Disclaimers

Horn Entrepreneurship maintains full discretion over the selection process and all funding and in-kind service associated with the Summer Founders program, including grant amounts, terms and conditions. Summer Founders includes open session presentations and external review of business concepts. Participation is voluntary, and as such, participants are responsible for determining whether to disclose proprietary or sensitive information. The University of Delaware assumes no liability for accidental or voluntary disclosures of proprietary information or intellectual property.

Ownership of IP

You own any intellectual property (i.e., patents, hardware, algorithms, copyrights) you bring to the Summer Founders program. IP developed through the process of Summer Founders, business model testing and customer development etc. is shared equally among the members of the team (unless the team agrees to an alternative sharing agreement prior to the collaborative development of the IP). If the team is working with University of Delaware owned IP (i.e., research being conducted by one of the team members or a UD patent), you MUST check with the University’s Technology Transfer Office to better understand licensing issues.

Concerns about idea sharing

If you feel your idea may become real, you should discuss intellectual property rights with your team from the beginning. If you can’t come to an agreement with the team, you will need to join another team, pick another project, or drop out of Summer Founders.

Non-disclosures

Summer Founders is an open program. There are no non-disclosures among students, faculty, mentors, advisors or any assisting outside party. Please keep in mind that ideas are best viewed as liabilities, rather than assets, because there are significant costs associated with pursuing them (in terms of time & money). Also, initial ideas seldom prove successful; most companies succeed because the process of learning, discovery, and execution shapes an initial idea that is mostly wrong into something that people actually want to use. This process requires willingness to share your ideas openly with peers and others. 

International Students

International students on F-1 and J-1 visas are strongly encouraged to discuss any entrepreneurship, start-up, or volunteer opportunities with the Center for Global Programs and Services prior to accepting the position. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security restricts certain practical training options (whether paid or unpaid) for F-1 and J-1 students unless they have prior authorization from the government. Please note that even if an international student is not being paid or is volunteering, they may still require authorization.

If you are an F-1 or J-1 international student considering work, volunteering, self-employment, or start-up ventures (even if they are part of a class project or as part of your program of study), please contact an immigration advisor at CGPS to discuss your options and requirements for maintaining status in the U.S. Additional information can be found on the CGPS Employment page.