Intellectual Property Aspects of Socio-Economic Research

Socio-economic research creates intellectual property and is itself based on intellectual property. The rules concerning intellectual property rights should always be kept in mind when conducting any kind of socio-economic research.

The guidelines in this report should enable those concerned with socio-economic research to take an overview of the rights at stake, and how to take them into account. By identifying possibly protected material as the source or result of any particular research activity, a researcher should be able to determine whether or not questions of intellectual property are involved.

These principles are governed by EU and Member States legislation. A researcher who works within the limits of legislation will therefore show full respect for intellectual property.

These guidelines are designed to help researchers to respect intellectual property, and are therefore based on these regulations.