GatorEye intellectual property
Data:
The GatorEye program is non-commercial and uniquely provides data access through the GatorEye Download Portal and subject to the provided standard GatorEye Terms and Conditions. GatorEye data and products, which are valuable intellectual property, are fully owned SPECLab at the University of Florida and managed exclusively by the GatorEye co-directors, regardless of funding source, amount, or logistical support related to data collection and processing efforts. Collaborations using a GatorEye system for data collection and/or resulting data and products require a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed license agreement between the collaborator and GatorEye Co-Director prior to commencement of any research activities using GatorEye data. The standard license core legal verbiage is as follows: "a non-exclusive, royalty-free, 5-year, non-sublicensable license ** to use GatorEye data and products for the pre-approved research activities listed below. Pre-approved research activities are: ______________". The MOU document is provided following discussion and approval of the proposed collaboration (s).
Workflows:
The fusion of academic research and commercial sectors, especially in engineering, aerospace, and sensor technologies, necessitates a nuanced approach to intellectual property (IP) and data sharing. GatorEye's complex processing workflows, developed through extensive academic-commercial partnerships, embody this principle. Due to proprietary information and formal and informal agreements with commercial and non-commercial entities, these workflows cannot be shared. This practice of maintaining confidentiality, far from being restrictive, is essential for safeguarding collaborative innovation. Legally, the protection of IP underpins the trust and investment between academic institutions and their partners. It is a strategic necessity, ensuring that innovations—often the result of significant time and financial investment—remain secure and generate value. This approach is standard across various sectors, not just in specialized fields like aerospace but also in commonly used software and methodologies such as Microsoft Excel, JMP, SAS, AutoCAD, Bentley, Leica CloudWorx for TLS, Phoenix SpatialExplorer, Headwall SpectralView (e.g., required to process any/all Nano drone hyperspectral data), Inertial Explorer (e.g., required to generate most drone or aircraft lidar point clouds), Pix4D, Agisoft, Mission Planner, Google Earth Engine, ENVI + IDL, LASTools, Global Mapper, eCognition, or ArcGIS, among thousands that are commonly used, and with many of these provided to researchers at UF, for example, through institutional licensing agreements for education and research purposes. These tools, pivotal in advancing their respective domains, illustrate the widespread acceptance of proprietary development as a driver of progress, and in fact, it would be near impossible to identify any research that does not incorporate critical non-open-source proprietary software and hardware, which is the global norm. For example, very widely used NEON AOP surface reflectance imagery product incorporates internal processing workflows using ATCOR proprietary commercial software, and thus of similar transparency, or, for example, the widely used PlanetScope reflectance imagery does not provide access to code workflows, but does provide an overview of their approach, similar to that that provided for GatorEye products. Moreover, this model is notably different from research areas that rely on basic data types, like forest census studies, where open data sharing is more feasible and encouraged. In contrast, the higher-stakes, innovation-driven environments of aerospace and sensor technology demand a more guarded approach to IP and data dissemination. The academic world, including institutions like the University of Florida (UFL), encourages and often generates commercial startups from within its research labs, highlighting the high value of UF intellectual property. See UF Innovate for such an example. This ecosystem, where new technologies and companies emerge, relies on the legal and strategic protection of IP. Such protection is not only about maintaining a competitive edge but also about fostering an environment where innovation can thrive securely. In summary, while some fields benefit from open-source models, the complex, high-value nature of academic-commercial partnerships in engineering and technology development inherently requires a different approach. Protecting IP through 'non-transparent' practices ensures the safety and potential of innovations, aligning with legal standards and fostering a culture of trust and investment that is crucial for advancing these critical fields.
Data:
The GatorEye program is non-commercial and uniquely provides data access through the GatorEye Download Portal and subject to the provided standard GatorEye Terms and Conditions. GatorEye data and products, which are valuable intellectual property, are fully owned SPECLab at the University of Florida and managed exclusively by the GatorEye co-directors, regardless of funding source, amount, or logistical support related to data collection and processing efforts. Collaborations using a GatorEye system for data collection and/or resulting data and products require a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed license agreement between the collaborator and GatorEye Co-Director prior to commencement of any research activities using GatorEye data. The standard license core legal verbiage is as follows: "a non-exclusive, royalty-free, 5-year, non-sublicensable license ** to use GatorEye data and products for the pre-approved research activities listed below. Pre-approved research activities are: ______________". The MOU document is provided following discussion and approval of the proposed collaboration (s).
Workflows:
The fusion of academic research and commercial sectors, especially in engineering, aerospace, and sensor technologies, necessitates a nuanced approach to intellectual property (IP) and data sharing. GatorEye's complex processing workflows, developed through extensive academic-commercial partnerships, embody this principle. Due to proprietary information and formal and informal agreements with commercial and non-commercial entities, these workflows cannot be shared. This practice of maintaining confidentiality, far from being restrictive, is essential for safeguarding collaborative innovation. Legally, the protection of IP underpins the trust and investment between academic institutions and their partners. It is a strategic necessity, ensuring that innovations—often the result of significant time and financial investment—remain secure and generate value. This approach is standard across various sectors, not just in specialized fields like aerospace but also in commonly used software and methodologies such as Microsoft Excel, JMP, SAS, AutoCAD, Bentley, Leica CloudWorx for TLS, Phoenix SpatialExplorer, Headwall SpectralView (e.g., required to process any/all Nano drone hyperspectral data), Inertial Explorer (e.g., required to generate most drone or aircraft lidar point clouds), Pix4D, Agisoft, Mission Planner, Google Earth Engine, ENVI + IDL, LASTools, Global Mapper, eCognition, or ArcGIS, among thousands that are commonly used, and with many of these provided to researchers at UF, for example, through institutional licensing agreements for education and research purposes. These tools, pivotal in advancing their respective domains, illustrate the widespread acceptance of proprietary development as a driver of progress, and in fact, it would be near impossible to identify any research that does not incorporate critical non-open-source proprietary software and hardware, which is the global norm. For example, very widely used NEON AOP surface reflectance imagery product incorporates internal processing workflows using ATCOR proprietary commercial software, and thus of similar transparency, or, for example, the widely used PlanetScope reflectance imagery does not provide access to code workflows, but does provide an overview of their approach, similar to that that provided for GatorEye products. Moreover, this model is notably different from research areas that rely on basic data types, like forest census studies, where open data sharing is more feasible and encouraged. In contrast, the higher-stakes, innovation-driven environments of aerospace and sensor technology demand a more guarded approach to IP and data dissemination. The academic world, including institutions like the University of Florida (UFL), encourages and often generates commercial startups from within its research labs, highlighting the high value of UF intellectual property. See UF Innovate for such an example. This ecosystem, where new technologies and companies emerge, relies on the legal and strategic protection of IP. Such protection is not only about maintaining a competitive edge but also about fostering an environment where innovation can thrive securely. In summary, while some fields benefit from open-source models, the complex, high-value nature of academic-commercial partnerships in engineering and technology development inherently requires a different approach. Protecting IP through 'non-transparent' practices ensures the safety and potential of innovations, aligning with legal standards and fostering a culture of trust and investment that is crucial for advancing these critical fields.
