In DE, intellectual property refers to the product or result of human knowledge, ideas, and creative activities including but not limited to multimedia, software, or web content of their design or development; instructional materials such as lecture notes, syllabi, student exercises, quizzes and exams; films, video, or audio recordings.

There are four basic categories in determining ownership of intellectual property in academia; for the first two, IP should remain with the faculty member, and for the last two, IP should be clearly negotiated:

1. works created by individual initiative and effort, in the normal course of employment of a faculty or staff member

2. works created with nominal support from the college (resources regularly available to all faculty and staff members)

3. works created with substantial support from the college
   (resources not regularly available to all faculty and staff members)

4. works created specifically as commissioned or sponsored by the college (works for hire)