Intellectual Property Policy

The 2030 Climate Challenge is cognizant that fast-evolving technological advances are impacting the manner and method by which knowledge in whatever form can be protected and distributed and the 2030 Climate Challenge will evaluate the proposed solution in light of this understanding. This guidance articulates the principles guiding the 2030 Climate Challenge approach to the ownership and use of Grant Work Product.

Guidance

The 2030 Climate Challenge's policy is to ensure that use of the Grant Work Product furthers charitable purposes and benefits the public. To that end, the 2030 Climate Challenge seeks prompt and broad dissemination or availability of the Grant Work Product at minimal cost to the public or, when justified, at a reasonable price. Distribution at a reasonable price may be justified when integral to the business plan and sustainability of a charitable organization or when the 2030 Climate Challenge is satisfied that net revenues derived from the distribution will be used for charitable purposes.

• Grant Work Product should, whenever feasible, be licensed under a Creative Commons license appropriate for the circumstances or other similar scheme that provides for wide distribution or access to the public.
• Software created with grant funds should be ordinarily licensed under an open source license.
• The 2030 Climate Challenge also expects openness in research and freedom of access to research results and, when feasible, to the underlying data by persons with a serious interest in the research. This means that grant-funded impact studies should generally be registered in a field-appropriate registry, preferably before data are collected or at least before statistical analyses are performed.

The 2030 Climate Challenge recognizes there may be circumstances where limited or delayed dissemination of Grant Work Product, delayed or non-registration of impact studies, or limited or delayed access to data may be appropriate to protect legitimate interests of the grantee, other funders, principal investigators or participants in research studies. Such circumstances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Ownership of intellectual property rights (including copyright and patent rights) should not be used to limit or deny access to the Grant Work Product, to result in exclusive use of such Grant Work Product, or to create revenue that is not used substantially for charitable purposes. Copyright to or patent rights in the Grant Work Product will ordinarily remain with the grantee, but the 2030 Climate Challenge will be granted a no-cost assignable license to use or publish the Grant Work Product consistent with this Policy. The 2030 Climate Challenge may forego or limit the requirement of a license if the 2030 Climate Challenge is reasonably satisfied that other appropriate arrangements will be implemented that will assure the goals of this Policy.

In all instances, the 2030 Climate Challenge will agree to suitable terms at the time a grant is made based on the facts to ensure the aforementioned objectives are met while respecting appropriate interests of others.