Without quorum present, faculty endorse new intellectual property policy

After contentious debate lasting more than an hour, the faculty voted 33-22 at its Tuesday meeting in favor of a resolution endorsing a new policy on patents, inventions and copyrights - but the result might have been illegitimate because procedure at the faculty meeting appeared to violate faculty rules.At issue was whether the University should be able to claim rights to inventions and discoveries made by professors while away from Brown and without University funding, such as during summers, breaks, sabbaticals and in independent consulting projects.Sixty-four professors were present for the vote - short of the required quorum of 100 voting faculty members. In a last-ditch effort to block the passage of the resolution after it passed a faculty vote, opponents quickly pointed out that a quorum was not present. But the meeting's parliamentarian, Professor of Engineering Peter Richardson, said that a quorum is assumed unless a count is first requested. Because a request for a count was not made before the vote, Richardson said the passing vote was legitimate.With Richardson's assertion, the meeting continued to other business.

Full Story: http://www.browndailyherald.com/news/2005/04/06/CampusNews/Without.Quorum.Present.Faculty.Endorse.New.Intellectual.Property.Policy-914268.shtml