UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

IP Rights of Minors in School & STEM Innovation Programs

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.2458/azlawjet.8729

Authors

Asi Vetcher

Reported year

2025

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.871945+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:04:47.871945+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Documentary abstract — original language

Is it possible for a child to possess copyrights and intellectual property rights for their creation? Jack Andraka, a high school student from Maryland, developed an innovative paper-based sensor at the age of 15. This sensor can detect pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancer within a span of five minutes and costs as little as three cents. Andraka conducted his research at Johns Hopkins University and has received the Gordon E. Moore award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair as well as the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award. During the 2018 lighting ceremony commemorating the 70th Independence Day of the State of Israel, 15-year-old May Korman had the honor of lighting one of the beacons. May, a high school student from Kiryat Haim, had the honor because of her innovative invention aimed at preventing the occurrence of leaving young children unattended in the rear seat of a vehicle. May’s invention allowed her to light a beacon on Independence Day, a noteworthy and remarkable accomplishment. Is it possible, however, for either May or Jack to officially register their inventions as a patent? Are they eligible for patent rights? Should the invention be successfully commercialized and introduced as a marketable product? Will May and Jack be given the opportunity to benefit from the financial gains and royalties their inventions generate? And what about copyright rights to their creations? Who are the other stakeholders involved in child creations, and do they have rights in the child’s creation process? What if the creation was produced during school hours as part of the child’s educational program with the assistance of a teacher or mentor? This article presents an innovative approach to understanding and addressing the rights associated with inventions created by minors. It delves into the unique challenges and complexities surrounding ownership, control, and protection of intellectual property generated by minors. By exploring legal, ethical, and societal dimensions, the article aims to offer a comprehensive framework that balances the interests of minors, their guardians, and other stakeholders, while also fostering creativity and innovation in younger generations.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W4410553454

DOI

10.2458/azlawjet.8729

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.2458/azlawjet.8729
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W4410553454

Documented bibliographic relations

Source-declared references and links; they do not establish legal support or UGLC qualification. Up to 20 outgoing references are displayed.

• openalex:w6604924771 · CITES

0 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

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