A possible sub-scenario is that a student engages in unethical information withholding behavior. The student could conceivably attempt to withhold critical discoveries while engaging in research at the laboratory. Discussions on how such unethical behavior can be curtailed did not lead to possible concrete action that can be taken. In fact, it appears that the best that can be done in such a situation is to wait and observe the activities of the student. Should the student, soon after graduation, file a patent application on technology directly related to the area of research, the Technology and Licensing Office may investigate into the matter and bring charges where it deems proper.
Commercial companies operate under very different rules than educational entities.
Generally, companies are more protective of their intellectual property. Patenting technology would render the information no longer a secret although an exclusivity of use may be granted for a fixed number of years. As such, many companies have strict rules of operation that require new recruits to sign off their rights on intellectual property discoveries. The 'no-use' clause would prohibit the usage of the company's proprietary information after leaving the said company. The 'non-competing' clause would prohibit the formation of a competing company upon leaving the said company in the same area of business.