This briefing gives an overview of some of the legal issues which may arise in relation to the use of technology by UK further and higher education establishments in their Business and Community Engagement ("BCE") activities.
There are two main reasons. First of all, society is becoming increasingly litigious. If you have infringed someone's intellectual property rights for instance, there is a risk that you could be sued or forced into a settlement. But even if you are not sued, there are other implications. If, for example, your data protection or accessibility practices are not compliant, adverse publicity could be very damaging to your reputation. A carefully developed reputation can quickly be tarnished by bad publicity.
The second reason is one of opportunity. Knowing what intellectual property you have and how to exploit it could act as a revenue stream and will allow you to maximise your engagement with the business and social communities. Also, being compliant is a selling point, not a disadvantage! Commercial partners or customers do not want their provider to create additional risk for them. This paper can be accessed in pdf format here - Business and Community Engagement - Legal Issues – An Overview - BCE.