Intellectual Property (IP) Policy for ISA

Purpose

This policy summarizes the rights and responsibilities regarding intellectual property created, owned, used, or disseminated by the International Society of Automation, ensuring that its intellectual property is protected, managed and properly utilized. This policy will be enforced in ways consistent with applicable law.

Scope

This policy applies to all works of the Society including the development of standards, technical guidelines, technical reports, recommended practices, training courses, certification materials, publications, events, papers, and other activities under the auspices of the Society (“Society materials”). Such work creates copyright, trademark and other possible intellectual property rights held by the Society.

Contributor Obligations

Contributors are any individual or group, including Society Sections, involved in creating or contributing to the intellectual property of the Society, whether paid or unpaid.

For any materials contributed as part of the development process for Society materials, contributors agree to either:

Assign all copyright; or
Enter into a license agreement acceptable to the ISA CEO. This must be signed prior to submission to or incorporation into Society materials. Failure to do so will result in automatic assignment of copyright.

The Society may choose to credit contributors for their work, where appropriate, but that credit does not imply any ownership rights in the Contributor.

Contributors shall use reasonable due diligence to ensure that their contributions contain no intellectual property owned by other persons or entities and to report to the Society any subsequent discovery of third-party owned intellectual property previously incorporated into Society materials.

IP Registration, Licensing and Protection

ISA registers copyright for significant works, such as standards, publications, reports, and digital content.

ISA registers trademarks for its name, logo, and any unique programs or services. For information on the proper use of the ISA brand or any other trademarked material, refer to the Brand, Reputation, and Public Interest Policy.

ISA has sole authority to license the use of its intellectual property. A Contributor or any other person or organization, including Society groups, must request, in writing to the CEO, to use ISA intellectual property. ISA does not permit the use of its intellectual property absent a written agreement.

Ownership

ISA owns the copyright for all works produced by the Society with the Society or any of the Society’s subsidiaries. Drafts, proposals, or works-in-progress are considered confidential and shall not be shared or utilized in any way except for its original purpose without written permission from ISA CEO.

Presentations created for ISA events or activities include a perpetual, royalty-free and irrevocable license for ISA to use, copy, publish, and distribute any presentation materials, in whole or in part, unless explicitly stated otherwise in an agreement between the presenter and the Society prior to the activity.

Any derivative works, including translations, are the intellectual property of ISA.

ISA Sections

As Society affiliates, ISA sections may use certain ISA trademarks in their normal operations and may, with the Society’s approval, develop additional intellectual property under the Society’s auspices. Ownership of all such intellectual property remains, however, with the Society. If the section ceases to exist for any reason, the ownership of all intellectual property remains with ISA. ISA may, in its sole discretion, revoke a section’s right to use any Society intellectual property.

Distribution and Publication

ISA has the exclusive right to use, modify, publish, sell, and distribute any products, drafts, proposals, or works in progress created using Society resources or done so in the Society’s name.

Standards, Technical Reports and Recommended Practices

Standards, technical reports and recommended practices will be distributed under terms determined by ISA. Contributors and committee members shall not present, use, publish, or distribute any portion of the content, including drafts, without written authorization from the ISA CEO.

Training

Training materials are for the sole use of course attendees. Notes and materials shall not be shared or distributed in any way. Contributors to the development of course materials and course instructors shall not, without authorization from the ISA CEO, prepare any material for use in any competitive work.

Publications

Articles, books, papers and other content created on behalf of ISA will be distributed as determined appropriate by the Society. Authors and contributors shall not present, use, publish, or distribute any portion of the content, including drafts, without written authorization from the ISA CEO.

AI Tools

Under no circumstances shall any ISA material, whether draft or final, be uploaded into or shared with any AI tool for dissemination, consolidation, summarization, proofreading, or creation of derivative works without written permission from the ISA CEO. Permission from the individual author or contributor is NOT sufficient. Please refer to the policy on the Use of AI Tools in ISA Activities.

Infringement

ISA is authorized to pursue any situations in which the Society’s intellectual property is infringed. This may include support from legal counsel, cease and desist notices, litigation, code of conduct violations, or other disciplinary action determined appropriate for the severity of the infringement.

Approved October 2025

Key Points

Notice: The material contained in this sidebar is non-binding and not part of the Intellectual Property Policy. It is meant to provide some points of interest and clarification, and does not represent an interpretation of the policy.

Why is safeguarding IP important for a standards developing organization?

The information contained in a standard is the intellectual property (IP) of the standards developing organization (SDO). ISA is one of hundreds of SDOs, each of which has its own policy in place for the protection of its IP.

According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), “Every standard is a work of authorship and, under U.S. and international law, is copyright protected, giving the owner certain rights of control and remuneration that cannot be taken away without just compensation. In addition, there are many costs associated with developing, maintaining, and distributing standards – all of which can be reflected in the price of a standard. Different SDOs have different business models and funding sources, but all seek to protect the intellectual property we call standards.”

Protecting IP, particularly in this era of artificial intelligence (AI), is of prime importance and requires a robust and multifaceted approach. The IP policy is part of the effort to “protect intellectual property,” as articulated in one of six themes in the ISA Strategic Plan 2025-2027.

Why has the ISA policy been updated?

ISA has long had a policy regarding intellectual property. In addition, a policy has existed as part of ISA’s ANSI-accredited procedures since at least 2006. It was not well enforced, which has led to a misunderstanding by some that no such policy has ever existed, and all recent efforts by ISA regarding the IP policy are new.

In fact, the 2025 policy revision aims to provide greater clarity, emphasizes the need to formalize requests for use, reduces the risk of inconsistency, and applies the policy to specific common situations.

How was this policy created and how does it compare to others?

The revision was written with ISA’s attorney and outside counsel that specializes in IP law, and was approved by the Executive Board, who are the fiduciaries of the organization.

As part of the revision process, ISA reviewed a broad selection of SDOs’ and similar organizations’ IP policies. Volunteers are encouraged to closely review the IP policies of other SDOs in whose standards development work they participate.

How does fair use apply to this policy?

ISA adheres to the laws of the countries in which it does business, and fair use is the law in the United States. Each fair use case is adjudicated based on its individual situation and merits. If you have a question about what is “material” when using or referencing ISA intellectual property, the best way to address that is to seek permission through permissions@isa.org.

Contributing to the development of a standard does not grant any individual the right to reproduce the standard in whole or in part, or to access the standard for free.

What is the applicability of this policy?

Please ensure you read the policy in its entirety. The ISA IP policy is specifically regarding intellectual property created, owned, used, or disseminated by ISA. It is not applicable to work that is not submitted or used for ISA content.

When do I need to seek permission to use ISA intellectual property?

If you wish to directly reproduce any portion of ISA content, please request permission at permissions@isa.org. This could include, but is not limited to, use in presentations/slide decks, publications, articles and promotional materials.

What if I want to mention ISA content in a presentation?

Referencing a standard or other ISA content by name as part of a presentation requires no approval. Please let ISA staff know so we can track all the places where the ISA community is sharing more about the society. You can do so at content@isa.org, including requesting assistance with slides and other assets as appropriate.

When am I allowed to use the ISA logo or trademarks?

Please refer to the ISA Brand Policy and contact permissions@isa.org with any questions.

My company has questions about this policy.

ISA encourages all contributors to check with their employer before participating in standards development work, whether at ISA or another SDO. If companies have questions about the assignment of rights or any other aspects of the ISA IP policy, they are encouraged to reach out to ISA at executive@isa.org.

What if I disagree with the policy?

ISA is grateful for its dedicated volunteers and their passion for the excellent technical standards developed over the past 80 years by this organization. The ISA Executive Board welcomes constructive feedback and will receive any concerns at executive@isa.org.

All participants in ISA standardization committees must assent to abide by the terms of the IP policy and all ISA policies in order to continue their participation in ISA standardization work. Participation in standards development work is on a volunteer basis. We encourage you to share any questions or feedback through the appropriate channels.

What should I do if I find a violation?

If you believe you have found a violation of ISA copyright, please share the information with permissions@isa.org.

What should I do if I'm concerned about an activity?

If you have a concern about an activity, please share your thoughts with permissions@isa.org.

Where can I submit comments?

Any questions or comments about the IP policy may be directed to executive@isa.org.