owner, and the licence structure reflects that.
5. Prior art and freedom to operate
IPMeld may carry out searches as part of assessment. Any search is limited in scope and is not a freedom-to-operate opinion, a validity opinion or a patentability opinion. Formal opinions require a qualified patent attorney and are outside the scope of Platform assessment unless separately agreed in writing.
6. IPMeld brand and platform content
The IPMELD name, wordmark, logo, diagrams, page designs and code are used by or licensed to Big5 Network Ltd [to be confirmed]. IPMeld is a working brand name subject to company-name, domain and trade mark clearance. No licence to use the marks is granted by access to this website.
7. Third-party rights and takedown
If you believe material on the Platform infringes your intellectual property rights, contact [email protected] with details of the right, the material and the basis of your claim. We will review and, where appropriate, remove or amend the material.
8. Not legal or patent advice
This notice is general information, not legal or patent advice, and does not create an attorney or adviser relationship. Take independent professional advice before making decisions about your intellectual property.
Contact
Questions about this document should be directed to the IPMeld team:
Big5 Network Ltd
167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor
London, England, W1W 5PF
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0) 203 576 6565
Email: [email protected]
Website: ipmeld.com
IPMeld is a project promoted and supported by Big5 Network Ltd. IPMeld is a working brand name subject to company-name, domain and trade mark clearance.