Welcome to the Extreme Entrepreneurship & Innovation Accelerator - Summer Program. This document serves as a comprehensive guide for all participants, outlining principles and guidelines that govern engagement, collaboration, idea development, team dynamics, and intellectual property within the program. Your commitment to these standards ensures a productive, respectful, and innovative environment.

EIA's Role and Responsibilities

• Facilitation: EIA is dedicated to creating a conducive environment for learning and innovation.
• Non-Intervention: EIA will not intervene in disputes related to idea ownership or intellectual property (IP) rights among participants.
• Liability: EIA is not liable for conflicts regarding idea ownership or IP issues. Participants are encouraged to resolve these independently or seek external legal counsel.

General Conduct

• Respect and Professionalism: Treat all participants, mentors, and staff respectfully, embracing diversity and inclusivity. Violations of the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, up to and including removal from the program without a refund, and, for serious violations of local laws, informing the authorities.
• Collaboration: Actively engage with your team and the EIA community to share knowledge and support mutual growth.
• Confidentiality: Respect the confidentiality of discussions, personal details, business ideas, and intellectual property within your team and the program.

Team Formation and Dynamics

• Diverse Teams: Teams will consist of members from different academic, cultural, and professional backgrounds. No more than two participants from the same university or startup may join the same team.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Assign team roles (e.g., CEO, CTO, CMO, etc.) based on skills and interests to ensure balanced project development.

Intellectual Property and Team Agreements

• Intellectual Property refers to legal protections granted for creations of the mind that are legally protected by intellectual property laws, granting exclusive rights to the creators. Here are the main types of IP:
  • Patents: Protect tangible inventions and innovations in technology or processes.
  • Trademarks: Protect brand identifiers like logos and slogans that distinguish goods or services.
  • Copyrights: Protect the expression of ideas, such as writings, music, and art.
  • Trade Secrets: Protect confidential business information that provides a competitive edge.

An important distinction is that intellectual property does not protect mere ideas or concepts themselves. Instead, IP protects the expression or implementation of ideas. For example, an idea for a novel isn't protected until it is written, nor is an invention idea protected until it is physically created or described in a way that it can be made.

• IP Declaration: Clearly communicate any existing formal ownership of ideas/IP during team formation or upon joining a team.
• Formalizing Expectations: Those owning IP rights must clearly state and formalize their expectations and agreements via a simple written agreement (e.g., email) acknowledged by all team members.

• Protection of Ideas: Participants are encouraged to understand and utilize appropriate mechanisms for protecting intellectual property as relevant.
• IP Agreements: Teams working on projects with potential commercial outcomes should consider formal agreements, drafted with legal guidance, to clarify IP ownership, roles, and revenue sharing.
• Suggested Agreement Template for Team Members: Below is a basic template for team members to formalize their agreement regarding idea ownership, project contributions, and conflict resolution. This is merely a suggestion, and EIA does not provide legal counseling. Participants are advised to seek independent legal advice if uncertainties or disputes arise.
• Team Agreement Template:

• Project Title:
• Team Members:
• Date:
• Idea/Project Description: Briefly describe the tangible expressions of your ideas.
• Ownership and Contributions: Specify the ownership rights of initial ideas and subsequent developments.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Outline each team member's roles within the project.
• Expectations and Compensation: Detail expectations regarding compensation or rewards for contributions.
• Dispute Resolution: Agree on a process for resolving disputes regarding the project.
• Signatures: Each team member should sign, acknowledging their understanding and consent.

Idea and Project Development, Ownership & Fair Contribution

• Idea Ownership: Ideas introduced to the program by individuals or groups remain their intellectual property. Contributions that evolve from these ideas during the program are considered collective efforts and are jointly owned by the team members involved unless specified otherwise.
• Idea Sharing and Development: Participants are encouraged to share and develop ideas openly within the program. Mutual respect for the origin of ideas and contributions is paramount.
• Shared Ownership: All projects developed during the EIA program are owned jointly by the team members unless explicitly stated and agreed otherwise in advance. This clause reinforces the program's collaborative spirit and shared responsibility for project outcomes.
• Fair Expectations: It is unfair to expect individuals to contribute to a project based on someone else's idea without compensation or mutual agreement. Participants are responsible for reaching an understanding regarding 

Conflict Resolution & Support

• Open Communication: Address conflicts or disagreements within the team openly and respectfully, seeking common ground.
• Mediation: Should conflicts not be resolvable internally, parties should seek mediation from EIA mentors or organizers.

• EIA Support: While EIA cannot take responsibility for resolving conflicts related to IP or ownership, it commits to providing support to participants by facilitating mediation and offering guidance. EIA aims to assist in finding amicable solutions but does not hold liability for the outcomes.
• Self-Resolution: Ultimately, team members are solely responsible for reaching an agreement, changing groups, or altering project direction if necessary. EIA encourages open communication and mediation as the first step in resolving disputes.

External Communications and Publications

• EIA Materials: Use of EIA branding or materials in external communications requires prior approval from EIA organizers.

Compliance with EIA Policies

• Adherence to Policies: Participation in the EIA program requires compliance with all relevant EIA policies, including the Rules of Engagement, Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, and Terms & Conditions outlined in the provided documents:
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accommodation Terms & Conditions
  • Code of Conduct

Disciplinary Actions

• Violations of Rules: Non-compliance with these rules may result in disciplinary action, up to and including removal from the program, at the discretion of EIA organizers.

Conclusion

This document is designed to ensure a fair, respectful, and productive environment for all EIA participants. By adhering to these guidelines, we can collectively foster an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship that respects individual contributions while promoting collaborative success.

Contact us

For questions, reach us at:

Website: www.inacademy.eu
E-mail: info@inacademy.eu

Effective from: March 2024